ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14566, 31 December 1910, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

ROM the SOCIETY raters.]

One of the most beautiful houses on the Thames is Heclsor House. Bourne End, the residence of Lord Boston, who kepi his; fiftieth birthday at the beginning of September, Hi? succeeded to the title at ilie age of sixteen. He owns a great part. of. the town of Holyhead, and one of his seats is in Angle Lord Boston married his cousin., Miss Cocila Constance Ir'jv, in 1800. tut op they have no children", the heir-presumptive is Lord Boston's brother, Captain Cecil lib\.

Lady Warwick has taken a year '.ease Of the White House. Tito-street, Chelsea, which was originally built for Whistler. Its name arises fron. the fact that it is faced with white bricks. Y» lustier had carved over the doorw;.y these word* : "Except the Lord build house, they labour in vain that build it. William Godwin built this hoiise." Godwin, the architect, was a friend of Whistler and 'Whistler married his widow. Ihe house belongs to an American artist. Mr. Orrin Peck, who. in the course of his travels, had collected many valuable treasures.

In the recently published list of additional appointments in Queen Alexandras household, to be dated Mr.y 7th. 19 '0 (the day after King's Edward's death), the name of the Duchess o'; Buccieuch ap-

• pears- as Mistress of the Kobe.". I lie Duchess is a daughter of the lirsL Duke of Abercorn. She had been a valued friend of ' Queen Alexandra for many years, and for it long time had filled the position die still • occupies. It was thought by some people that the Queen-Mother would not retain the services of a Mistress of the Robes, and even though she has done so. she does not intend to take any very active . part in Court ceremonies for. at any rate, some time, to that the Duchess will have a. leiA arduous post than formerly.

Mrs. Nicholas Longwortli, the elder daughter of Mr. Roosevelt, used to be called " Princes:. Alice, ' and was very popular in America. An amusing story is told of her to the effect that when Mr. Roosevelt was preparing to leave London for America he received word from Mr. Loeb, Collector c; r Customs at New York, that the courtesies of the port would bo extetiaed to himself and his family. The "open door." however, did not include the ' ex-President's daughter. Mrs. Longworth, the story goes, then sent the following tele- ' , gram. : " .Loeb, New York. Pig. Alice/' -At the ca.ble office it was deckled that the message was intended for Messrs. Kuhn, Loeb and Co., and the telegram - puzzled, the grave officials of that great banking concern. In one of their private codes "pig" means "buy a thousand ~ shares." but of what they did not know, ' itid who Alice was they, "could not guess. Finally- the matter "was cleared up and the message delivered to the collector of the % rt, to wtaom it was perfectly clear.

' ri- The Baroness ;>oa Eckhardsiein, who was -sV Quietly married i>o Captain Archibald Weijail last August, is the oti>v child of the ~ .ate Sir John Blundell Maple, and he left ' her an Immense fortune, Her use of it, |fcowercfc~sas.. hedged totofd. inrrarions re- ■ " that she K must live at" least two-thirds of each year ! in. England. Her first wedding was sol- , ; einnised at St. Alban's Cathedral, and the late King eent her a present of a jewelled ; and enamelled watch. The Baroness could, ° of course, have retained her title, but she -. . elacted to be known as Mrs. V/eigall. f jT3er husband is a cousin of the Countess .~-of Londesborough, the Earl of Westmorr'V land, and Lady Desborocigh. He is agent V for the Earl of Londeslaorough'? estates. Mrs. Weigall is a hand some, fair woman, !■ ■with blue eyes and particularly charming manners. She has a beautiful house at Woodhall. Spa, where she spends a good deal of her time.

