Evening star., 1924-03-30

longer races her own horses and has
declined all offers to take charge of
another racing stable.
Grosvenor House, for half CEN
tury the show place of London and
occupying a central position in Bel
gravia, a fashionable section owned
by the Grosvenors. has been placed
on the market by the Duke Of West
minister for a long-term lease. The
duke would sell the vast caravansie
must go to the next heir. He has no
sons, and admittedly prefers the
hunt and collecting OF art treasures
to giving fetes in the big palace. He
sion is a worry, and that he is worn
beyond endurance by the postwar
domestic retainers. AS an indication
of the present trend of Britain's no
bles, the duke and his very lovely
duchess, who is one of the expert
riders and horse breeders of the en-
pfre, are now occupying a smaller
house in the rear of Grosvenor man
sion, which for years sheltered the
agent of the ducal estates. The pres
ent owner of the title lives much of
his time at Eaton Hall, near Chester,
where the extensive stables are To-
Gated. The Grosvenors are affiliated
with the best traditions of English
horse racing, and the feats of ST.
Leger, owned by the head Of the fam
lily, the Marquis of Westminster, for
it was Gladstone who raised Grosve-
nor to the dukedom less than half
century ago. The Duke of West
minister is the largest ground land
lord in London, owning whole Sec
tions, besides Belgravia. and retain
ing a perfect army of artisans to
entailed. and just to maintain it the
taxes are now proving too heavy
burden.
Sir Harry Britain who is one of
the three trustees OF Sulsrave Manor,
is taking his American cousins rather
cavalierly to task because no picture
of what he calls "the ancestral home
of the Washingtons'' is to be found
in Mount Vernon. American geneal-
ogists, who are naturally quite proud
of the first President and Jealous to
keep every memorial to his greatness
before the world as the British could
ever be, never placed very much
stress on Sulgrave Manor being the
This sturdy race came from York
shire, and the Lawrence Washington
who purchased Sulgrave, which was
part Of the Benedictine Abbey do
Gated all monasctic properties, got it
at a very low figure because of
legal service to the crown. But the
Washingtons did not thrive in North
amptonshire; In fact the son of
Manor, was compelled to sell it and
retired to a modest home given TO
him at Eaton by Earl Spencer. This
ktnd-hearted nobleman. who figures
SO conspicuously in Shakespearean
annals. was friend and benefactor
of the Washingtons. got rectorships
for the sons who entered holy orders,
and finally obtained the land grant
for Lawrence and John, the Wash
ington immigrants. when they decided
to seek a kindDer fortune in Vir-
ginia. Serious historical students
of Washington family annals are not
oyerenthusiastic about the Suigrave
Manor movement, except as il sheds
additional light on a brief chapter Of
church records of York are being dill
gently searched for data concerning
the family previous to records OF
John Washington, wool merchant of
York in 1881.
Miss Isabel Gardner OF New York
city made a charming picture when she
posed as the rose maiden at the con-
play held last week at the Grand Cen
trail Palace in Gotham A new and
lovely rose, which had received all the
blue ribbons and gold medals, was
named for Mrs. Coolidge and it was
surrounded by these lovely buds and
holding loose cluster of them in her
arms that Miss Gardner made the final
picture in this beautiful floral exhibit
Mrs. Coolidge has hitherto shown her
self reluctant TO have flowers. colors or
special events named in her honor. She
declined the honor of the exquisite
mauve and golden chrysanthen,um
being called for her which the Secre-
tary of Agriculture offered last autumn
and recently that of a radiant white
and striped amaryllis. But apparently
she has consented to the naming of the
gold-medal rose, which is OF soft pink
shading to yellow. with a pointed bud
and delightful fragrance Perhaps she