Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-08-23
Recent Engagement Discloses
The Nobility of Switzerland

milan Won Diesbach owner OF the
Castle of Dies bach, who is entitled,
ancestor by Emperor Charles VI. a.
Vienna, 20 style himself Prince of 81.
Agatha.
He is one Of the senior colonies OF
the Swiss army Oh the retired list
and for a number of years was the
ranking divisional commander and de
facto generalissimo. At least four OF
the Counts of DieSbach fell fighting
under the French flag i'll the last
great war, which served to recall the
fact that their family had furnished ii
field marshal to France in the person
of Count Philippe dc Belieroche-
Diesbach in the eighteenth century.
There are several hundred other
names that could mention of fami-
, lies of equal antiquity of descent, for
instance, the de Watervilles and the
Graypenriods Of Bern and the
, careful about marrying in their own
caste and, although the national prin-
ciples OF the Swiss are. like those OF
the United States. based on equality
and fraternity, yet there is no pa
triciate in the world that is more
anxious to keep its blood exclusively
blue, and free from any strain that is
not entirely noble. than the aristoc-
! racy OF the Helvetian Republic.
Thus far, there have been but two
matrimonial alliances that 1 can re-
call between members of the old
/ Swiss nobility and American women,
and in each instance they have
proved a failure One OF them was
daughter of Mrs. Robert TolIand of
Philadelphia, and Baron Frederick
Won SchauenSeeS son of old Baron
Leopold Meyer Won Schauensees, long
I the commander of the Swiss Guard
of the Papacy at the Vatican and head
of d family which has for the last
7GG years made its home at the
Castle of Schaucnsecs, on the shores
of Lake OF the Four Cantons, the
castle having been bestowed upon
them. along with the title of baron.
in 1878, by Emperor Rudolph of Haps-
burg. The union of young Baron
Frederick and of the former Miss
Holland was wrecked by his extrav
agance and by the insistence of his
demands upon his wife for money.
which rendered their separation in
evitable. 1t attracted no end of at
tention at the time because of the
public sale, at Rome, of the baron'S
belongings for the benefit of his
creditors, and also because OF the fast
that he, as a subaltern officer in the
Swiss Guards, should have exposed
himself to such a public scandal.
X ;. X y
With the death, the other day. in
England. of Sir Augustus Webster.
formerly of Battle Abbey at Hastings,
and famous when an officer of the
| Grenadier Guards as the champion
amateur banjoist in England. his
family. which has been so much in
the public eye for the past two cen
turtles or more. has become extinct
For he lost his only son in the great
war, and his wife died six years ago
| in a vain attempt to save her daugh-
I ter from drowning, a tragedy which
many regarded as a fulfillment of that
monkish curse of death by fire or by
water of all those who owned or oc-
| cupied Battle Abbey. IT was monas-
/ terry until the time of the reforma-
| ton and an abbey commemorative
| the battle of Hastings and built over
| the last resting place of King Harold.
/ who fell in that struggle against the
| Norman invader. and was taken from
| the church for bestowal upon Henry
| Wits favorite, Sir Anthony Browne,
under circumstances of great brutal
| ity and cruelty.
| Undeterred by this curse. and de =
| flying superstition, the late Michael r.
| Grace took Battle Abbey on long
/ lease and spent much money upon the
place. Most of his five daughters were
| married from thence, during his ten
| ure. But the eldest and fairest OF
! them. wife of the Hon. Hubert Beau
mont. was drowned with her little
| boy while bathing near Leghorn.
! After that, Michael Grace declined tn
/ q convert to belief in the curse,
| moved to Cortachy Castle Of For
! farshire, which he leased from the
young Lord Early.