New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-06
Mrs. Rita Lydigg
To Be Married
To DIR. Grant
Bride-Elect Became Wife of
W. E. ID. Stokes When l6;
Divorced Him, Then Wed
and Divorced Maj. Lydig
Has Som by First Husband
Bridegroom-To-Be Is Rector
of Church of Ascension;
Recently Adopted Waif

Mrs. Rita Lydig, of New York and
Katonah, N. Y, yesterday announced
her engagement to the Rev. DR.. Percy
Stickney Grant, rector of the Church
of the Ascension, Fifth Avenue and
Tenth Street
Mrs. Lydig is q divorcee. She was
formerly the wife Of Major Philip Ly-
dig and previously, in 1895, was mar
ried to w. C. D. Stokes, from whom
she was later divorced. Mrs. Lydig
the Stokes marriage.
Although there have been rumors
of the engagement for some months,
no formal announcement was antici-
pated at the present time. The an
nouncement will create wide interest
because of the prominence of both
parties. Mrs Lydig is popular socially
and DR.. Grant is one Of the most dis
cussed of modern pastors. He is sixty
one years old.
Mrs. Lydig Active in Philanthropy
lanthropy for many years. Formerly
she entertained lavishly, but of recent
years has withdrawn to a large extent
from active social life. In 1918 the
Lydig mansion in East Fifty-second
Street was dismantled, and its art treas
ures disposed of, the reason being given
that Mrs. Lydig's health would not per-
nit her to maintain the cares of so large
an establishment Recently it has been
said that her health has much improved
within the last year.
When the divorce was obtained from
Mr.. Stokes the court decree awarded
custody of the son by that marriage,
w. E. D. Stokes jr., to Mrs. Stokes. She
relinquished the boy to his father soon
after her marriage to Major Lydig in
1902 Young Stokes. returned to his
| mother later and soon after the out
break of the war enlisted for active
service
Mrs. Lydig was at that time chairman
Of the Social Welfare Committee of the
Mayors Women's Committee on Ma
tional Defense. She was also mem
ber of the women's conservation move
ment and has for long time been act
,, i've in crusades against the drug evil.
Divorced Major Lydig in 1918
Mrs. Lydig was separated for several
years from her second husband, Major
Lydig, before divorce proceedings were
begun in France. In 1918 she obtained
final decree of divorce from Major
Lydig in Paris. The suit was based on
incompatability, which is sufficient
ground for divorce in France. Since
that time Major Lydig has passed most
of his time abroad.
This summer Mrs. Lydig took DR..
Grants country place at Katonah, and
1T was there that her son, who lives in
Chicago, recently visited her She has
for many years been communicant of
the Church of the Ascension and iden-
tilted with it's charities.
DR.. Grant has for several wears been
q conspicuous figure in New York. AS
an advocate of social reform he has
been persistent and unyielding in his
attitude. He is said by many of his
critics to be intoIerant and by his
friends to be a model of tirmness and
console entiousness.
Recently DIR. Grant startled his
friends by adopting a baby waif left
on his doorstep. The child still oc-
cupies nursery quarters in the rec
tory, and DR.. Grant has several times
expressed his affection for the infant
whose advent, he declared, had ex-
ercised q profound effect on his life.
Dr. Grant took charge of his present
church in 1929.