New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-23
Home Portrayed by Novelist.


Inratestone. the other home OF Lord
Petre. is portrayed by Miss Braddon. the
novelist. under the name Of Audley Court
I'm her most powerful and best known
novel. Lady Audley's Secret"
The Petre peerage dates from the reign
~ James I and was bestowed by the lat
ter on Sir John Petre. son Of Henry Wis
prudent Secretary OF State. The fourth
Lord Petre was one Of the victims Of the
ueriured denunciations Of the Infamous in
former, Titus Oates. dying as prisoner In
one OF the dungeons Of the Tower Of Lon
don Another famous member Of the fam
ilv was the Jesuit Father Petre, or Father
Teters," as the people called him, tho
fsvorite counsellor Of King james II.
James made him Clerk Of the Closet that
is u say. his chief official spiritual ad
wiser But the last straw, in popular opin-
Ton. was his bestowing upon him tho dig
ritv Of Privy Councillor.
The ninth Lord Petre had much 10 do
with the passing Of the Roman Catholic
Relief Act in 177S. King George III ana
queen Charlotte visited him in state At
Thorndon Hall. Yet so strong was the
popular prejudice against Roman Catholics
that when he afterward raised. armed and
equipped a regiment for King Georges
service abroad his eldest sons religion
was held TO disqualify him from either
commanding II or holding a commission as
officer. and iu consequence thereof lie
served as n private in its ranks.
Whenever LORD Peue dies a new gold
sovereign and loaf of bread are pre-
ss0ted 90 as many widows on the estates
u.s. the number Of years OF the dead peer.
Thus. were young Lord Pctrc to die to-
day at thc age Of just twenty-one, precise
D. that number Of widows would receive
This dole. the origin OF which goes back to
the roisu of queen Elizabeth.
The tenth. eleventh and twelfth Lords
Iotro occupied the premier place among
tho old Roman catholic aristocracy Of Eng
land during tho first seven decades Of the
nineteenth century. and so thoroughly was
Tho ure-emiueucc in this respect acknow-
'd-od 10y their corcliglouiStS i'm and out OF
io.y orders that the late Cardinal Man
hing. on one memorable occasion. mani
fo,t'd some slight piquc For when, after
'~s.cning his archdoacoury in the Church
O England 10 he ono a Rom In Catholic
'tNiuo. iu the first fervors OF MS CONVEX
SION no exclaimed. referring 20 the twelfth
lord Petre: II thought that Saint Peter
was Tho head Of the Roman Catholic
church. but ] find II is Lord Petre' For
'1e name is pronounced like that Of the
mos. famous of the Apostles
Present Lord Sixteenth Of Line.
The present Lord Petre is the sixteenth
Or Dis line Tho thirteenth was a prelate
Of the household Of Plus IN. kept a boys
60 tho Isle of Wight. until his accession 10
Tho family houors and estates. and there
rpon enjoyed the distinction Of being the
first Roman Catholic divine to occupy
scat in Parlameut-in the House Of Lords
since the days Of the Reformation.
The fourteenth Lord Petrc. his younger
brother married Audrey daughter Of the
rev. Dr. William Clark. canon Of the Ca
hodral Of Wells, and for many years a
professor 'n the University OF Toronto. lie
Lord Pctre-was very CHEEKY soul. lis
convhiality taking almost invariably the
form of an insane craving 10 drive Il han
som cab. II he could not induce the hack
man 10y means of money 10 surrender his
seat and tie reins hc would straightway
Knock the man down and then drive of.
sometimes he found a congenial spirit sim
4aiiF inclined, and then the drive was apt
10 take the form OF a mao chariot race be-
tween the TWO hans0mS, which customarily
eliminated in wreck and IN the appear
ance Of the peer in the police court.
Ills Younger brother Philip. who succeed
'd him as fifteenth peer. was source OF
much trouble 20 his family lie behaved
So badly 10 his American wife that she was
forced 10 leave him, and he came to this
country. whore he lived under an assumed
name ON small allowance furnished 20
h'm ty his elder brother. the fourteenth
lf'r- This allowance was granted only on
condition that be waive his claim 10 the
'niailcd estates I'm favor Of his only son.
I4oncI. Tho present lord The fifteenth
LORD pciie returned 20 England on sue
f'ediug 10 the family honors. but found
'i'ai tho remembrance Of his former mis-
'f"og and especially 81 his conviction and
Imprisonment was sin fresh Too tho minds
~ ihe public So he RETAINED from adopt
hE the little. and died from alcoholism.
'''ial ogtcast In lodgings IN one of the
''orfr quarters ~ London, where his iden