The Washington herald., 1912-06-30
LADY SYKES DIES
AT HOME IN HULL
British Woman Of Varied Career
Succumbs at the Age of
Fifty-fve.

London. June 29-Lady Sykes. a woman
Who had a remarkable and varied career
and whose unconventionality Of conduct
was often not far removed from eccen-
tricity, died at Hull
She was the wife Of Sir Tatton Sykes.
the famous horsebreeder Of Sledmere.
York, and the mother Of Mr. Mark
Sykes. the brilliant young Unionist mem-
Der for Central Hull She was related
by birth and marriage to many distin-
guished families. Her father was the
Right Hon. George Cavendish-Bentinck.
NJ. P. member of the Duke OF Port
lands family. and her sister is Mrs
Arthur James
A passion for adventure and for va
riety led her in later life TO NIL many
unusual roles. Her outspOkenness was a
byword. and few women could speak
their minds more forcibly when aroused
So it was that the woman who had
been a wealthy society hostess. entertain
ing royalty, suddenly became a nurse in
South Africa and authorsss, the edItress
Of two weekly papers in succession. a
noted gambler and auction bridge player,
ard the defendant in many aCtions-one
an unsubstantiated charge Of forgery.
As a seventeen-year-old girl she mar
red Sir Tatton Sykes, then thirty years
her senior, who had met her in the
bunting field. Her reputation as horse
woman was then second to none in a
hard-riding country.
Eight years after their marriage Sir
Tatton and Lady Sykes were received
into the Roman Catholic Church, the
Duke Of Norfolk being their sponsor.
In the early sos the name Of Lady
Sykes was associated with a racing and
gambling set. the members Of which
were noted for their high play. In De-
cember 1896, Sir lotion Sykes adver-
t!sed in the newspapers that he would no
longer be responsible for any debts his
wife might contract.
LOng-drawn-out litigation in the courts
followed, for a mOney-lender named Jay
sued Sir Tatton and Lady Sykes to re-
cover $4,000 advanced on promissory
notes bearing the signatures Of both
1t was money borrowed at 50 per cent.
TO pay gambling losses, and Sir Tatton
denied the signatures purporting to be
LIS. although Lady Sykes swore she had
seen him sign them. It was proved that
Sir Tatton was in Brussels when some
of these notes were said to have been
signed in London, and the case against
hum was withdrawn.
Other actions on disputed signatures
were brought, and in October, 1897, Lady
sykes appeared AT Ine OullQndll FOuCd
Court on a charge Of ''felOniously forg-
ing and uttering the Endorsement Of a
bill OF exchange for $500 with intent to
1efraud" AS II was impossible to call
Sir Tatton to give evidence against his
wife. the case collapsed, the magistrats
saying that those proceeding against
Lady Sykes had used the court for an
improper purpose" In 1899 Sir Tatton
arranged for a deed OF separation under
which Lady Sykes was allowed $4,000 a
year, an income which she utilized IN
many adventures in the last thirteen
years.
At the outbreak Of the Boer war, Lady
Sykes, in a nurses uniform. went to
South Africa for two months and worked
n the kitchen Of a hospital near Colenso
On her return she wrote "Sidelights OF
he War" in which she criticised thu
medical arrangements. She wrote many
,austic comments on people and things
n her two weeklies, The Review Of the
Week., and Sunrise"
In the editorial offices Of the latter, in
Henrietta Street. Covent Garden, which
we're furnished like a boudoir, she re-
,eived duchesses, out-of-work market
oorters looking for charity. jockeys and
and many other odd char.
lcters- Lady Sykes was hfty-fivs ysara
I'D,