The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-30
ny IA MAnaU1sE DE roNTpsoY.

BY La MARQUISE DE FOSTENOf.
n 10 peerage that is not OF wholly
n modern creation is safe from
ID tho pretensions of claimants
eretensions that have to be dis
proved. often at very heavy expense
TO tho actual possessor of the dignity.
Thus, Lord Dudley's departure for Aus
train, where no had spent some years
as Governor General OF the Common
wealth. was signalized by tho appear
ance OF claimant ct Melbourne to his
titles and estates. I'll the person OF q
builder OF the name of william w ard.
whose story received the fullest kind
No matter how ridiculous tho preten-
slons Of the man, whose patronymic
Is the Same as that OF Lord Dudley.
tho latter Will be put to both annoy
builder, whose claims are said to be re-
ceiving the financial backing of some
OF the moneyed people who for one rea-
son or another have chosen TO consider
by Lord and Lady Dudley during their
stay in Australia. The claimant. who
Is one Of the moat active temperance
leaders in Australia, is also receiving
the support of the temperance move
ment in the Antipodes.
The claimant who bases his preten-
sions on his descent from the second
Lord Ward. Is probably one Of the nu-
OF Dudley. which has been In allowance
since the death In 1857 of its fifteenth
holder There are quito q number OF
heirs thereto The e., senior 6 OF them d is
In Worcestershire. Another is a small
farmer. who has in his possession re-
liable and authentic pedigree, setting
forth his descent from Henry VII. and
Elizabeth Of York Another died as n
tollgate keeper in the neighborhood
OF Dudley. a fourth is customs clerk !:
a fifth butcher, sixth o cats meat
peddler in the East End Of London.
T T3pt eh va NTnlnn,tr1,n a I'm,
ant establish priority to the rights OF
these coheirs to the ancient barony OF
Dudley. now in allegiance, 1t would not
affect in any way the retiring Govern.
or-General OF Australia's earldom Of
Dudley nor his yiscounty Of Ednam nor
his barony OF Ward. Nor would 1t In
any way affect the tenure OF his largs
and extremely valuable estates, which
include great mining interests. In fact.
the best that tho claimant could ever
hope to obtain would be tho barony of
Dudley.
The story Of the ancient barony OF
dom OF the Same nnme Is curious
one. The barony OF Dudley originally
belonged to the Staffordshire, Mouse of
of Stafford. Tho ninth Of the sutton
Barons OF Dudley was spendthrift,
and having involved both himself and
tho family estates In heavy debt he
ter and heircss. Frances Sutton, upon
Humble Ward. son OF William Ward.
very wealthy goldsmith in London
and jeweler to Queen Henrietta. con-
sort OF Charles +. william Ward gave
tho peculiar Christian name OF Humble
to his only son In order to propitiate
Oliver Cromwell and his Roundheads.
being In fear OF the conf5cation OF
his property by reason OF his former
connection with tho reigning house.
and the Christian name OF Humble has
been retained by his descendants over
since.
Humble Ward, tho husband Of Fran
ces Sutton (who had inherited her
grandfather's baronyLof Dudley, which
wac barony by writ), abandoned Pu-
ritanism on the Restoration, and was
first knighted by Charles IL, and sub
scquently elevated to the peernge as
Baron Ward of Birmin CHAM, in the
county of Warwick. He had two sons.
Edward and William. Edward sue
coeded his father, as second Baron
Ward and his mother as eleventh Bar
on Dudley. and was succeeded by his
Oldest grandson Edward, by tho latter
| post humous son OF tho Same name, and
| again by his own second son, William,
who became fourteenth Baron Dudley
and ffth Baron Ward Ito died un-
| married.. and tho barony OF Dudley
| thereupon fell into allegiance between
| his sisters and still continues IN aboy-