•A romance of the peerage has- been.disj closed -'by the announcement at Wellington that'Mr, Barry, Yelverton, a d<dry farmer, ol.lfeatKerstdne, near Wellington, claims to succeed to the title of the lat-e Vii nnt Avoinnor©, sua" Irish. Peer, died in a >ab•ln?.. nursing home on September 5 . He : married in 1830 the daughter of 0. :. lEvaos, formerly of Toronto. The r T ; - -, fyOi\i Avonraore was Mr. Barry Yel v, .< /, -i distinguished lawyer, orate/, aid s »s- ---• JRa,n, who in 1782. became / 4 !c; oy-Coi.c-kJ ot Ireland and in IT L- ; : Chief Bfi'WJXt of the Exchequer . 3 v»-e Lord ' . Avonmore was born. V ;.;j, v :~. the ,>'• faiaous Yelverton mar ;«• still before the law court , J,; 3 . 'oir/th vis--C'tfotJiii, maiTied. Mrs. Ic>. » i.i lu'Ji, »md in .; iG.' l an Irish jury hcl-J '.hat L-- had pref w vioaufy married Miss Theresa ">: r worth. l 1'364, however, the Hoti»e ~»ords de- ' "-frliir.-'d that tho 1858 roarriage iv,..- the valid .'one- Lord Avonmore left a daughter who rJSrw.. born m 1892,- and it was supposed vhat the peerage would become extinct.

King George has been provoked ~,t last into replying, through his secretary, to the ■wicked slander, that, years ago, hi.' Majesty contracted a morganatic marriage. This outrageous lie has obtained a long start and is difficult to overtake, but it is to be hoped that we have heard the last of it now that Sir Arthur Bigge has denied it in terms which admit- of no possible misapprehension, " 'ion have my authority for wtafciyg,"* Sir Arthur says, "in whatever manner you way thinkffirt r that King George was. never married, ' morgarsaiieally or otherwise, imtii,July. 6th, 1883, when, as Duke of "York, he married .:Prmce&} Victoria Mary.. of 'feck,' .her , present Majesty. Moreover, nothing in his Majesty's life could give the .slightest ground for the conception of such. -a. cruel and wicked li«." In view of this" definite statement, the action of a; Sunday paper in offering a reward of a, thousand pounds "to any person who can afford, any proof wiiatevor of this abominable charge " -will probably bo withdrawn. The offer is somewhat open to misconstruction, and when "the editor mad.) it he doe© not appear to .have been in. possession of Si? .Arthur Bilge's indignant refutation. It seems that various scandalmongers have been spreading the slander in the parks, and the press rewa.nl was offered in order to prevent further disgraceful aspersions in public places. '

Before starting on her tour round the "world Mrs. George Keppel hsfc her new house in Grosvenor-street for the Coronation to some wealthy people from the Argentine. She has been staying in Florence with Lord Colebrooke's sister, Marchese di Niccolini, who is one of the meat, noted hostesses of that city. From Florence Mrs. Keppel proceeded to Genoa to join her relatives end to embark for Ceylon, where she 'ill spend several weeks as fir Thomas Lip ton'e guest at Colombo. I'-.e party comprises Mrs. Keppel, Her two ■ JV-a daughters Vio>>.i> and Sonia, her ' 'owier, Sir Archibald 3dmonstone, find 'j> wifft. w nephew, Mr. Ro.inic Gram Mum (con of Lord DtmerJin), with , is wife, and Baroness Margaret dfeßrienen. i !->.* Thomas Linkon has placed his house it Mrs. Keppei's disposal for as long as he dad her friends wish to occupy it. The residence adjoins the extensive Lipton tea. plantations, and is as Injurious its the beautiful home Mrs. Keppel recently acquired in Grosvenoc-street at enormous outlay, The travellers were due st Colombo on November 20, their vieifc synchronising with that, of the German Crown Prince and Princess, who will remain until early m December, when they leave for India. During their three weeks' stay in Colombo, various entertainments will be given, and their Imperial Highnesses will doubtless visit Sir Thomas Lipton's A plantations.' His yacht Emerald will be • : availably or Jus ;gßests«.;''' *" •••**'" " Jt §: " " ~ i