The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-01-15

There are many cowmen and
border ranchmen living in Mon
tana close to the Canadian line
who knew Constable John Temple
of the Royal Northwest Mounted
Police, whose death occurred in
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, a
few days ago. They came in con-
tact with him when he, with his
fellows, was patrolling the border,
or coming over into Montana in
pursuit of some fugitive of the Ca
madam laws, and knew also that
he was a good man and a fine Of
ficer. But what they did not know
was that he was Sir Granville
Louis John Temple, twelfth baro-
net of Stowe, last OF the great
house from which sprung Lady
Godiva, who, according to stored
legend, rode through the streets
of Coventry, clad only in her gIor-
ious hair, i'm order that the tax bur-
dens of her people might be light
ened.
John Temple, as he was known in
the police, served in Alberta and Sas-
katchewan for 80 years and made a
good officer. His associates knew of
his rank and that his name appeared
in Burke's peerage, but no mention
was ever made of it in his presence.
He endured the hard service and the
privation and the danger of the hum
blest of the force, and won for him
Golf tho rncnnat of fhOcn with whom
he served.
No Questions Asked
No man in the force asked why he
came or what he left behind. Any
way, what is a baronet to the Scarlet
Riders of the Plains? There were
probably other baronets there and
most of those knew who John Temple
was in a general way, but none took
it upon himself to write back home
that Temple was rounding up bandits
and fur thieves.
The last of John Temple was not
at all extraordinary in the mind of
any of the 1000 constables. He was
merely a type of the men that made
the mounted police force what it is.
Men who make good in that force
must be men when shorn of title and
influence.
There was much in the life of
Temple that would interest those
who like to wander in the forest of
trees. Temples ancestry
dates back to Earl Leofric and his
countess, known better as Lady God
iva.
1t may have been a desire for that
complete freedom which is seldom
obtained by one in British social and
diplomatic life, that led the baronet
Of Stowe to plunge into the north
country.
Why Lady Godiva Rode
The whole history of the Temple
has been n connected with
struggles for rights. 1t was to re-
ieve the people of Coventry from ex-
,essive taxes that the Lady Godiva,
only by her masses of tresses,
ode through the village streets.
That was the only condition on which
he Earl of Leofric, her husband,
would remove the tax burdens. She
'eturned from the ride exhausted and
ell ~fainting into the arms of the wo-
nen of her household.
The name "Godiva" has been given
o many of the women of the House
# Stowe.
A few generations after the rule
# Leofric, the Earl of Chester was
orced to grant many civil rights to
he people of the town.
The Temples from the first were
lighters for the upbuilding of the
British empire and fighters also for
broad Interpretation of the term,
personal freedom" 1t was not sur
to the associates of Temple
hat he went to the western plains,
here democracy was to be found in
IS purest state consistent with or S
anized government. j
Line Ends With Temple |
The family history began with the )
tory of Lady Godiva, a story prob :
bly, mixed with legend, and ended !
18th the death of John Temple, for l
will be no other baronet of =
towe. Temple was an only son. His ;
fe history is in the fogs of the north =
here men do not talk and in a few
ecades its incidents will be as in
ccessible to biographers as is that
{ Countess Godiva. $
The name of Sir John Temple was G
Popped from the pages of the later t
Burkes" by the order of King Ed S
ard VII, not for anything that Tenn c
Le had done, but because of some o
ling someone else had done. The Y
ing ordered that only those titled /
ersons who could prove beyond b
1estion their right to the title r
lould be recognized. A list of titles s
as ordered prepared. 1t was found p
lere was some doubt about the g
ghth baronet. He was an Ameri- p
IN and it might be, the experts said, il
at someone British born might s.
i've a better claim to the title, al b
-ough no n had ever made such G.
claim. 1t was only a technically
1T when the new list appeared John a
emple's name as the twelfth baro- a.
It was omitted. ii
That was long after he had cast a
s lot with the north, however, and a
emple cared nothing about it. u
--O- ~
Copper Tubing in Demand CT
ct want about three feet of cop fl
r tubing" a customer of a local au- Of
supply store told the clerk. pi
MI n--lty - Il