Evening star., 1940-12-22
Tomb Of Fox
Ornament
Diplomats Shared
In Social Events
OF the Capital
By John Claeen Proctor.

Is otlll Slldlp dllu ClcdI, IcdOS dS
follows:
Sacred to the memory Of
HENRY STEPHEN FOX,
For several years British envoy
to the United States.
He was the only son of
Henry Edward Fox
and nephew to
Charles James Fox.
He died on the 18th of October, 1886,
at Washington, aged S."
Report of Death.
A thirst for further information
about this distinguished man led
the writer to the Congressional
Library, where he found the follow
ing account of his death in the
National Intelligencer of October
16. 1846:
Funeral of the late Henry S. Fox
will take place this morning.at II
o'clock.
THE annexed brief biographical
sketch of this distinguished gentle
man, whose fate it was to close his
udyo AL l1llo Slly. VIC SOpy llOlll Vic
Union of yesterday:
"'The Hon. Henry Stephen Fox
was born in 1871, and was the son
of Gen. Henry Edward Fox, third
son Of Henry Fox, the first Lord
Holland. He was thus the nephew
of the celebrated Charles James Fox
and cousin of the late amiable and
enlightened Lord Holland. We may
add, however, that through one OF
his female ancestors he inherited
the blood of the merry King Charles
II, and, consequently, of Henry w.
I'm his younger days Mr.. Fox
was we'll known in the beau monde
OF London as one of a coterie of
elegant, gay and witty gentlemen of
high birth, among whom we're Lord
Byron. Lord Kinnaird and others
more or less celebrated in their time,
whose deeds and sayings are record
ed by Moore in his life of Byron.
AFTER the general peace of 1915
he visited the continent, and by re-
naming too long in Rome he con-
tracted the malaria fever, which
brought him to the verge of the
grave and produced an effect most
deleterious upon his constitution,
He then entered the diplomatic ca
reer, in which his advance was rapid
in consequence of his talents. as well
as through the influence of his noble
and political connections. He was
the first minister plenipotentiary of
Great Britain to Buenos Ayres, from
which he was transferred in the
same capacity to the Rio de Janeiro,
and thence to this Government in
1886. OF the talent displayed in
his correspondence on many delicate
and difficult questions of interna-
tional law. of his uniform courtesy,
of the amenity of his manners in
society, it is unnecessary for us to
speak. They are all attested by
those who have been placed in
situation to observe him."
Funeral Service.
On the following day the Intelli-
gencer printed this brief account of
the funeral:
THE funeral of the late Mr.. Fox
took place yesterday, all the ar
rangements for which having Gin
the absence of Mr.. Pakenham) been
directed by Mr.. Cramton, secretary
Of the British Legation. The fu-
neral was attended by the President
of the United States, the heads Of
departments, the diplomatic corps
and many Of our most respectable
citizens.
1.-THE religious services were i'm
pressively performed by the Rev.
Mr.. French of the Protestant Epis-
copal Church.
"The pallbearers we're: The Sec
retary of State, Maj. Gen. Scott,
the Minister of Russia, the Minister
of France, Commodore Warrington,
the Mayor of Washington"
Minister Fox came to Washington
during the second administration of
President Andrew jackson, when
Pennsylvania avenue was lined with
gambling joints and lotteries and
when games of chance seem to have
been tolerated with impunity.
When Baron Bodisco was mar
ried to Harriet Williams in 1910,
he had for his groomsmen Min
lister Fox, the Minister from the
Netherlands; James Buchanan, then
a Senator from Pennsylvania, and
Mr.. Dunlop, Minister of the then
Republic of Texas.
But Henry S. Fox was not like
his friend Bodisco, who knew when
he had enough. Fox is also said
to have been a woman hater,"
lived a solitary life and entertained
but very little and, indeed, during
the time he remained at Washing
ton the Legation was as solitary
as himself. 1t was currently re-
ported that his losses were heavy,
and eventually he was recalled to
save a scandal, it was said. He
never went to gambling house, but
Townley, who in those days was
the head of the profession, used to
60 to the Legation and there spread
his faro and turned his roulette to
considerable profit. He was a thin,
delicate looking man and was a
familiar looking figure on Penn
sylvania avenue, where he always
appeared alone and rarely spoke
to any one in his walks. He min
gled little with society, though
admirably fitted to adorn it by his
accomplishments and talents.
Lover of Flowers.
However, though Mr.. Fox may
have played cards and hated wom-
en-, he did have one admirable trait
for he was a lover of flowers, de-
lighted in his rose garden and spent
much time cultivating the bushes
He even surrounded the garden with
a brick wall, in order that he might
enjoy them alone.
After his death the building was
acquired by George w. Riggs, who
sold 1t to st. AIMS Infant Asylum
and with additions and modifica.
tions IL still remains standing.