The Washington herald., 1911-01-21
SOCIAL GOSSIP OF
FOREIGN CAPITALS

upon his fifty-fourth year with the clos
ing of 1910. is not. like his predecessor. a
great London real estate owner and land
lord, but he owns about 100000 acres OF
land in four British counties, and his
| rent roll runs we'll into six figures
1t Is more than a quarter Of a century
since, as William Cavendish- Bentfnck, a
Guards. he succeeded his eccentric kins-
man as sixth Duke Of Portland. Ten
years later he married the charming
Miss Winnifred Dallas-Yorke, and they
have two sons and one daughter. The
duke and his duchess care little for Lon
don and do no entertaining in their fine
mansion in Grosvenor Square. However
frequently they have large parties OF
friends at Welbeck Abbey. or at Lang
well. when they are in Scotland
The Duke of Portland. Sir William
John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-
Bentinck. knight of the Garter. &c.
Is burdened with quite a number Of other
titles. He is Marquis Of Titchfield
Southampton: Earl of Portland dor
set: Viscount Woodstock. of Woodstock
(Oxford): Baron Cirencester. Of Ciren-
cester Gloucester): Baron Bolsover. of
Bolsover Castle Derby: lord lieutenant
Of Caithness and Nottinghamshire family
trustee of the British Museum; master
Of the horse OSS6 to 1892, and from 1895
to 190S); knight Of justice of the Order
Of st. John of Jerusalem. &c He in
herited the title of the Bolsover barony
through his stepmother
The present duke was born in 1857 and
succeeded his cousin, William Scott John
Cavendish- Bentinck, in 1879, the latter
dying unmarried
The family OF Bentinck is Of the ancient
nobility of the duchy of Guelder Meth
erlands). where, at the commencement of
the fourteenth century. a knight of that
name is known to have possessed a cas-
tie OF -Bentinck near GorseeI, between
Deventer and Zuthpen. But the Ben
tincks were known to history in Hol-
land long before that period. One Wich-
erus Benting. according to the ZuiGer
chronicles. was witness to the signature of
Bishop Withhold, Of Utrecht, at the foun-
dation OF Zwolle, and his son, Henrik
Benting. in 1872, was borge (burgher) of
the town of Zuthpen.
The first Bentinck to come to England
was Hans William. page of honor and
confidential adviser to William of Orange
who accompanied his royal master After
the accession Of that prince to the British
throne this Bentinck became a member
of the privy council and was appointed
groom of the stole and first gentleman
of the bedchamber. He was created a
peer of England in 1859 with the titles of
Baron Cirencester, Viscount Woodstock.
and Earl of Portland. AS commander of
the Dutch regiment of Horse Guards he
took prominent part in the battle of
Boyne. AS far back as 1851 the heads
of the house of Bentinck always have
been Knights of the Garter.
His son Henry was created Marquis
of Titchfield and Duke of Portland in
l1l6. He died in Jamaica. of which he
was captain general and governor, in
l126 His son and successor was the
husband of Margaret Cavendish Harley,
daughter and heir of the Earl of Ok
ford. the lady whom Prior immortalized
as My noble. lovely, little Peggy"
tne SdNenQlSn name Was
added to the Bentinck family name.
Their successor. the third duke. was a
noted statesman during the eventful
reign of George III. and later was vice
roy Of Ireland and twice prime minister
The Right Hon. Arthur James Balfour
will be back again in his old place as
opposition leader when the new Parlia-
ment reassenbles. in spite of rumors to
the contrary. Mr. Balfour was sixty
four years old last July. and he has held
Office as far back as 1856. Had it not
been for the Manchester interregnum,"
he would be to-day the father Of the
House of Commons.
1t is difficult to imagine the scholarly
statesman engaged in the menial task
of blacking boots, yet that occupation
Is not unknown to Mr. Balfour. During
the cotton famine Of 1862 the scarcity of
the raw material was felt all over Eng
land, and MIR. Balfour's mother decided
that the circumstances were such that
every effort should be made by the
household to economize.
Our establishment" the statesman
told friend recently. was reduced to its
narrowest limits. My sisters helped to
cook the dinner. while l helped to black
the boots"
At Eton Mr.. Balfour was Lord Lans-
1owne's fag. and it is among the tradi-
tons that his lordship kept the future
prime minister constantly ''on the run"
He was such slender. delicate youth that
his fellow-students nicknamed him Miss
Nancy" He preferred philosophical
studies and debates in the Eton Society
to sports. At Cambridge he gained ia
notice. and shortly after he left
the university Lord Beaconsfield re-
marked significantly: Arthur Balfour
will be second Pitt some day
Prince Alexander George Of Teck. the
brother of Queen Mary of England. has
Just exchanged regiments, and now is an
officer in the Second Life Guards. This
will mean his constant presence
IN London. and it is understood that King
George has placed White Lodge. in Rich
nond Park. at the disposal of his broth
er-in-law.
Prince Alexander usually has a good
story to tell, when in congenial company.
One of the best relates to when he was
stationed at Aldershot some years ago.
It is making the rounds now in Mayfair.
A friend Of the prince also one Of the
garrison. had been out motoring one day
and had had the misfortune Of killing
= dog. He alighted to ascertain the ex-
tent Of the damage, when the owner of