The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-18
She Is Twenty-Fifth Holder of
Premier Barony of
England.
BY LA MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.


in New York. on board the Cum
ard liner Mauretania. Is a peer
ess in her own right. and the twenty
NTH holder OF the premier barony OF
England. created In 1864. She is the
twenty-seventh in descent from that
Robert de RIOS who was the leader OF
the barons who extorted tho Magma
Charta from King John, and who mar
RED Isabel, daughter of King William,
tho Lion of Scotland His tomb is to
be seen to this day in the Temple
Church. in London.
Lady de Ros. who inherited the
peerase from her father six years ago.
is a woman of near sixty. and is mar
rled to tho Hon. Anthony Dawson
younger son of the first Earl Dartrey.
AS commoner. he has no share in her
ute and prerogatives. This leads to
somewhat awkward contretemps
abroad. where hotel keepers not
initiated into the mysteries OF the
British peerage cannot quito under
stand how Mr.. Dawson can be travel
ing with Lady de Ros. as man and
WIFE Some foreign inns have even
been known 10 close their doors
against them.
Lady de Ros has three daughters.
which means that the peerage will go
Into allegiance on her death, since the
crown does not recognize anv priority
or birth where women are concerned.
King George Will be free to terminate
the allegiance in favor OF any ono of
Lady de Ross three daughters. two of
whom. the eldest and the youngest.
are married and have children The
barony has twice before been in abev-
ance, the second time on the death OF
the twentieth baron in 1857, and re-
mained In that condition until 1906.
that Ia to say. for 119 years. when 1t
was terminated In favor of Charlotte.
VIE OF Lord Henry Fitzgerald. who
was descended on her mothers side
from the eighteenth baron.
The Lords de Ros have played a
notable role in history. The fourth
baron led the second division of tho
English army at the battle of Crccy.
The seventh baron was a Knight or
the Garter and Lord Treasurer of
England, and Catherine, the nineteenth
holder OF the barony, was the wife of
George villiers, Duke of buckingham.
who was the most notable figure of
the reign of James l., until his death
at the hand of an assassin.
There ls but one really dark page In
the history of this peerage-one stain
upon its escutcheon-due to the TWEEN
ty-second lord. His name is still re-
called. in connection with one of the
greatest card scandals of the nine F..
teenth century. which convulsed Eng
lish society just at the time OF the &C
cession of Queen Victoria to the
throne. He was charged by weekly
London paper. the Satirist. with cheat
Ing at cards at the Travellers Club in
Pail Mall. For two full years pre-
viously he had been suspected of I'M
fair practices, and the only reason why
he was permitted to go on playing
was that several of the men who sut.-
seouently became his accusers, wero
won't. with more cynicism than hon
csty, to bet on his hands. The mat
ter might have gone on indefinitely
had not the weekly paper in question
got hold Of the story and printed 1t
Lord de Ros was then compelled to
take legal proceedings against the
owner OF the sheet: mar OF the
name of Cumming. There were al
most as many peers who went into
tho witness box fer the purpose of ex-
cusing Lord de Ros. on the ground of
alteration OF mind, and of otherwise
testifying in his behalf, as there were
noblemen who figured as his accusers.
chief among the latter being Lord
Henry Bentinck. and tho great sports
man. George Payne. The jury decided
in favor. of the Satirist, which was
equivalent to n declaration that Lord
de Ros was guilty of the practices
imputed to him. On the following day
he left England forever, after being
permitted to resign from all the clubs
to which he belonged. He died a
couple of years later, In the utmost
obscurity, completely ostraclzed by so
ciety, both in England and abroad.
Fortunately. he was unmarried.
cipal home is in County Down, known
as Old Court, near strangford 1t is
noted fer its woodland scenery, and
overlooks the Irish Channel.
President Poincare Is. I believe, tho
first of the chief magistrates of tho
French republic tc receive an English
order of knighthood, although Mar
shall MacMahon was wont. as Presi-
dent when receiving members of TIE
reigning house Of England. at the Ely
see Palace. to dor the Grand Cross OF
the Order of the Bath which he had
received at the close of tho Crimcan
War.
The distinction bestowed upon Presi
dent Poincare during his recent stay
In London. was the Chain OF the Vic
torian Order. which tho only nonroyal
Englishmen to possess are Lord Cur
Non' FORMER Flceroy OF NINA Lor u
Hardinge. the present Viceroy; the
Marquis of Lansdowne, and the Duke
OF Argyll: the other possessors there
OF being the Emperors OF Russia, Ger
many and Austria, the Kings Of
Sweden Greece, Spain. Norway Italy
and Denmark. and the Grand Duke OF
Hesse. who Is a grandson of Queen
Victoria.
The insignia consists OF a gold chain
worn around the neck. and to which
the badge Is suspended; white