The Washington herald., 1913-09-08
Copyright. 1913, By A. D. Jscobson.)

tCogngnt, lsiS, % A. ID. Jacobson.l
George Tooth. gardener of Norwood.
England. tells a romantic story OF his
life, and promises to repeat it in the
courts, where he proposes to prosecute
his claim to the peerage of Waterford
and its estates, comprising $500 acres.
Tooth has been gardening about fifteen
years, and during the whole OF that time
has been collecting evidence to support
his startling contention. II is understood
that he is now receiving financial sup
port from a lady who believes that Il Is
case for Official inquiry. The man says
that he Is the legitimate son of the 9TH
Marquis OF Waterford, who in 1895 shot
himself following an injury to the spine
sustained in falling from his horse. A
son was born to tne marchioness al
Chesham Place On March %, 1873, and
according to the announcement in tee
London times, II was still born. Tooth
contends that the child was born alive,
and that IL was himself.
His story Is that as a newly born In
FAINT, he was placed in the care of a Mrs.
Duncan, who brought him up at the ex-
pense Of the marquis. The marchiOness
died in April, 1873, and there was no re-
corded Issue of the marriage In any regis
try office. Tooth alleges that the death
certificate of the marchioness, as regis
tered at Somerset House. was without
doctors signature. The maiden name OF
the marchioness was ROwley. She was
the daughter OF a major in the army OF
Bombay. She 1rst married the Hon. +.
G. w. Vivian, a member Of Parliament,
from whom she was divorced. In lsI2
she married the fifth Marquis Of Water
ford at the registry office OF st. Georges
Hanover Square. London.
On behalf Of the present marquis 1t is
stated that Georgina Tooth, single
woman and a cook In the service OF Mrs.
Vivian, became a mother in HOloorn
Union on January q. 1872, and died there.
Mrs. Vivian, 1t is alleged, caused the
child, John Tooth, TO be removed 20 the
Franciscan Convent. Noting Hill. for
few days, after which he was placed by
her maid in the care of a Mrs Jones.
whose address Is not known. Further II
is asserted that this child afterward was
handed over to the care Of Mrs. Duncan
and is the present claimant.
In 1874 the ifth marquis married Lady
Blanche, daughter of the eighth Duke
Of Beaufort. by whom there were three
children. His son, Henry de Ia Poer
Beresford. who succeeded him. was
drowned about two years ago. The lat
ter's son, John Charles, whose mother
was the youngest daughter of the NTH
Marquis of Lansdowne, a boy twelve
years Of age, is the present holder OF the
title.
The Mrs. Duncan referred to is dead,
but her daughter is alive, and remembers
Tooth being brought to her mother as an
infant. For sixteen years the NTH mar
quis, so it is alleged, paid two guineas
a month for his maintenance. The child
each month was taken TO the marquis
house, on which occasion the money was
paid to Mrs. Duncan or her daughter. The
last instaIlment was made when Tooth
was sixteen years of age. Then an allow
ance for three months was paid in ad-
vance, with a notification that the boy
was now old enough to work for his own
living. Mrs. Duncan's daughter is re-
ported to have expressed the opinion that
Tooth Is the son of a cook in the service
of the fifth marquis.
The house of Waterford had its origin
in the eleventh century when John de"
Beresford settled in the parish OF ,Alston-
field, County Stafford. in Ireland. The
family became more intimately identified
with the history of England when Iris
tram Beresford, during the reign OF
James /. went to Ireland, as manager
of the Corporation of LoRdoners, known
as ''the Society of the New Plantation
in Ulster" settling at ColeTaine. County
1 Londonderry. and whose son became the
first Baronet of Coleraine, and a member