The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-04
IInnk Notes,
LADY HERBERT OF LEA
FAVORITE AT VATICAN

created Earl OF Portland. and a Knight
OF me Garter. and presented with con-
Earl OF Portland. fought oy King ), Al.
nam side at the battle OF the Boyue,
ne was married twice. His son by his
nrst marriage succeeded to his Eng
iish honors. and became FIRST Duke OF
Portland. BY the earl's second marri.
age. he had son named William, who
,hneFitea MS extensive Dutch and Ger
man estates. and who was created a
Souht OF the Holy Roman Empire by
Emperor Charles VI. the title being
heritao!e BY all Of his descendants. He
married the only daughter and heiresa
OF Anthony H. sovereign Count 81
hnyphausen and OF Varel Their CID
est son, Christian. succeeded 10 mis- ma
ternal grandfather's petty sovereignty.
which passed on his death TO his own
eldest son, Count William Gustav Benz
iinck
This Count William married as his
hrst wife "A Baroness Lynden, and subse-
quently contracted union with wo-
man OF the name of Sarah Gerdes
daughter OF one OF his farmers. She
bore him a couple OF boys. William and
Gustav. This union was not ratified by
the church until 1916, when William
and Gustav were already In their teens
But their father claimed that his mar
rage 10 his WIFE. prior to that date, had
been 'Gewissensehe" Cmarriage by
consclence). and that his sons were
therefore legitimate. and entitled to
succeed to the Sovereignty OF Knyp-
his death by his younger brother,
Count John Charles Bentinck. general
OF the English army, and the great
lasted more than quarter OF a cen
fury. ensued, the decision being ulti-
mately given against the sons of the
sovereign Count William Augustus
Wife. on the ground that although not
actually nlegitimate. as asserted in the
English "peerages." notably by Burke"
they We're at any rate tho offspring of
mesalliance. and therefore barred
from the succession to the sovereignty
of knyphausen and to the vast Ben
timex estates.
The eldest q these thus dis!nhcrited
peasant-born mother to this country
and settled down in St Louis. Mo,
where he married one OF her relatives,
had several children. who are estab-
lished respectively at Marthasville. St
Louis and Boston. His younger broth
or. Count Gustav Bentinck, remained i'm
Clara Wedel, by whom he left two
daughters. one of them married to
Major Conrad Won Krosigk, of the Prus-
sian cavalry. All the descendants OF
Count William Augustus Bentinck by
his peasant wife. those in America, as
well as those who remained in Germany,
figure as Counts and Countesses Ben
thick. in every German official list OF
nobility. and In all standard works of
reference. notably In the "Graerfliche
Taschenbuch," issued by the editors OF
the Almanach de Gotha.
The successful claimants in the great
Bentinck lawsuit, sons OF General Count
John Charles Bentinck. Of the British
army. sold their sovereignty Of Knyp-
hansen and of Varei to the Grand
Duke of Eldenburg. becoming media
tiled. That is to say. they retain.
among other formerly petty sovereign
prerogatives. the right OF mating with
royalty on footing of equality; and
it's male scons are entitled to a COM
mission OF lieutenant in the German
army or navy. as soon as ever they
either Join the service, or come OF
age. Curiously enough. several OF
these r..ediatized Count Bentincks are
English subjects Thus, Count William,
the head of the mediatized house, still
figures on the English Foreign Offico
list as Secretary of Legation In tho
British diplomatic service; though his
eldest son. a subaltern In the Prussian
Gardes du Corps regiment, is alta ched
to the German Embassy In London A
cousin. Count Charles Bentinck, also
of the mediatized rank. Is secretary OF
the British Legation at the Hague,
while three OF his brothers are subal-
terms in the British army.
Copyright. 1911, by the Brentwood
Company.1