The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-29
.HRoUGIi circumstances

strange as to furnish a fasci-
i mating. theme for novellsts and
playwrights Lord Marcus Beresford.
Royal Equerry and manager of King
Georges racing stud. quite: recently
has been owner Of an American coun-
try place at, Fort Salonga, Suffolk
county. It formerly belonged to Com
modore Cicero Price of the United
States navy, who bequeathed IL to his
only child. Lily, famous for her beauty.
At tho time OF his death she was The
wife of Louis. Hamersley Of New
York. Her husband. lineal descen-
dant of Sir Hugh Hsmersley. who was
Lord Mayor Of London in 1927, was q
man of great wealth which was mainly
in the form OF real estate in New York.
Her ample means enabled her to spend
large sums. of money in identifying
her childhood home. which had come
to her father through his marriage
with Miss Warren.
When Louis Hamersley died without
Issue he left to his widow the enjoy
ment of the income Of his entire big
fortune for her life irrespective of her
remarriage, but conditional upon her
remaining q Protestant. The property
was to revert to the two children Of his
cousin, the late james Hooker Ham
ersley at her death. As Louis Ham
ersley had not been accounted q par
ticularly bigoted churchman the clause
depriving his widow OF any benefit
from his estate in the event of her be-
coming a convert to Roman Catholi-
lsm excited a considerable amount OF
surprise save among those Of his init
mate friends. who were aware Of the
Intense aversion which he had con-
ceived for prelate then living in Now
York. This prelate was the late Mgr.
Capel. portrayed to the life by Lord
Beaconsfield in his popular novel
ELothair," under the transparent pseu-
tonym of Mgr. Catesby."
= CapeI's Famous Eloquenee.
uCapel, who died few years ago on
Aranch in California in the utmost OBJ
Hvion. had come to America preceded
by the fame Of the number and impor-
lance OF his conversions in England.
1t was said that his eloquence and
powers of persuasion were welnigh ir-
Pesistible. For couple of seasons he
was all the rage here. People raved
about him, he was invited everywhere.
and when Hamersley found that he
was called upon to meet: him daily
from one week end TO the other he de-
vefoped a strong prejudice against him.
ibis became more acute when. he
found that his wife had invited him
to their house and had become much
Impressed by the celebrated prosely-
ter's charm of manner and of oratory.
Bg degrees his aversion TO Capel be-
same a positive obsession, and II he in
serted the anti-Catholic clause in his
will It waA not from any religious
principles but because he desired to
preserve his wife, TO whom he was
profoundly devoted, from ever falling
under the spiritual sway and influence
OF q man whom he hated SO much as
Mgr. Capel.
After several years of widowhood
Mrs. Louis Hamersley was married at
Gity Hall June %. 1888, to the late and
eghth Duke OF Marlborough. who had
been divorced five years previously
1rder sensational circumstances. AL
though the former Mrs. fIamersley had
rad nothing whatsoever TO do with his
divorce-she had only met him for the
first time three months before she
married him-yet for the reason that
she had accorded her hand to him she
xw-n an1l 20, Nfnr
deal of hostility on the part of English
society, hostility engineered by his first
wife, sister OF the late Duke of Aber-
corn. and her family, the Hamiltons.
who form one of the most influential
clans in Great Britain.
The New Duchess Ostra cised.
1t cannot be denied that the Duke
In spite of his rank, his lineage and
his brilliancy-he. was a most gifted
nian-was subjected to severe ostra-
rfsm in consequence Of the treatment
Of his first wife and of the capital
made by her relatives of her suffer
lngs. His American Duchess. solely
because she had married him, was
called upon to share this ostracism and
u was not until after his death when
she had taken to herself a third hus-
hand, Col. Lord William Beresford,
v. c.. that she at length was welcomed
Into the English great world and per-
pitted to become q favorite in Lon
den society. She was a very devoted
and generous wife to the Duke while
be lived. She lavished her Hamers-
ley income in restoring TO Blenheim
Palace much Of its former splendor,
incidentally providing II with several
acres Of new roofing, and relieved him
Of all his former financial ,embarrass-
n1ents. But It may be doubted whether
she really ever had a happy hour In
England until she contracted what was