The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-19
COUNTESS OF ROTHES
SAVED FROM TITANIC

| hundred years possessed In thetr fexuily
tho hereditary right OF removing tho
sovereign's boots on his return from
| any royal chase in Scotland. This was
and has not ceased to boa highly
honorable office. For in sarly times
royal hunt was as great a pageant
| az nowadays is the monarch's pro-
ces3ion 10 open Parliament or to holu
soma great military revlew. The an
Client hunting etiqustte did not como
to an end until the monarch had been
restored TO his private apartments,
and had been duly helped with his
ablutions. changes of clothing, ate. In
those troublous times the TACT that
the monarch admitted one of his ,bes
TO approach him while he was in
! such defenseless condition showed
that h. had the utmost confidence in
his loyalty.
The present Lord Rothcs has been
so delighted with his visit to the
United. States and mas been so i'm
pressed with the advantage offered for
safe and lucrative investment OF cap
itai, as compared with analogous OPP
! portunities in England, that instead
OF sailing nome ten days ago, as orig.
inally planned, he remained on this
sido and sent for Lady Rothcs. In
sistinS that she should Join him here,
Q
sonal idea of what he had seen. and
of tae conclusions that he had arr
rived at
The Earldom of Ruthes has for two
! or three centuries been greatly en-
! barrassed in monetary sense. IT'S
financial straits dating from the reign
: OF Charles H.. willie in more recent
: N"drs the proiihcncsS of the 1amii.
/ mas not tended to tighten the load For
the income derived from It's property
las numerous calls upon ii in the
way of jointures, annuities to younger
sons, etc. Thus. the late Countess OF
Rothes. grandmother of the present
earl. and who died In 1870 at the age
| OF ninety three. left eighteen child
rem and grandchildren ali Of whom
! had to be provided Cor in addition 10
| other beneticiarles who had been named
| IN settlements prior 10 her time and
. whose annuities had not set expired
But tho most severe blow to the
wealth of the family occurred in the
reign of Charles IL. or perhaps 1t
would be more correct to say In that
OF James II. Down TO the reign OF
Charles II. the family was immensely
| rioh. But the seventh earl had the
1 misfortune TO be on terms of init
mate friendship with Charles H.. who
overwhelmed him with donors, be-
slowing upon him the Dukedom Of
Rothes and the Lord High Commits
sionsrshlp of Scotland: an Office re-
sembiing that of viccroy. It was while
in possession or these honors that the
duke died at Edinburgh which is a
| considerable distance off from The
! family mansion Leslie House King
CHARLES insisted that as thu duke had
died as his representative, he should
be accorded all the funeral honors
of q full tcdgcd sovereign. and that
his remains should be conveyed, in
royal state, at the expense OF the
! crown, from the capital of Scotland
/ TO Leslie House. This involved, of
| crown. from the capital OF Scotland
t@ndants. their suitable entertainment
at the various stopping places, and at
! their Journeys end. their mourning
OUTFIT, etc. Indeed, the funeral cere-
monies lasted for an incredible time.
and wncn thay came to a close. Charles
II. was dead and James II. had as
| cended the throne. He had always de-
tested the Duke o. aothes. and flatly
| refused TO honor the royal promise
| OF his predecessor. the Merrie onarch.
refusing 10 pay the huge bills for the
! funeral. adding, that in view of the
| TACT that the Rothes family were so
+ rich they could much better afford to
pay for the dukes in;crmcnt than he,
James, could himself. The Rothes
| family declined 10 enter into legal
! proceedings against the crown about
! the matter and assumed the expense
| themselves. mortgaginE their property
| TO the hilt In order to do so. Alto
sether. 1t Is said. the expenses of the
funeral amounted to three million
pounds sterling, or $4,000. ooo-a big
enough sum now. but an almost fabu-
lous one In those days: and very
| grievous burden, although the family
owned vast estates in Scotland. ex-
tending from one end OF the Kingdom
to the other. These charges placed on
| tho property so long ago were not
entirely cleared off from what re-
manned of their lands until the mar
r'age of the presen; earl to the
daughter and hciress of the exceed :
ingly wealthy Thomas Edwards OF
! Brfnknash Park. Cfoucostershire Then
-, possession was resumed OF tho Leslie
House property wnich had been in
alien hands for more than two CEN
F., turtles.
The Leslie family is descended from
that Berthold Leslie who was one o.;
! the principal Magyar magnates VINO
escorted Queen Marguerite from Hun
gary TO Scotland in 1867. during the
reign of King Malcolm l.
| Copyright. 1912 by the Brentwood