BRITISH PEER'S DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20989, 28 September 1931, Page 8

BRITISH PEER'S DEATH.

THE EARL OF ORFORD.

SHORT RESIDENCE IN DOMINION.

BARONIES GO TO COUSIN. The death occurred at his residence, Manurewa, yesterday afternoon of the Earl of Orford, in his 78th year. The carl, who had resided in New Zealand for health reasons since the latter part of 1928, had been an invalid for some time past. His condition became serious on Friday. The body is to be embalmed, and will be taken to England by an early steamer for interment at Wolterton Park, the family seat, near Norwich. Much sympathy is felt for the Countess of Oiford, who, during her stay of nearly three years in Auckland, has made many friends, and for her daughter of 11, Lady Anne Walpole. The countess, in addition to social activities, has taken a keen interest in charitable and philanthropic causes. Semi-Diplomatic Posts Held. Robert Horace Walpole, fifth Earl of Orford, was born in July, 1854, his father, tho Hon. Frederick Walpole, M.P., being tho brother of the fourth earl. He was educated at Eton, which he left at 14 to join the Navy as a midshipman. One of his earliest experiences was being wrecked on a small island near the Cape of Good Hope, where lie fought against starvation for three months before being rescued. In 1874 he was in the Fiji Islands when they were annexed by Britain, and about this time paid a visit to New Zealand. Soon afterwards he left tho Navy with the rank of sub-lieutenant and spent some years in adventurous travel in various parts of the world. Occasionally semi-diplomatic posts were given him. Iu 1877 he was attached to the Earl of Rosslyn's mission to represent Queen Victoria at the marriage of King Alfonso XII of Spain, and received the Order of Charles 111.

In 1878 he was private secretary to Sir H. Drummond Wolff, when the latter was sent as Commissioner to Eastern Rumelia after the independence of that province had been declared under the Berlin Treaty, and in 1886 he served under Wolff ia Egypt. Daughter Famous Authoress-Traveller.

The fourth earl died childless on December 2, 1894, and his nephew succeeded to the title and estates, the latter amounting to over 9000 acres and including seats at Wolterton Paik, Norwich, and Rosnioor, Torrington, Devon. The Wolterton Park estate, 17 miles north of Norwich, extends over 5000 acres. It includes a Georgian mansion, which was originally built for the first Lord Walpole of Wolterton, a beautiful park and a lake.

Accustomed as he was to travel the new earl did not stay at home, and for a number of years he wandered in some of the wildest parts of the globe, only occasionally visiting England. In 1888 he had married Miss Louise Melissa Corbin, of New York. The first countess died in 1909, leaving one child, a daughter, now Lady Dorothy Mills, wellknown authoress and traveller. She travelled extensively from early childhood and in February, 1925, visited Timbuctoo, being the first Englishwoman to enter the city. Later she made trip through Liberia. Among her best-known books are " The Laughter of Fools," " The Road to Timbuctoo," " The Dark Gods," " Beyond the Bosphorus," and "Through Liberia. The earl in 1917 married Miss E. G. Oakes, daughter of the Rev. T. 11. R. Oakes, of Southampton. There were two children of the marriage, one of whom died in 1919. The other is Lady Anne Walpole. Earldom Extinct for Second Time.

In 1928, having been in indifferent health for some time, the earl, on medical advice, decided to spend a long holiday in New Zealand. He was assured that hft would greatly benefit by travelling to the Dominion, where he at first expected to spend about two years. Landing in Wellton with the countess he came tr- Auckland, and a short time after his arrival here purchased a large property at Manurewa, where he had lived quietly until his death. The Earldom of Orford. by the death of its fifth holder, becomes extinct for the second time. The earl, however, also held two baronies, Walpole of Walpole (1723), and Walpole of Wolterton (1756), the heir to both of which is Mr. Robert H. M. Walpole, now 15 years of age, a distant cousin in the male line. Three years ago, before leaving England, the earl made over his large estates, including Wolterton Park, to his cousin, then a boy at Eton. They were to be administered by trustees until the beneficiary came of age. Origin of the Three Titles. The earldom and the baronies came into existence in a somewhat singular fashion, illustrating Lhe complexities to bo found in the histories of English peerages. The first Earl of Orford, of the original creation, was the celebrated statesman Sir Robert Walpole, who was Prime Minister in the early part of the eighteenth century. In 1742 he was created Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton. Nearly twenty years prior, however, to his own elevation to the peerage, his son had been created Baron Walpole of Walpole. with remainder to tho male descendants of his grandfather. At a later period, in 1756, the first Earl of Orford's brother, Horatio, was created Baron Walpole of Wolterton. In this way the three titles now under discussion came into existence. The fourth Earl of Orford of the first creation was the celebrated Horace —immortalised by his "Letters"—who bought a villa at Twickenham and transformed it into a mansion which became famous as Strawberry Hill, where he printed his own works. Horace died in 1797, when all the family honours expired except the Barony of Walpole of Walpole, which devolved upon his cousin Horatio, who meanwhile had succeeded as second Baron Walpole of Wolterton. Horatio in turn was given in 1806 the Earldom of Orford—the second of that title to be created.