The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-27
by la MAR0UIsE DE TONT1NoH.
PlERPONT MORGAN, JR., now
that he has purchased from
Colonel William Dugald Stuart

BA LA MARSUISE DE FONTEN0f.
that he has purchased from
!. Colonel William Dugald Stuart
- the picturesque country seat
known as Aldenham Abbey, in Hcrt-
fordshre. which he had leased for
several years, has restored 1t 10 its
former name of Wall Hall. 1t was
built at the end Of the eighteenth
century by George Thellusson.. brother
OF he first Lord Rendlcsham, and
second son OF that eccentric multi-
millionaire, Potter Thellusson whose
extraordinary WILL directing that his
great properties should be tied mp. and
invested at coinnound interest, for gem
crations, and then TO 20 TO his eldest
male descendant, resulted In q Irc-
mendous amount OF litigation. and ul-
timately In the enactment OF a law by
Thcllusson Act" which renders II i'm
possible for personal property 10 be
, lieu w Tor more than twenty-one
Peter Thcilusson, who was born at
Geneva. az Il Swiss citizen (and whose
father Isaac 1hellusson. had figured as
Swiss ambassador at the court Of
Louis Nv. or France) came TO London
IN li62, at the agc OF about twenty
nyc. secured letters Standardization as
an Englishman, and embarked In bus
estimated at some s5,ooo,o0o, by sue
ccssful Investments. enterprises and
specnlations, as we'll as by the utmost
most disagrceable old man, With q
harsh, hard voice. who so tcrrorxed
his family tina, his wife is said to
have died OF a broken heart while
after his death, his portrait. which
sun figures at Rendlesham Hall, the
family place in Suffolk was shot full
OF holes by his Disguised sons, when
neither they nor their children were
TO enjoy any of the vast property
which he had left behind him.
The VIII provided tina, the fortune
pound interest during the lives of his
three sons and OF his grandchildren;
then the entire property was to be
conveyed 70 the senior great grand
child. on the condition that he assumed
the name Of rhellusson, ii he did not
already possess II by birth; aud that
wishes, or in the event OF the failure
OF any great grandchild s heir, the
accumulated fortune should be applied,
Hmnd y the aEeney q The snking
debt. Fills motive In making this Will
was partly malignant hatred OF
his children and grandchildren. and
partly, too, vanity. anxious as he WAS
that nearly century after his death,
his name should be perpctuatcd by
the largest fortune in existence.
OF course his testamcntary dispo-I
sitions created a great deal of con
troversy. criticism and litigation. and
led to the enactment OF the Thellus-
son Act which l have mentioned above,
IN 1890. But it was not retroactive.
and his will. though contested. was
upheld BY decision OF the House Of
Lords. OF June 1908. Obligation con
tinuedl however, among The various
members of the family, for the fol-
lowing fifty years or more. cnrichinE
generations Of , lawyers The last SUR
1886. and then question arose as
TO whether the eldest male descendant,
or the senior male descendant OF the
the matter being brough, to a con-
ciusion In final appeal in 1852 in favor
OF the senior male descendant of tie
eldest SON.: namely. the present and
owing to the extraordinary expenses
Of all these sixty years of litigation.
The fortune which came into the pos
session OF Lord Rendiesham al that
time was only about twice the size
of the wealth. left by old Peter Thel-
lusson at the time Of his death.
dIately intend the Thellusson case to
be the original OF "Jarndyce versus
Jarndyce." he at any rate makes an
obvious Inference thereto in the pre-
In the following words: There is
another Well known suit in chancery
not yet decided which was commenced
bfore the close of the last century,
aud in which fabulous sums have been
swallowed up in costs. If I wanted
other authorities for Jarndyce yersns
Jarndyce. I could rain them on these
pages"
The present Lord Rendlesham. the
only member. of the British peerage
whose family was founded by a
all-round sportsmen in England. has
several times held office as steward
OF the Jockey Club. and has achieved
distinction as a shot, as yachtsman,
In n ri 10 hoe ,>
seat In the House of Lords. his pcerage
being an Irish one; the first indeed,
created since the Act of the. Union,
Hall. q beautiful place in Suffolk,
which old Peter Thellusson bought in
the eighteenth century from the
Wombwell family.
Queen AleXandras former private
secretary. Hon. Sidney Greville, who
has Just been appointed by King George
it salary OF $4,000 year in addi-
ton to all kinds of perquisites and adj
vantages Of one kind and another. Is
and Of Lady Eva Dugdalc, who has
been the favortte lady in waiting to
Queen Mary eyer since The latter's
he n at uah hs 1s
Knollys does TO Queen Alexandria
sidney Greville was formerly private
secretary TO Lord Salisbury. and Is
known TO number OF Americans as
having beer invariably in attendance
upon King Edward during the latter's
STAY at Marienbad.
The GrevilIe family is Very far from
rich. In fact, when thirty years ago
Warwick Castle was considerably
damaged by fire, the late Earl of War
wick issued an appeal to his fellow
countrymen. OF such a character that
a public subscription was started. for
the p,lrpnsc o! enabling him to repair
the Injuries. Some $4,000 had been
subscribed before John Ruslin put an.
eStinguisher upon the entirc project
by letter IN the London Times. in