Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-09

" " land the world at large win be
getting one more indication that
the richest in England is stin at her
favorite old pastime of writing checks.
This woman is Lucy, Lady Houston, widow of
the late Sir Robert Houston, shipping magnate,
and If it were not for her check writing pro-
pensities the Schneider Cup races might not be
held at all this year-or, at the least, England
would not be represented.
Lady Houston inherited vast fortune from
Sir Robert. and she believes in using 1t.
staunch patriot-she recently expressed the
opinion that any true Briton is the equal Of at
least three foreigners Of any nationAlity-she
got very indignant when economy compelled the
British government to forego underwriting the
coming cup races
So, expressing herself acidly about Labor
government that lis trying to make England q
third-rate power she wrote out q check for
E1O0 O00-nearly $500 000-to make certain that
there would be race and that England would
be in 1t.
Tnis, however, is only one of Lady Houston's
big checks. She writes them all the time-or so
It seems from examination of newspaper
clippings Money means nothing to her, except
as something to toss about. She yields as nifty
q pen in writing q check as she does when she
tndites salty letter to some politician who
has incurred her wrath.
Quixotic in her impulses, warm-hearted to
the point of lavish generosity, not caring for
publicity, but getting it constantly Lady
Houston has been in the public eye as much as
any woman of her generation.
IN her younger years when she was a great
beauty she married Sir T. F. Brinckman
from whom she separated In 1895. She mar
ried the ninth Lord Byron in 1901 and re-
manned happily welded TO him until his death
In 1917
whole-heartedIy into everything that would
make for the comfort of the troops at the front.
with the death of her husband and the end
sof the war Lady Byron dropped out Of society
and out Of the news, remaining in q mourning
seclus.on for many years. Then one fine morn
ing in December, 1924, England woke up to
find that one of the greatest financial catches
OF the country had been led to the altar.
Sir Robert Houston, shipping king. at the
age of II. had married Lady Byron.
Houston was a picturesque figure of self
made He had started IN q subordinate
position in a shipping firm and had risen to be
n magnate of ships himself. For years he had
represented Liverpool division In the House of
Commons and was formidable debater when
any business matter came up.
During the World War Sir Robert offered
$500 900 to British merchant seamen To
courage them TO hunt and destroy the German
U-boats.
FIR ROBERT and his new wife spent much
- time travelling, especially in their big steam
yacht. the Liberty. When they settled down
on the land it was mainly in a magnificent
mansion he had bought in the Isle of Jersey,
one OF the Channel Islands
Sir Robert died suddenly in 1926. He left a
fortune estimated at something like $35 900 900.
-Four fifths of this he bequeathed to his wife
and the rest mainly 20 business and personal
friends.
Then Lady Houstons troubles began. She
learned something Of Jerseys crazy laws, The
Channel Islands originally belonged to France.
were largely populated by Norman French. and
the ancient Norman law stiH Is observed In the
courts with all its quaint names. terms and
forms
On the evidence of some Jersey citizens and
few local doctors the court put her under care
of curator. who made responsible for her
personal property. the ground that she was
mentally and physically unfit to look after them
herself
Lady Houston let her indignation be known
I'm uncertain terms To friends she wrote
that al that was the matter with her was that
she had suffered from q severe attack of
JAundiee. She said she was virtually a prisoner
ia her own house with hardly any control over
her own servants and with practically not o
penny, although her husband had hequeathed
her millions. Nevertheless she said she would