Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-11-15
|EslSI:iTnRY1S
NYsT ERIE:S
WHO WAS JAMES ORD7


= 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 1T 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 boyr'
In order to remain close by his
charge, the elder Ord secured q posi-
ton in the Washington navy yard, but
1t was noted that the allowance which
he was able to 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 abroad-though there
seemed to be hazy recollection Of a
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,
uo"GNCA, HC uuu bP0Al lIic uldJOT DOT"
ton Of his time travelling with his
uncle" and It was only when they
came to Washington that the pair set
tied down for any appreciable period.
Before the youth concluded his
schooling at Georgetown college Cap
tain Ord was taken Ill. and. after
sickness as brief as it was mysterious,
died while trying to tell the boy the
secret of his parentage. James" he
gasped, II have sworn not to do so,
but I must tell you that your father
was and here fit of coughing
seized kim, 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 common sailor in the British navy,
who, through the exercise Of some po-
litical 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 a Maryland priest, who, in
addition to teaching him. assisted in
the search for the truth concerning his
parentage This search led to the con-
clusion. unsupported by any direct
documentary evidence that ~ was
the son Of George " Of England boru
while that monarch was prince Of
Wales, his mother being Marie Anne
Smythe Fitzherbert, whom George had
married in 1855.
When Ord was well on in life, he
wrote to Mrs. Fitzherbert, but was
unable to obtain a reply from her, al
though he died in the firm belief that,
she was his mother. This contention
was also accepted by the Jesuit ia
theirs of Georgetown college, who. in
the centenary history Of the institu-
ton, mentioned the name Of James
Ord. son Of George w." in its 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 to Washing
ton. where he built handsome home
on Pennsylvania avenue. Later, how
ever he moved to Omaha, where he
died at the age OF hinety-seven. 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 Fitz-
herbert, upon her deathbed, requested
might be placed in vault in Coutts'
bank, London. to remain there until
such time as the reigning sovereign Of
Great Britain might see fit to have
them publicly opened
The seal was finally broken in 1908,
by order Of Edward VII, but, while
the marriage certificate Of George,
prince Of Wales, and the pretty widow
was discovered, none Of the other doc
uments contained any reference to
children alleged to have been born OF
the union. James Ord" therefore,
must continue to rank with Kaspar
Hauser, the dauphin, the man in the
iron mask and the other unsolvat'
rtdIloc ~ blutory