Evening star., 1938-10-02

Joseph Cmbe Wedding
Social 50
= ST. johns Church of Presidents, Are Described.

From all indications this was 4
happy marriage and when Sir Joseph
died at his home in London. on July
2, 1914, Mrs. Chamberlain was at his
bedside. The London Times Of July
4 carried several pages Of reading
matter about his valuable services to
the British nation. The King and
Queen sent letters Of sympathy ana
praise. as did Gladstone and other
celebrated Britishers and our own
Evening Star spoke Of his fine qualities
as a man and his accomplishments as
a diplomat. II anything, he had .
more active life than his son neville
but recent events would seem to even
change this impression.
After reading the names OF the as
tinguished guests who attended TINS
wedding, what to many would seem
lust a short SO years ago, we notice
but q very few who might be living
today. OF the ushers the writer rec
ognizes the name Of Blair Lee, VINO
since that noted marriage has served
his State of Maryland in the United
States Senate, and in other ways main
tanned the prestige OF the Blair ana
the Lee families. He still resides at
Silver Spring in the residence he IN
herited through his mother, the wife
of Admiral S. P. Lee and the daughter
of Francis Preston Blair. 1t Is a
beautiful old home, built about 1912,
and here, it Is said, the Republican
party was started and many Of the
preliminary details worked out.
Many prominent persons visited this
hospitable home prior to the Civil War,
including jefferson and Mrs. Davis,
and during the war the great emanci-
pator, Lincoln. Pictures of noted men
Of the past hang on the walls Of this
historic residence, and large engrav-
ing OF Gen. Jackson has particularly
prominent setting. The city is fast
reaching out to Silver Spring and the
Blair estate is naturally losing what
was once a considerable acreage,
though the residence and the grounds
now surrounding 1t are still very at
tractive.
The name of the Rev. ]. P. Franks
who assisted at the wedding, is also a
familiar one, and as stated he was from
Salem, Mass, and the writer has q
picture OF him standing in Roger Will
liams' garden. He was a descendant
of Col. Isaac Franks. who was Gen.
Washington's forage master during the
American Revolution and a cousin to
Rebecca Franks. famous wit and beauty
Of the Revolutionary period. She
married Sir Johnstone after the war
and retired with him to England. The
old Col. Franks home in Philadelphia
is the only residence still standing and
occupied by President Washington as
such. except Mount Vernon.
There were other diplomatic mar
riages that took place at st. Johns
Church beside that of Joseph Cham
berlain and Miss Endicott. Indeed.
perhaps quite number occurred there
that the writer cannot hastily call to
mind. An international marriage that
followed by some years the Chamber
lain wedding was that OF George
Nathaniel Curzon and Mary Victoric
Letter on April %. 1895. She was the
daughter of Levi z. Letter, a Chicago
millionaire.
This, too. proved to be q happy A.
lance and both parties made their
nome IN England. Lady Curzon died
Of q heart ailment in 1906, and Lord
Curzon. apparently partial to Amer
ican women, remarked in 1917, his
second wife being the widow of Alfred
Duggan of Buenos Aires, daughter of
J. Munroe Kinds, United States Min
lister to Brazil.
Lord Curzon died in 1925, his great
est disappointment in life being when
Stanley Baldwin passed over his claims
to return to the foreign office in the
forming of his second cabinet in the
autumn Of 1924. favoripg, instead,
Austin Chamberlain, half brother to
Neville. When Lord Curzon died he
left three daughters by his first wife
MARY letter. and the eldest of these.
Lady Irene, inherited the barony of
Ravensdale.
When Levi z. Letter, father of Lady
Curzon. decided to make his home in
Washington, he leased for five years
the house on Dupont Circle, erected in
1883, by James G. Blaine, who was
defeated for the presidency in 1884 by
Grover Cleveland. Mr.. Letter paid
11,000 annually for the use OF the
property.
After vacating the Blaine house Mr..
Letter built the mansion at 1900 New
Hampshire avenue NV, and here his