The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-10-16
His TuRY'S
MYSTERIES
WHO WAS JAMES ORD?

THE public life of the man whose
- name was concealed under the
palpable alias of james Ord COM
menced when this strange character
was sent TO Georgetown college. in
Washington. with the statement by his
guardian. Captain ord. that IF YOU
had your rights in England you would
be some one the very mention of
whose name would cause every head
to bend. God forgive those who have
wronged you, my boy"
In order to remain close by his
charge. the elder ord secured a posi-.
tlon in the Washington navy yard, but
Ii was noted that the allowance which
he was able 10 make TO the boy who
passed as his nephew, was out of all
proportion to his salary as master
mechanic. Young Ord remembered lit
tie Of his life abr0ad-though there
seemed to he hazy recollection of
tall and stately woman, sad-faced and
dressed In the most expensive of fab
RIGS, who had visited him at intervals
during his childhood. In later years,
however. he had spent the major por-
ton Of his time travelling with his.
uncle" and IL was only when they
came TO Washington that the pair set
tied down for any appreciate period.
Before the youth concluded his
schooling at Georgetown college Cap
tain Ord was taken i'll, and, after
sickness rs brief as II was mysterious,
died while trying to tell the boy the
secret of his parentage. James" he
gasped, ~ have sworn not to do SO,
but ! must tell you that your father
was" and here a fit Of coughing
seized him, which prevented his dis
closure Of the mystery.
Upon investigation of his guardians
papers. Ord discovered that the man
had not been his uncle, but was mere
ly n common sailor in the British navy.
who, through the exercise of some po-
litlcal influence. had been given the
post of dockyard inspector under the
Spanish crown. The younger Ord's
supply of funds continued undated
and he placed himself under the tu-
telage of Maryland priest, who. in
addition to teaching him, assisted in
the search for the truth concerning his
parcntage This search led to the con-
clusion. unsupported by any direct
documentary evidence, that he was
the son of George " Of England born
while that monarch was prince OF
Wales, his mother being Marie Anne
Smythe Fitzherbert. whom George had
married in 1885
When Ord was well on In life. he
wrote to Mrs. Fitzherbcrt, hut was
unable TO obtain reply from her, al
though he died in the firm belief that
she was his mother. This contention
was also accepted by the Jesuit fa-
theirs OF Georgetown college, who, in
the centenary history of the nstltu-
tion, mentioned the name of flames
Ord, son Of George "" In It's list Of
alumni.
After various adventures IN Amer
lea. including trip TO the far West
In search Of gold and the accumula-
ton of considerable fortune on the
Pacific coast, Ord was appointed to
the bench, and returned ia Washing
ton, where he built handsome home
on Pennsylvania avenue. Later, how
ever, he moved to Omaha, where he
died mt the age of ninetyseven, still
strong in the belief that the long
delayed unsealing Of Mrs Fitzher-
bert's private papers would clear up
the mystery which surrounded his
birth. These papers formed part of
mysterious packet which Mrs, Fltz-
herbert, upon her deathbed, requested
might he placed in vault in Coutts'
hank. London, to remain there until
such time ms the reignlng sovereign Of
Great Britain might see At to have
them publicly opened
The seal was finally broken in 1905.
by order OF Edward VII, hut Will
the marriage certificate Of George,