THE BARONESS BURDETT-COUTTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2298, 17 March 1898, Page 49

THE BARONESS BURDETT-COUTTS.

"The Second Lady in the Land." The year 1837 was, indeed, a memorable one. Many of the great ones fame has spread throughout the world reckon their birthdays from that year of grace ; but there were already, when 1837 came to a close, two proud names in England which were destined to shins with still greater lustre as the years rolled en. They were canies of girls an the threshold of a great inheritance, and on everybody's tongue, in regard to both of then), there was the question : " What will aha do with it 1 "

Sixty years have come arid goue, and the two names are still household word 3in the English-speaking world. How well Qaeen Victoria has ruled her emoire is told in the

history books ; and the same books tell, or will some day tell, how well Qaeen Victoria's subject, Angela Gsorgina Bardett-Couite, has administered the inheritance into which she entered in the year the Qaeen was crowned. Afc 23 Baroness Coutts, then plain Miss Coufcts, was head of the second greatest banking house in the kiagdom and the richest woman in the land.

The Barone3S is the daughter of Sir Francis Bardett., one of the most famous Liberal politicians o£ his day, and her fortune descended to her through her grandmother, the wife of Mr Coutts, the banker, who, though she died Duchess of St. Albans, bequeathed the whole of her vast wealth — 13 toes of English sovereigns — to her favourite grandchild, the subject of our sketch.

Most of us, confronted with the problem "What to do with £1,800,000?" would be bewildered, and it ia natural to assume that the Baroness was startled by the position she had suddenly attained. Her way was not made clearer by the muliitudeof well-intea-tioned people who suddenly began to take an interest in her and felt themselves called uporiHo advise her. Kind men in all parts of tha Baglish-speakieg world sent their good wishes, accompanied with incidental offers of marriages, by post and telegraph ; and half the world seemed to be writing begging letters.

But the Baroness was wiser than her correspondents. She had other ways of disposing of har fortune. Charles D.ckens had interested her in the poor. She had accompanied the great author into the haunts of the poor when " slumming " was not fashionable, and bad been with him into the vilest dens of tha dark metropolis. It was an inestimable privilege, and one does not wonder that the Baroness has given her life and fortune to the poor. For this she has practically done. One of her first good works was to sweep away a nest of thieves and murderers in Batbnal Green and build in its place 300 model homes.

Those who have ever been to Columbia Square, close by Columbia Market — another of her gifts — will perhaps be aniszed to know that during the Victorian era this place was a nest of tho most frightful disease and the home of the fonlest criminals known in London. Police and government were set at defiance, and no attempt was made to apply the rigour of the law to " Nova Scotia Gardens " until Baroness Coutts bought up the freehold and swept the placß away for ever. From that time to $M& th,e claims of the poor have been the fisjlclaips'on her everopen purse, and it is no mere metaphor to say that the biggest fortune in the land has been ab the disposal of the very poorest. Forty years have gone since the handweavers of London were starving from want of work, but it is not yet forgotten how the Baroness came forward and helpsd many to emigrate. They went to Australia, the Baroness lending them each money to keep themselves in comfort, and it is worth placing on record that fier trust has not been abused, the whole of the money having come back from the colonists. Subsequently, she helped the tanners in similar distress.

The cholera epidemic ia tha East End 30 years ago provided another outlet for her generosity. The fearful disease raged among the poor for many weeks, and the part the Baroness played in relieving the sufferings of tha victims is shown clearly in the records of the relief committee which she founded, la addition to paying the salaries of a qualified medical man, eight trained nurses, two sanitary inspectors, and four men to distribute disinfectants as long as the epidemic lasted, her gifts of food and clothing were on a most generous scale. Take one week's gifts taken at random" from many : 1850 shilling tickets for meat, 2501b of arrowroot, 5001b of rice, 501b each of sago and tapioca, 301b black currant jelly, 50 gallons of port wine, 25 gallons of brandy, 20 gallons of beef tea, 560 quarts of milk, 100 blankets, 400 yards of flannel, and 400 garments I It is to the infinite credit of the Baroness that, though a staunch churchwoman herself, she has never allowed sectarian bias toe ome between her purse and the poor. She has helped the costermongers to buy their barrowa as cheerfully as she has founded bishoprics and built churches ; and to her beneficence the Shoeblack Brigade and the Flower Girls' Brigade owe their existence. It was largely due to her exertions, too, that the children's society— the N.S.P.O.C. — came into being, the first committee meeting having been held

