The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-09-07
NOBILITY AND
STAGE WIVES
Numerous Cases in England Who're
Actresses Have Married Noble
men and Made Happy
Matches.
IT STARTED LONG AGO
Recent Breach Of Promise Suit Brings
Forth Long List Of Cases
Which Were
Ideal.

[By Ed L. Keen, London Correspond.
ent of the United Press.l
LONDON, Sept. Chow to I've happy
though married-to peer. 1t sounds
good deal harder than it really is.
Despite the popular notion to the
contrary the life stories OF long life
/ of English peeress-actresses, dating
almost from the time women first ap-
peared before the footlights, show
that 1t isn't problem after all. In
fact, tho instances, Of unhappy al
/ liances between the nobility and the
stage have been SO rare as to have
caused considerable speculation, rec
emily how the idea originated that
such unions necessarily mean social
ostracism for the wife among her hus-
bands friends.
i When the young Marquis Of North
ampton Tilted Daisy Markham, of the
/ Glad Eye" he gave two reasons,
that his father,-then near to death
had extracted from him solemn pro-
mise that he would never marry the
girl, and the other that he was throw
ing her over for her own good. THE
ways Of the world are hard,' he wrote.
You don't know how these so-called
ladies would treat you could not
bear to see you suffering" The jury
men in giving the little actress an I'M
precedented heart-balm of a quarter
of million dollars evidently didn't re-
gard either reason as valid, but prob
ably they didn't know at the time that
practically all the weight of historical
evidence was against the boycott
. theory-or they might have made 1t
million.
The very first actress to marry into
the English nobility was abb to con
quer the new world in which she
found herself. and that at period
when actors generally were regarded
as little better than vagabonds and
only fifty years after women began
to be employed on the stage. True,
1T took Lord Peterborough thirteen
years to summon sufficient nerve to
announce his secret marriage with
Anastasia Robinson, but the SOCIAL.
: ed ladies" of that day then promptly
, received the actress-wife. The then
Duchess of Portland referred to her as
] "a very dear friend, which is Lady
Peterborough, and such other testi
? mony as is available indicates that
she was held in genuine esteem by all
I of her husbands aristocratic circle
/ Lady Wortley Montague wrote con
: corning Lavinia Fenton, who in 1751
> became the wife of the Duke Of Bolt
], on: Though she was bred in an ale
4 house and produced on the stage, she
: finds the way to esteem whereas the
9 late Duchess, although crammed witt
e virtue and good qualities, was despis
h ed by her husband and laughed at by
Q the public"
When the twelfth Earl of Derby
s married Eliza Farren, six weeks after
/. her farewell appearance as Lady
|. Teazle at Drury Lane theatre, she was
\ presented to court where she was re
v ceived with marked favor by royalty
4 hint, which society generally was
II quick to act upon. Otner early mar
4 riages of actresses and peers which
resulted happily were those OF Louise
}, Brunton and the Earl Of Cravam
Mary Bolton who became Lady Thur
low: and Kitty Stephens who married
the Earl of Essex Frances Braham
after her marriage with Earl Waldo
grave, became leader of society, ant
Harriet Mellon, of Drury Lane, wa
universally admired and respected a
=. the Duchess of st. Adams.
u Present day evidence is none tn
~ less convincing. Baroness de Clifford
u once the beautiful Eva Darlington wa
a thoroughly happy woman until he
husbands death. Camille Clifford
n the Gibson Girl who married TIL
e Hon Henry Lyndhurst Bruce. and VIII
e will therefore some day be Lady Abe1
le dane. has made good in London sc
n ciety. Rosie Boote, formerly a grea
fayorite on the Er<sish stag3->~ now
t. as the Marchioness Of Heldfort. one
is the most popular of the grand ladies'
re of Ireland Twenty-four years as
t. the Earl of Chancarty made a be
70 with some friends on the street tina
re he would marry the first girl he me-
lp Belle Billion, then appearing at tn
oxford Music hall, happened to be tn
tie one. He proposed at once and late
,e was accepted The EarPs family wa
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