The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-22
Home of Lord de L'Isle and
Dudley Damaged by Militant
Suffragettes.
BY LA MAnauIsE DE roNrrSoy


ORD De Isle AND DUDLEY.
whose historic country seat of
Pcnshurst, in Kent, near Tun-
bridge. was set on fre by the militant
s"HraScttes last week. and so narrow
~ escaped total destruction. is tho
principal representative of tho illus
'ious mouse OF sidney, which played
80 nolapic u role in tho annals or Eng
iand. ITO has also in his veins tho
royal blood or England. his grand
mother. Sophia, Lady EIsle and Dud
ICY. having been daughter OF King
| william ~. and or the actress DOLLY
bland whose real name was Mrs.
Jordan.
Lord Dc LIslc and Dudley is :, SOL
dler by profession. and a retired or
hcer of the Rifle Brigade. n Conservo
i've. Inc owner Of about 5000 acres
or land In Kent and in Yorkshire. and
was regarded as n confirmed bachelor
until, after passing his .iirticth birth
day. he married the clever and charm
ing widow of William H. AsteIl or
Woodbury. Hall. Bcdfordshirc daugh-
ter OF the fourth Niscount Gort. They
have no children. and the next heir
! 10 the title. to Penshurst Place. in
Kent, and to Inglcby Manor. near Mid
dlcsborough. in Yorkshire is the pres
cnt peers brother, Colonel the Hon.
Niecrnon sidney, retired officer OF
artillery. He too is a bachelor. And
men comes another brother. tho Hon.
william Sidney. former Mayor of Chel-
sea. who is married and has two or
three children. ono of them IA son
They are all Sidncys through tho
distam side of the house For Eliza
beth Sidney, daughter of Thomas Sid
neg last representative in the male
line Of tho house married William
Perry. her daughter becoming the sec
ond wife of Sir Bysshc Shelley, OF
! Castle Goring Tho son by this mar
riage. John shelley, succeeded. at tho
death OF his mother. to her Sidney
property including Penshurst assum-
ing the name and armorial bearings
OF the Sidncys In accordance with tho
terms Of her will and by warrant OF
the crown. He was created a baronet.
and his son. Philip Sidney. was raised
to the peeragc as Lord De EIsle and
Dudley by William ". in 1885. on
marrying the latters daughter Lady
Sophia Fitzclarence
Penshurst was already reudai
stronghold OF Importance, under the
name of Pcnccster. in the time OF Ed
ward tho Confcssor. protected after
the fashion of tho age with moats and
wooden palisades. The first Lord
Pcnccster. or Penshurst mentioned In
English history lived in the time OF
Henry Ill In the reign of Henry VI.
Pcnshurst was part of the estate OF
Humphrey the Good. Royal Duke OF
Gloucester. After his death 1t revert
ed TO Tie crown. and was granted to
the Stanords. Three Dukes OF Buck
ingham dwelt there. Two died on the
scairold. and the third on the battle
field. And then Penshurst reverted TO
the crown once more by means of con-
fiscation.
Edward VI. gave Penshurst first OF
ALL to Sir Ralph Fame. who was short
~ afterwards executed as an accom-
plce of the protector Somerset Then
King Edward granted it to Sir Will
liam Sidney, his tutor and chamber
lain" lie had boen one of the house
birth. and his wife. Lady sidney, is
said 10 have been the "governesse or
sayd Prince while in nurses hands"
Sir William WAS succeeded by his son,
Sir Henry Sidney. Lord Deputy and
Governor. General OF Ireland His wife,
Lady Mary Dudley, was n sister of the
ll-fated husband OF Lady Jane Grey.
some time Queen OF England. Their
son was Sir Philip Sidney. whose AR
cadia" was written at Penshurst, the
picture o! "1.oconie" therein being a
description of Penshurst and of its
neighborhood.
Sir Philip sidney. Queen Elizabeth's
favorite knight remains on record
the English Bayard, without fear or
reproach. "a very perfect. gentle
knight. indeed in hall. in tourney, or
on the battlefield" a memorial has
lately been erected by means OF n pub
lie subscription Ito which a number
OF people on this side of the Atlantic
have contributed), on that battlefield
of Zutphen. In Holland where he re-