Personalities.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 504, 17 January 1906, Page 2

Personalities.

LORD COKGLETON.

HIS lordship was onoe in the famous Buffs, and he served with distinction in theOrimea and in the Zulu wars. His father was a midshipman on the Glasgow at Navarino, and was sent to apologise to the Russian ship whioh had been deliberately fired into alter having accidentally hit the British vessel. Another of Lord Gongletbn's forebears—the second holder of the title—brought a Persian peeress into the family. He happened to be ot a serious turn of mind, and when travelling in the East in 1833, he made the acquaintance of Khatoun, the Widow of one Yoosof Conctantine, an Armenian merchant. He converted the lady to Christianity, her friends oast her off, and Lord Congleton made her faiß wife. Charles Stewart Parnell was a great-nephew of the first Lord Congleton, his maternal grandfather being Commodore Charles Stewart, of the United States Navy.

EARL AjlD COUJ4TESS OF LICMESTER.

Lord and Lady Ilcb.es.ier, with the view of aiding the Weßt London Hospital, recently opened the gardens at Holland House to the publio on payment of 53. eaoh and 2 a each. Holland House is the last of the old mansions of London, Itß beauty, its literary and historical associations, make it unique in the dreary wilderness of London's bricks and mortar. Although the skirts of the grounds have been out off to satisfy the builder, Holland House still preserves its best of trees, and is to all appearance from its windows as rural as when the famous Lord Holland entertained the wits and the Whigs of the Georgian era within its walls. It was Henry Fox, the younger brother of the first Earl of Iloheßter, who beoame the first Lord Holland. By a ourioua irony of fate, when the Earldom of Ilchester was oonferred on the elder brother the letters patent were drawn out with the remainder in default of male issue to the heirs male of this Lord Holland. To-day there is no Lord Holland, but the Earl of Ilohester lives in Holland House. The first Lord Ilohester married the only daughter and heiress of Thomas Strangways, and thus it was that the surname of Strangways was hyphenated to the older surname of Fox.

DUKE OF SUTHERLAND. The late Shah of Persia, when staying at Trentham, the residence of the Duke of Sutherland, was impressed by the wealth and power of its owner. The story goes that King Edward, then Prinoe of Wales, was of the oompany, and the Shah, after having listened attentively to a narration of the Duke's possessions, asked if the Prinoe, when he came to the Throne, would not behead this powerful man, under whose roof they were staying. ' No,' replied the. King, ' there are so many other nobles in the land that I am afraid I oould not undertake euoh a olearanoe.' The Dukes of Sutherland a century and a half ago were Bimple Yorkshire squires. Now the family, of whioh the Duke is the head, possess five baronies, four viscounties, five earldoms, and a marquisate ; and lands almost beyond enumeration. They have always had an unrivalled aptitude for marrying heiresses. Three great marriages in bygone days set the family more than on its feet; made them master of wealth beyond the dreams of avarice, and land and houses stored with literary and art treasures, houses in whioh Royalty and celebrities have been entertained. Trentham Hall was ereoted by the present Duke's grandfather. Built from the designs of Barry, at a oost of £150,000, stored with a wealth of wonderful piotures by Rubens, Vandyke, Landseer, Romney, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Lely, Guido, Hogarth, Holbein, and Poussin, rich with fine statuary, enclosed in beautiful gardens and conservatories, with vast grounds and lakes adjoining, the plaoe is one of the most beautiful palaces in England,