in hsr drawir-g n cm ; and she has also been closely as.cciu.ed from the bsg.-nning with the R.S.P.C.A. She is, it may here be remarked, extremely fond of animal?, and there 13 a larga collection of goats, cows, dogs, horses, pige, towls, and birds at Holly Lodge, the seat o£ the Baroness at Highgate. Holly Lodge has been the scone of many famous festivities, and ifc was there that, in the summer of 1567, the largest dinner-party on record took pkce, 2000 Belgian Volunteers being invited to meet the Priace and Princess of Wales and 500 other royal acd distinguished guests. And thousands of Ecantily-dres^ea children have played in the pretty gardens at Highgate, where the good Baronness has spent many loig and happy days with her little, raf gad friends. Ireland has benefited greatly by her generosity. She has distributed immense sums of money amorg the destitute of that count} y ; has lent the iiscerrnea £10,OCO to purchase fishicg boats; and has founded a Fishing Sehooi, where poor Irish boys may become adepts in the art o£ fishi&g and all that concarns this method of obtaining a livelihood. She was the pioneer of reformatories for women in Great Britain, she provided funds for a topographical survey of Jerusalem, and she has always bean a generous supporter of the Destitute Children's Dinner Society, an organisation which provides 300,000 dinners a year. She has founded three colonial bishoprics and bnilt two churches at Home — one at Carlisle and another at Westminster. One bishopric cost her £50,000, and one cf the churches cost double that sum. The Baroness is five years older than the Qaesn and five years younger than Mr Gladstone. Sac has lived in four reigns, and was oae of tbe most notable figures at the Coronation of the Queen. The Duke of Wellington was her intimate friend asd adviser ; Dickens — as already stated — was her esteemed companion; and Gordon's death deprived her of one of the most faithful friends of her later years. It was through the Baro&ess that Gordon received at Kharccum the last letters and papers whioh reached him from home. Her house in Piccadilly, at the corner of Stratton street — which those who witnessed the Jubilee procession will remember as having been perhaps the most prettily decorated house along the sixmile route — has probably been visited by more distinguished personages than any other bouse in London. One of the most interesting reminiscences of the Baroness is of the time when lier father took an active part in politics. Sir Francis Bardett fought fiercely in the Reform sgitation for the rights of the peoplp, and was one of the last men to be imprisoned in the Tower on account of his political creed. In the excitement which prevailed his house was barricaded, and whan at last Sir Francis surrendered the guards were pelted with stones, and the people filled the air with cries of "Bardett for ever ! " A story is told which may or may not be true, but which we give as one of macy anecdotes related of the Baroness. Notwithstanding that she has enough sovereigns to reach four miles placed side by side, the Baroness is said to preserve an old guinea coin with especial care. It is her lucky guinea. Mr Coutts, the banker, who made the fortune which his granddaughter now possesses, is described as not having been particulaily carefal of his dress, and the story is told that one day a benevolenc old gentleman, mistaking him for a tradesman who had seen better days, gave him a guinea. The next day the two met at the house of a mutual friend, where, on the identity of the " decayed tradesman " being established, there was considerable merriment. The banker kept the guinea, and at his death it passed into the hands of his widow, by whom the lucky coin was handed down as a family possession. It seems incongruous to speak of the private life of the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, co wholly has -she devotsd herself to the public good. She married unusually late in life, being 68 when she became the wife of Mr William Ashcoead-Bartlett, 32 years her junior. The two had long been friends and co-workers in tha goocj movements initiated by the Baroaess, Mr Bartlett haviag been the " Special Commissioner" of the Baroness in Turkey al the time of the Russo-Turkish war, when, it will be remembered, ths Baroness initiated a fund for the distressed peasants, which reached £30,000 in a few days. Mr Bartlett, who assumed the name of Coutta by special license, was born in America. It is not surprising that honours have fallen thickly on this noble woman. She holds the freedom of London, being the first woman on whom such an honour has been conferred, and is also a " freewoman " of • Edinburgh. She is also the only woman who wears the Sultan's Order of the Medjidieh. Sixteen years sgo the Queen elevated Miss Coutts to the peerage, a royal honour which, if ever royal honour did, gave universal satisfaction. It was the first time the royal prerogative had been thu3 wielded in recognition of a woman's merits sines the Queen came to the throne. Other women have been raised to the peerage as a compliment to their husbands, but it was for Miss Coatts, gentlest, kindest, and richest of women, to win this brilliant laurel by her own life work. She has used the greatest fortune for the good of the greatest number, and none will dispute the judgment of the Princ9 of Wales I when he epoke of this noble woman " as the second l tt dj ia the land,"— Tjt-B.it*