Evening star., 1919-11-30
A New American PeeresS

and a wine cellar to look after: no.
far, far from that! He is now chief
butler of Ireland, no less. the twenty
eighth head Of his historic family to
hold that hereditary dignity, which
was bestowed on his ancestor. Theo-
bald z-Walter, by Henry III. away
back in 1177. That Is really where the
family name. Butler. CAME from for
Theobald Fitz-Walter's immediate
successor assumed the title of LIE
Bother, which became transformed
into Butler" as time went on.
It is a long time since the Marquises
of Ormonde have had to do any actual
butlering, but in ancient Kilkenny
Castle, ireland. the ancestral home Of
the family, is treasured golden key
centuries old, which is the symbol Of
the office Of chief butler of lrelandi
and which the new marquis would
wear suspended at his girdle were he
ever called upon to perform his feu.5
dal office. "a
To the fourth chief butler Edward 4
gave the right to tax all wines
brought into Ireland (this tax taking
the form Of one out of every ten bars
reIs thus imported). but the grant
comforting this right was disposed Of
to the crown in 1910 by the eighteenth
of f216. 200. or. roughly. $1.Os0.000 The
family motto is Butler A Boo" which,
means Butler Forever" II
The functions of the hereditary
chief butler used to include attending
the sovereign at coronations and pres
senting him or her with cup of wineS
The cup used was of solid gold and
the chief butler had the privilege ots
retaining it after the ceremony. OF
these golden cups. handed down by!
successive chief buffers. there is now
an impressive collection at Kilkenny
Castle. not to mention a wonderful
service Of gold plate. presented by
ices of the chief buffers to the chief
butler of his day. II
Kilkenny Castle, by the way, is onG
of the oldest inhabited residences III
Great Britain. having been built BIZ
Strongbow In the twelfth century,
Some Of the rooms in 1t remain today
almost exactly as they were in thls
year HOO or so.
The new chief butler Of ireland and
fourth Marquis of Ormonde Is sew
enty (his brother and predecessor wais
six years his senior). but his Amerfs
can marchioness is much younger
They were married in 1887 and have
four children. two sons and tive
daughters.
Most of the holders of this title
have been soldiers at one time or an
other, the new marquis. whose full
name Is James Arthur Wellingtof
Foley Butler. having formerly hell
commission in the 1st Life GuardL
He was also state secretary to Eass
Carnarvon when the latter was loM
lieutenant Of Ireland. The elder o
his sons and heir to the marQuisatE
the Hon. James George Anson Butlss
Is captain in the household cavalr73
The younger, the Hon. James Arthps
Norman, Is lieutenant in the Lam
GERS. II
Their American mother is hand
some and accomplished. and alwaH
has been popular in society here. 81
was formerly a great dance" hostess
and her house in Portman Square hts
always been a rendezvous for pronl3
nent folk in the worlds of politic3
music and sport. She and her hut
band have always been keen traveE
ers. and are we'll known at Naples
Cairo and Alexandria. &
The late Marquis Of Ormonde W.
one of the most famous and exptS
rienced Of British yachtsmen. He WI
commodore Of the Royal Yacht SQuata
ron and the Royal Irish Yacht CIV
and member Of the st. George
Yacht Club. He joined the roYs
squadron in 1867. was it's vice COT
modore for many years and succeedk
the late King Edward as commodoss
when the latter ascended the throf@
in 1901. In his famous 20O-M
schooner Mirage he made long voI&
ages to Spitzbergen, among oth
places.