The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-05
JANITOR CLAIMS KIN
TO ENGLISH KINGS
shows Documents 20 Prove He II
II Great-Grandson of King
George ".
WORKS IN NEWARK CITY HALL
Fftzbcrbert Family Descended From
Morganatic Masrsage--Hetrs Claim
Five Million Dollard Fund. said to
BE to Their Credit In Bank Of
England.

EnKtAnu. &
Newark, N. j., July Am humble
janitor in Newark city Hall, James C.
Fitzherbert,, has produced documen-
tary evidence that he Is the great
grandson of King George Nv. of Eng
land. CARRIED In oyeralis and jumper,
with a time clock to check his going
and coming. he works each day with
broom. mop and dustpan, awaiting me
day when he can claim his rights.
The claim of Fitzherbert Is based
on family records and on documents
tina. have lain buried concerning the
agreement between King William Nv.
Princess Alexandrina, later Queen vic-
toria, and her line of successors, by
which the offspring of the morganatic
marriage of George Nv was to leave
England and refrain from going to
London or any part of Western Eu-
rope until the year 1912. This re-
markable agreement was signed May
IL. 1891 and bears the signatures Of
King william. Queen Victoria, Maria
Ann Fitzaerbert, the marganatic wife.
and her son, James II. A. Hayward.
II was witnessed by Charles Grey,
Earl of Hanover. Henry Brougham,
chancellor, Arthur wellesley, Lord
Wellington and Rev. Sidney Smith.
The document bears the royal seal.
AS a part of the pact, six thousand
pounds, $4,000, was to be paid an
nually during the natural lifetime OF
the deported family, and to deposit in
the Bank OF England million pounds,
or 100000, or rather, an amount
THAT would reach the Ave million
mark in the year 1912.
- a lar -
document that in case the succession
should not result in an heir to the
throne. and Parliament should recall
the line of Kink George ~, then. and
not otherwise. would the fund be can
celed.
BY a peerage patent also issued ut
that time, the F1txherbert heir was
given the right to the title of the
Duke of Malta. after the year 1912. or
to receive instead a grant Of $4,000.
Widow WEEDS Prince.
The Fitzherbert claim adds an
other chapter to a long controversy.
one Of the great mysteries of Emu.
lish history. as to whether there were
children born to George " and Maria
Ann Fitzherbert, whom he made hts
morganatic wife In I78s. This re-
markable woman was born Mary Ann
Dtu$tHS. sHG HtAIt1C1 aL htbGst[hf
Edward Weld. of Lulworth Castle, in
the county of Dorset He died early
and she married Thomas Fitxherbert.
of Swinnerton. He died after three
years. The young widow was known
as the beautiful Mrs. Fftzherbert, !"
and II was not long after she lost her
second husband that she met the
Prince of Wales, afterward George
w. He was twenty three and she
twenty-nine. History records that he
paid ardent court to the fair widow.
1t was when the Prince was injured
and she had gone with the Duchess
of Devonshire to his bedside that the
proposal of marriage was made. Fin
ally. on December 81. 1875, they were
welded by an Anglican clergyman.
The marriage was invalid because 1t
was contracted without the consent
of George III. The couple lived hap
PLY together for ten years. Then the
King married Princess Caroline. who
afterward became a royal exile, and
By consent OF the Pope, Mrs. Fftz-
herbert and the King renewed their
relations in 1908. The King died In
1880, and his monganatic wife in 1887.
Before his death, King George Nv
tried In vain to get possession OF nu-
merous documents held by his NOR
ganatic wife. His successor William
", appears to have accomplished by
kindness what George tried to do by
force. All but five OF the papers re-
lating to her life with King George.
According to the present claims OF
the Fitzherberts. q son was born to
the King and Mrs. Fftxherbert in 1855.
This son Is said to have lived In Ire
land. where he married and had three
children, two sons and daughter. and
ii liz from these two Sons that the
branches OF the family in this coun-
try trace their lineage. j. Theua
Fitzgeorge. of Skunk, Sullivan County,
Pa, Is claimed to be the present head
OF the family here. 1t was he who
discovered the ions-fost documents re-
Iating to the family. They were bur-
led in an earthen Jar in the family
cemetery lot. and pad lain there for
over a century.
One of the choicest bits Of evidence
which the family holds is the letter
OF Queen Victoria, written In 1874,
which states that she Ii sending . dec
grafton as insignia OF rank TO be worn
after the year 1919.
Not until the great European war
is over can the heirs hope to come
into possession of me 5000, 600,
placed to their credit In the Bank Of
England. nor can the legality OF the
claims be established.