A ROMANCE OF THE PEERAGE.

Evening Star, Issue 11724, 5 April 1902, Page 2

A ROMANCE OF THE PEERAGE.

The present holder of the Sackville title and estates was the Hon. Lionel Sackville- . West.''before he succeeded to the title, and was a member of the diplomatic service, rising to be Her Majesty's Minister at Washington. Whilst he was Secretary to toe Paris Embassy he met, in or about 1852, at Paris Josoi'o Duran Orlego, known as Pepita. She was at that time one of tie most beautiful women in Europe, and the most celebrated dancer of her age. The young diplomatist lived with her for years in various places in Europe, and in about 1864 he purchased a house at Arcashon, which he presented to her by deed of gift, together with a large mansion in Paris. When and where they were married, if they were, has not been ascertained, as a marriage certificate is not forthcoming. Lord Sackville is said to have always treated Pepita as his lawful wife, and they had several children. Pepita was described in her certificate of death as the lawful wife of the Hon. Lionel Sackville-West, Secretary to H.B.M. Embassy, Paris. She died at Arcashon in 1871. The Wests were on friendly terms with persons of the highest position in Europe, including the late Duke Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-Golha, brother-in-law of the Queen 1 , the Cuke Adalbert of Bavaria and his wife, and some of the best people cf Bordeaux and Arcashon, such as the families of the Cornte De Boon and the Comte De Clonet de )a Ferr.andia. Lord Sackville, it is claimed, treated his children in every possible way as his legitimate issue until ihe marriage of his eldest daughter Victoria with Mr Lionel fcdward Sackville-West, who would be the heir to the peerage and estates if Henry should fail to establish his case. Victoria and her sister wont to Washington to Lord Sackville during the time that ho was Minister there, and A r ictoria occupied the position of the Minister's representative in society, and the hostess of all entertainments at the Legation. Victoria, the eldest daughter, married her cousin at the church at Knolc, in the parish of Sevenoaks, on June 17, 1890. In the certificate she is described as the legitimate daughter of Lord Sackville. It is supposed to bo due to Victoria and to her marriage with the alleged future heir that the question of Henry's legitimacy and the validity of Lord Sackville's marriage with Pepita have been raised. Lord Sackville, who is said io be entirely under the control of his daughter Victoria, has denied that h:> was in fact, married to Pepita. The fact of the marriage must be established by other evidence—thnt is to say, by the acts of the j parlies, which prove that there was a mar- ; riage by repute. It is claimed that the tetters of Lord Sackville prove this up to the hill.. Henry was sent 1o South Africa by his fulbcr to lake, up fnrmiiip, and whilst (hero he heard reports, according to which it had been suggested that there was a doubt regarding his legitimacy. He wrote to cue of his sisters, but. could not get any satisfactory information, and therefore he made up his mind to return to England. He. informed Lord .Sackville of his coming home, but he received a cable message not. to do so. In spite of that, he went to England, and wrote Io his father on Ihr subject of his position. The father replied thnt be never married Henry's mother, and Ihat all the children were illegitimate. Henry end the husband of one of his sisters have collected documentary and oth"r evidence in Bordeaux, whieh they declare is qnite sufficient, to cslablhih the marriage. Lord Sackville, his daughter Victoria, and other members of the Sackville family who aic interested in the HK'ccssion started an action before Mr Justice North for the purpose of examining witnesses and taking and i preserving evidence that Henry West was j not the legitimate son of Lord Sackville, and is therefore not entitled to succeed to the title and estate. They pleaded that Lord Sackville never went through any form or ceremony with Pepita, and never acknowledged the children as his legitimate r.fTspring: that before the commencement of his

acquaintance, with Pepita on January 10, 1851, she was lawfully married to Juan Antonio Gabriel We Oliva; that such marriage was never dissolved: and that at the time of Pepita's death .Antonio De Oliva was still alive. Witnesses have been examined ;n Prance by commission, and it, is affirmed that while the or.ni te.?timonv is in favor of

Henry'* case the docunJeiJtary evidence 4oea not throw any doubt on hurreptrrrtaey. Witnesses have also been e&atnmed in Spain on the question of the alleged former marriage of Pepita and Oliva, bat they hate not yet been cross-examined on behalf of Heary. A fresh commission will be applied for si soon a* the legitimacy action is atatted, tad Henry's lawyers confidently Wpeet to ba able to produce evidence to she* that Pepita never married Antonio in 1851 or at any other date; or married anybody before she was wedded to Lord Sackrflle. The dainv ant's representative has discovered in Ad©» laide (S.A.) an elderly man named Harry Wilson, who, it is alleged, -witnessed the marriage of the father of Mr Henry Sookvi He-West, whom he then served as valet.