The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-08

Lord Ashbrook. shown by recent
legal proceedings at Dublin TO be in
the hands of the moneylenders, who
have obtained a number of judgments
against him. Is the eighth viscount OF
his line and is one of the victims OF
aerarian conditions in Ireland. where
the former Lords Ashbrook owned vast
estates, and were renowned Tor thei'
wealth. Indeed, the Ashbrook es-
,ates extended at one time over
100. 300 acres. and eten when the
elder brother of &e present viscount
succeeded TO the property, the castle
Durrow estate. in the family since fhe
reign of Charles H., was estimated al
A. 600 acres. He is quite an OLD man
in the neighborhood of eighty. ano
that he must be in very stralteneo
circumstances in best shown py the
fact that one of his married daugh,
ters Mrs. Harry Ernest white, OF
Aghavoe, Queens County. inquired III
the loan transactions with the usur
ers. as the indorser OF his disnohoreu
notes. His patronyrnic is Flower he
is descended from Sir William Flower
who won distinction in the irish reoei'
lion of 1871, the peerage being pes,o"
cd unon his grand-nephew and heir
brook who contracted so romantic a
marriage, similar, indeed. TO that OF 'he
first MARQUIS Of Exeter and sally Hog
rims immortaIized by Lord Tennyson
in his poem entitled The Lord of Bur
leigh" The second Viscount Ash
brook cana into his title when he was
hut eight years OF age. At nineteen
ne was sent to oxford. 10 Magdalen
College. where the Prince of Wales Is
now established and while there fell
in love with the beautiful Betty
Rudre. daughter of old Rudge. the
fe-rvman at Gunner ferry. Like Lord
lF.xeter in the case OF The Lord OF
Burleigh.'' he maintained strict in
cognito. and il was under the name OF
william Flower" that he won the
heart OF the girl
The ferrynan father. however,
would not hear Of any marriage OF his
daughter TO man whom he regarded
as penniIess. shiftless. oxford I'M
dersra duate. declaring that the differ
ence OF education and social status
would be bound to result in unhappi-
ness for his daughter.
At length, however. the young peer
revealed his identity. and got the OLD
ferrvnan to consent that the girl
should be placed at his expense in the
charge of the lady principal OF the
leading girls school at Reading. that
sha should remain there for three
years. that during that time he should
only see her in the presence Of her
peopIe. and that at the end or that
period she should have the right to
accent him or 20 refuse him. and that
IL ne should decline to marry her ne
was to endow her with sum OF sio,-
600.
As soon as ever the three years were
elapsed. he married her. In Nortnmoo'
Church. and the marriage turned out
very happily IN every respect, society,"
contrary to its usual practice in such
cases. receiving her with open arms
She had two sons. each OF whom sue
ceeG-d in turn to- their fathers title
and since her granddaughter married
the sixth Duke OF Marlborough. she
may he regarded as one OF the ances-
,resSes Of the present duke OF that
iIk
The sixth Lord Ashbrook. eldest
brother Of the present peer. was less
fortunate in his matrimonial affairs
For his marriage was dissolved by
means o. very sensational divorce
case in 1877.
The present Lord Ashbrook has a
couple Of sons and three daughters
the eldest son being the Hon. Low
arch Flower married 20 daughter
Of General sir George Hissinson and
a pronounced Tory. consequently an
ants-home-ruler.
copyright. 1913. by the Brentwood
Company