The New York herald., 1921-10-26
Baroness Coutts's Cockatoo
Curious Relics Found In Her Home
After Her Death.


had the pleasure of going over the
old house at the corner of stratton street
and Piccadilly where the Baroness Bur-
dett-Coutts dispensed her manifold char
tiles for SO many years. To large
number of Londoners and to many for
eigners In the last two generations this
sedate brick house with its big bow win
dows must have been the most blessed
place In England. Yet 1t was not a
place OF promiscuous charity. There is
a faded instruction on a panel near the
door, much mellowed with varnish ana
rubbing. which instructs the servants
not to accept letters from strangers.
Ones chief impression OF the house Is
of great chandeliers spreading like Grim
olines In small. high rooms lined with
cases Of precious Sevres In green and
turquoise and Worcester and Derby and
Chelsea ware. and pictures Of varying
quality. including European master
pieces and forgotten Academy favorites
Near the top OF the house Is large
room with bow window. which was
probably the nursery of Couttss three
we'll married daughters. and in 1t are
Of the latcr Baroness and of her hus-
band. These have yet to be examined.
The bow window looks out along Picca-
dilly. Here. ] was told, Queen Victoria
liked to sit and gaze down on the busy
street II like to watch the traffic."
she said. 1T ID the only place where
can see It moving naturally" Every
where the Queen won't the nainspringn
Of trafic stopped. Victoria In these mo-
ments must have been very like the
Coutts children. who stared wonder
London OF coaches and barouches and
broughams and "knifeboard" buses.
There were curious relics Of Victorian
taste among tlre Baroness's treasures.
Two Of her favorite terriers were given
a marble Immortality, frisking together.
and round one OF their necks was a
faded leather collar with the tarnished
nameplate of the real dog.
But one symbol Of the Baroncss's
house most familiar to Londoners is the
cockatoo perchcd on It's ring In the CEN
dilly. II is model Of the real bird.
but II will probably be news to nearly
every one that the actual cockatoo itself
only died during the war. 1t was taken
to Highgate long time ago for better
air. and the Baroness presumably had
the model placed there so that the Lon
dcners who liked to look and point at
the famous bird should not be disap-
pointed.
1t died at the ripe age OF 80, but in
the last twenty years II had lost It's
memory except for one phrase: Good
morning. Miss Brown" Miss Brown
vas companion Of the Baroness, dead
and gone many years ago. It's name
was Cockey. and there is portrait Of
the bird by an Academician hanging In
one OF the rooms. In reality and in
efiigy u must have been ono of the
best known birds In the world. Lord
Roscbery mentioned II many years ago
In a speech. wherein he said that the
sight Of the bird hanging in the bow
window was one OF his Aret memories
Of London. Cockey ought to find his
fnal perch In tho London Museum. In
any case. he will pass out OF tho old
house, and II, too. will pass In the next
year or two.
Mr.. s. Ashmead-Bartlett, the young
heir TO the Coutts fortune, said 20 me
to-day that one night this week no dlned
alono In tho mansion and that that
would probably be the last dinner eaten
In this famous and hospitable house.