LORD INGESTRE'S BIRTHRIGHT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15937, 3 December 1913, Page 6

LORD INGESTRE'S BIRTHRIGHT.

SINGULAR LAW COURT CASE,

EARL OF SHREWSBURY'S HEIR.

(Fbou Oub Own Cobrespondent.)

LONDON, October 15. The President of the Divorce Court had before him this week a rather remarkable case, this being the petition of the Hon. Charles John Alton Chetwynd Talbot, A'iscount Ingestre,- to be declared the legitimate son of the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury. Lord Ingestre was born less than three months after the marriage of his parents; Iris mother being the divorced wife of Mi- -Miller Mundy, of Derbyshire. Lord ingestre is heir to the pecra'ge, and the petition was brought to remove any possibility of doubt arising in tho future. The Crown was represented by the Attorney-general, who was nominally the defendant, and the parties cited were those next in succession, including Major-general Sir Reginald Talbot, Mr Humphrey John Talbot, and Mr Geoffrey Richard Henry Talbot. In opening for the petition, Mr Priestley, K.C., said that the present Earl of Shrewsbury, being then a bachelor, was married to Ellen Mary, formerly the wife of Alfred Edward Miller Mundy, at the Registry Office, St. George's Hanover square,- on June 21, 1882, On September 8, 1882, "the same year," emphasised counsel, tho petitioner was born at Alton Towers, Lord Shrewsbury's seat in Staffordshire, and, having been born after their marriage, he was their lawful and legitimate son. Having been born after wedlock that was conclusive, unless proof to the contrary were given, that he was the son of Lord and Lady Shrewsbury. _ He had always been recognised, said counsel, as their son by his father and mother and by their relations and friends. Ho held a commission in the Horse Guards as Lord Ingestre; he was decorated by King Edward as Lord Ingestre; he was married as Lord Ingestre, that being the courtesy title of the Shrewsbury family. There had never been any question about it or his position, but lately someone in a business transaction put the question about his mother's former marriage, and as there were considerable interests involved Lord Ingestre and his father thought it desirable, while all the evidence was available, that a declaration, should be pronounced in court. IMPORTANT DATES. Counsel drew attention to the important dates in the case. On April 21 or 22, 1881, he said, Mrs Miller Mundy left her husband and went away with Lord Shrewsbury, and she had not lived with Mr Mundy after that date. Lord Ingestre having been born on September 8, 1882, Mr Mundy could not, if the facts ho had stated were true, be the father of the child.* On April, 26, 1881, Mr Mundy and his brother-in-law, Mr Morewood, saw Mrs Mundy at Strasburg. It was to bo gathered from the evidence that he saw her there upon that date for the last time. So far as ho (counsel) knew he.had never spoken to or seen her since April 26, 1881. On May 1, 1881, Mrs; Miller Mundv came to England, via Paris, and she did not go back to Mr Mundy. After May 1, 1881, she was constantly in Lord Shrewsbury's society, and on May 16, 1881, Mr' Mundy filed his petition for divorce, alleging lu3 wife's misconduct with Lord Shrewsbury. They did not defend that petition. On July 5, 1881, Mrs Mundy joined Lord Shrewsbury's yacht Castalia at Eastbourne. Then went awav from England and were absent until Octpber 21, 1881, when they reached Flushing. They liwd together continuously from July 5, 1881, until their marriage the following year. On November 24,° 1881, they went to the Hotel Windsor, Paris, staying there until December 31 of the same year. Next day they joined tho yacht at Toulon, and were cruising about together until March 11, 1832. On March 24 they went to Trent, in Sussex, to a house which they had taken, and lived there until June. On December 10, 1881, counsel also mentioned, the decree nisi was pronounced by Sir James Hannen, and it was made absolute on June 20, 1832. The next day there was tho marriage in London, and Lord and Lady Shrewsbury went straight down to Altoa Towers, and, zs far as counsel knew, they remained there until after the birth r>f Lord Ingestre. He was the only son, but there was a daughter, who was married.

On April 23, 1904, Lord Ingestre married Lord Alexander Paget's daughter in tho presence of many of their relatives, and Ids father, Lord Shrewsbury, signed the register as one of the witnesses. His father was now present in court to support his claim. There were seven others next in succession, and they had been cited, but had not appeared, except ono, Sir Reginald Talbot, who at the last moment asked leave to come in so that ho might support the claim. EVIDENCE OF WITNESSES. The marriage of the Karl and Countess having been proved, Mr James Hammond, a retired master niarinex of Portsmouth, said that in' June, 1881, he entered the service of Lord Shrewsbury and was master of his yacht, Castalia. Early in July, 1881, he was off Eastbourne in the yacht, and tho earl came on board with, a.lady, the present countess. He sailed with tho earl and the lady on board to several 'ports of the Continent—Norway and Sweden and Denmark among them— returning to Portsmouth on October 25. The earl and the lady went ashore and stayed at an hotel in Portsmouth. They had been on board the whole of the time.

The President: Did any persons join them?—Ntf, there wore only those two. The witness also spoke of a later trip in December. Lord Shrewsbury and the lady were on board from December 31, 1881, till .March, 1882. The Attorney-general said he did not dispute any of tho evidence, and-the President declared the petitioner to be the legitimate son of Lord and Lady -Shrewsbury.

In the rural districts of Sweden a (garden is attached to every school. Hero the children receive practical instruction in tho cultivation of plants, berries, flowers, herbs, and fruits, the management of hotbeds, greenhouses, and so forth.

Ono hundred and twenty-ono thousand two hundred and fifty-five cram of herringa were landed at Shields during the herring season, representing a sum of £187,755.