BANK SECRETS.

North Otago Times, 12 January 1906, Page 1

BANK SECRETS.

Many peop'e have known of; Mrs Filzherberl's marriage to George the Fourth. The story is told, for' example, in the 'Dictionary of National Biography,' and a note added showing how the deed, with others, came to be deposited with Colitis's. A "I'fe" of Mrs Fitzherbert, with the true story staled, was published half a centuiy ago, yet it has taken another halfcentury before Mr. Wilkins has. been able to convince us that George the Fourth, in spite of the dictum that'the King can do no wrong, was a bigamist. A curious thing is that this 'open secret, the Colitis's possession of ;the marriage certificate, is not mentioned, so far as the index shows, in a recent work devoted to the history • of this fahious bank. One firm used to, preserve a draweiful of papers which would in their day have hanged half the. aristocracy, . They were , the forgeries perpetrated by "bloods" in need of money; The Royal family have banked with Coutt's for generations. Child's Bank was once their favored repository. Old Eobert Child, the head of the firm in 1782, knew from personal experience something of romance. "What would you do if you were in love with a girl whose father would not consent to a marriage?" asked the tenth Lcrd Westmorland. "Why, run 'jmy with her, of course," answered the banker. The nobleman took him at his word, and ran away with the only daughter of the house.' Theirate father gave chase, but the. bridegroom, shot dead his leading, horse, and made good his escape. Child.never .forgave them, but left his : property to Sarah, their eldest child,. And the" story is that the young couple■ chfisjened!all their children, boy and girl, Sarah,lest they should miss the legacy. •