DEATH OF A DUCHESS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8178, 20 July 1912, Page 9

DEATH OF A DUCHESS

LADY WHO WAS IMPRISONED IN HOLLOWAY GAOL. CELEBRATED LAWSUIT. The death, announced recently of Mary Caroline, Duchess ot .Sutherland, in tier sixty-fourth yc*ar» recall* a romance of the peerage of another generation, Sho was tho daughter of tho Jute Kev. Richard -Michel), prim;.pal of Uertiord College, Ox lord, who had been Professor of Logic at the University. In IS(i:t tuc then Prince ot Wales received the honorary degree of D.C.L. at Oxford, and Disraeli was present at the function, being the guest of Air Michell, then the Public Orator, it is recorded that Disraeli paid marked attention to Aiiss Alichell, then A BEAUTIFUL GIRL OF FOURTEEN. In course of time the hand of Miss -Michell was sought and won in marriage by Captain Arthur Blair, of the Highland Eight Infantry, her cousin. He was the factor of tho third Duke of Sutherland. .The union was happy until George Granville William, third Duke of Sutherland, appeared on the scone. The duke himself, tho husband of a charming wifo (Countess of Uron.artio in her own right, and Alistress of the Robes to the Queen), was the father of a ’ grown-up family. The Duke of Sutherland met Mrs Blair, 'and THEY FELL IN LOVE. In consequence of rumours which came to the ears of Captain Biair, that officer is said to have shot himself in a lit of despondency. IDs widow at once accompanied her ducal lover on a long yachting voyage to the Par East. The duchess refused to take divorce proceedings, anil thereby won tho gratitude of Queen Victoria, one of her greatest friends, who was anxious that the scandal should not receive tho publicity that legal proceedings would have entailed. Soon after the duke’s return to England with Mrs Blair, ho fell ill. and’a reconciliation was sought by the duchess; but tho duke recovered and went off again on a world tour with Airs Blair. In. 1888 the duchess died, and the pair went to Florida, and were married WJTHIN THREE MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST WIFE’S DEATH. On their reappearance in England some of tho old retainers, staunch in their loyalty to the dead duchess, left the ducal service. The farmers near Dunrobin Castle, too, became alienated irom the duke because their wives would not recognise the now duchess. Tho duke, who died in September, 1892, had made a will a month before he died, leaving his widow a legacy of .*,150,000, in addition to .£SOOO and JHOOO yearly from the English and Scottish estates. He bequeathed to her a life-interest in the collieries of the Sutherland family, the use of the family diamonds for life, leases and absolute gilts of country residences, and n sura of over .£IO,OOO to her daughter by her first husband, now Irene Alary Countess Bubna. At the funeral tho new duke refused to recognise the duchess, and intimated that he would contest the will. Litigation followed and DRAGGED ON FOE SEVERAL MONTHS. The judges eventually made an order for the handing over ot certain boxes aim documents to the administrator of the estate, in whose presence they were to be examined, the solicitors ot both parties to no in attendance at tne same time. The duchess was present at Stafford House when the papers wore about to bt removed. She picked up ono of the oundles, took out a document, and, aftei reading it, walked across to the fireplac. and threw the paper into tho flames. This act led to proceedings against the duchess for contempt of court. Sho wa t tried before Sir Francis Jeune in Apr.l, 1893. In defence, counsel for the ducliess alleged that the document which had been destroyed was merely a letter irom ttie rate duke to her before marriage, aim related to au unpleasant occurrence between a steward and a maid. This, the duchess contended, could not bo intended for inclusion among the papers impounded by order of the court, as it contained nothing relating to herself. Sho was convinced that in destroying it ,sho was carrying out the dying wishes of the duke. Sir Francis Jeune, however, took a stern view of the duchess’ conduct, and imposed a fine of ,£250, besides COMMITTING HER TO PRISON FOE SIX WEEKS. She underwent the term of imprisonment To Holloway Gaol, in a cell which was luxuriously furnished by one of the leading Loudon upholsterers and bore as much resemblance to an ordinary prison cell as a tenement sitting-room does to a drawing-room in Buckingham Palace. However, the dignity of the law was vindicated. On her release the duchess received a silver casket containing X 250 in banknotes from a number of sympathisers, who expressed their indignation at “tho severe order made by a judge against her for having unflinchingly carried out a dying request of her husband.” In 1896 the duchess married Sir Albert Kaye RoUit, then ALP. for Islington. Tho duchess’s name was prominently before the public in 1893 by reason of the theft of her jewels, said, to bo wortli .£20,000 at tho Garo du Nord, in Paris, and their subsequent discovery in a house in Fulham, London.