Tragic Romance

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 45, 24 February 1936, Page 9

Tragic Romance

PEER’S DAUGHTER IN AFRICA.

Death from heart failure recently brought to an end the romantic and tragic love story of the Hon. Mrs Avcrill Rattray, the 27-year-old daughter of Viscount Furness. Four years ago, renouncing her position in English society, she married her father’s white hunter, Mr Andrew Rattray, in Nairobi, and went to live on a farm.

After two years of happiness, her husband died in November, 1933, at the age of 52. Now Mrs Rattray, who had been inconsolable since his death, has died in a Nairobi nursing home. Mrs Rattray’s romance began five years ago when Mr Rattray came to England, bringing a number of animals for Lord Furness. She fell in love with him. A year later she went with her father on a hunting trip to Africa. She decided to return before Lord Furness, and Mr Rattray escorted her to the coast.

They were married in the District Commissioner’s office at Nairobi under special licence, and with no advanco notice.

Soon afterwards Lord Furness published in an East African newspaper au announcement that Mr Rattray was no longer white hunter to his safari and had no authority to order anything in his name.

Mr Rattray fell ill while ho and his wife were living in the bush. She nursed him and finally chartered an aeroplane to take him to Nairobi for an operation. It was of no avail.

Lord Furness sent instructions for a wreath to be placed on tho grave, and afterwards became reconciled with his daughter. During her last illness he had been in constant communication with her by cable from his home in Melton Mowbray. Mrs Rattray had always been fond of sport and adventure. She was only 12 when she shot her first stag in Rossshire, and she became an expert horsewoman. A few days after her wedding she shot her first lion.

Delight in open spaces made her declare that she could never settle down again to the humdrum of social life in England,