New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-08
LADY MARY CURZ0N
Will Be the First AngIo-Amer
lean Peerless in Own Right.

lean Peerless in Own Right.
tconvrirht. 1918 by the Brentwood Company
chile there are now quite large number
81 half American British peers and Conti-
,,,ntal dukes and princes. we have not yet
nod half American peerless in her own
r,oht. That lack will be supplied on the
deatb of Lord Curzon, the former Niceroy
~ India. by his eldest daughter. Lady
Wary Curzon. who is destined 10 make her
debut twelve months hence. She has in
ho,ited much of the loneliness of her
,eautiful American mother, Mary Letter,
laughter OF the late Levi L. Letter, OF
washington and who died so prematurely
-, Walroer Castle after her return to
--rqIan nd from India. a victim of the lat
ters climate.
when Lord Curzon dies his United King
dom Earldom of Curzon and also his Irish
Parony Of Curzon will become extinct
MT BY special remainder his Viscounty OF
sCarsdale will go 70 his father. the VEN
.rable and reverend Lord Scarsdale. Of
Ksdeston Hall, Derby. and rector Of
Kedeston, and, failing him. TO Earl Cur
IONS Younger brother. the Hon. Alfred
rprzon. But Lord Curzon's United King
dom Barcny of Ravensdale will go TO his
eldest daughter. who will become Baroness
Hayensdale and a peerless in her own
right.
II she narries a commoner he will not
share her honors and will retain his own
name. while she will retain hers as well
as her title. and on her death her son will
become Lord Ravensdale and a peer OF
the realm. II she has no son her peer
age will go to her daughter or, failing
that, 70 her younger sister, Lady Cynthia
CuYzon.
These arrangements, made by KinG
George at Lord Curzon's instance, for the
inheritance Of his honors. may be taken
as an assurance that he has no intention
Of remarrying. Otherwise. il he had
son, much confusion would result since
the remainders of patents cannot be
changed.
Master Of Terphiehen Due Hsre To-day
John Gordon Sandilands. who is due
here to-day on board the Cunard liner
Mauretania, ON the way to Western Can
III.
terests enjoys the title of Master OF
Torphichen. as the eldest surviving son
and heir Of Lord Torphichen. whose name.
however, must be pronounced as If writ
ten "Torfken," with the accent on the
hrst syllable The eldest sons OF all
Scotch barons and viscounts are known
BY the title OF master. as those who have
,ead Robert Louis Stevenson's novel,
The Master Of Ballantrae," will recol-
ect.
The Master Of Torphichen is unnlar-
lied. is in the neigtborhood of thirty and
= heir not only TO his fathers peerage
but also 10 his estates, including Calder
House and the lands of Calder, near
Edinburgh. which have been in the pos
session Of the family since early in the
fourteenth century
Lord Torphichen's peerage is the only
one which owes its existence TO the
knights Templar Sir James Sandilands
was at the time of the Reformation mas
ter Of the Scotch langue or branch Of the
Knights IIospitallers of the Temple,
sometimes known as the Knights Of st.
John. AS such he enjoyed place in
Parliament not only among the prelates-
for he was bound by VOWS of cclibacy-
but also among tho great barons, in right
Of the lay Barony Of Torphichen, which
was comprised in the property Of the or
der.
Sir James was led by his fathers close
intimacy with John Knox. the reformer,
to become a convert 10 the doctrines OF
Iii
ecclesiastical office and possession 10 the
crown In 1854. received thcreupon from
Mary Queen OF Scots q grant confirming
10 him. his heirs and assigns, the lands
and the baronies belonging to the order in
Scotland. He continued TO bear, no long
er as prior OF the order OF ct. John .Sut
in his own right, the title of Lord Tor
phichen. Unmindful of the vow of cell
bacy which he had been compelled TO
take on joining the order. he married
Janet Murray. of Polmaise: but dying
without issue. his title OF Lord Torphichen
passed 10 his brothers son. James. Since
then the Baroney Of Torphichen has de-
scended in the male line direct the pres
ent peer being the twelfth since the reign
of Queen Mary
OF course, the history of the Sandlands
family, OF which Lord Torphichen is the
chief, goes much further back than the
Reformation. For the first lord, in order
10 have been Prior of the Order OF st.
John, in the days of Mary Queen Of Scots.
must have been able 10 show at least
eight generations Of exclusively noble an
oestry, both on the fathers and mothers
tide, genealogical qualifications OF this
kind being then. as to-day. indispensable
10 full knighthood OF the order In fact,
the Lairds OF Sandilands, in Douglasdale,
were already In possession Of Sandiland IL
the thirteenth century and obtained the
lands Of Calder. near Edinburgh, which
are still owned by the present Lord Tor
phichen, early in the fourteenth century.
One OF the Lairds Of Sandllands and
Calder, John by name, married Princess
Joan OF Scotland, daughter OF King Rob
ert II.
The present Lord Torphichen divorced
his wife, daughter of Lieutenant Gen
eral Charles r. Gordon. upward of twenty
years ago. and his eldest son, James,
succumbed 10 fever about five years ago,
while acting as assistant commissioner
and administrator Of Nyassaland, in
Africa
MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.
"HlINnHE NH MANI TONiEkT