THE ABERCORN HAMILTONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 71

THE ABERCORN HAMILTONS.

The Duke of Abercorn has gone to a seat he has in Scotland which for 50 years at least his family has scarce ever occupied. This is Duddingston House, a very pleasant residence near Edinburgh, in, we believe, the parish of Abercorn. It used to be occupied by his gioat-grand-father. Walter Rcott h°.d on one occasion to make i> meeting with Lordi Abercorn on his way Xorth, and found the cortege itHTiarkable. The ladies of the family and the household occupied four or five

ciniages, all drawn by the Marquis's own

I horses ; while the noble lord himself brought up the rear mounted on a small pony, but decorated over his riding coat with the star and riband of Garter. At Long town, Scott found) that Lord , Abercorn's steward and cook had pioeeded I the Marquis by some hours, and lind aruinged everything in the obscure little hotel as nearly as possible as in the Marquis's lordly mansions. "The ducks and geese which had boon dabbling in the village ponds a few horns ago were aow read}* to make their appear- < ance unil^r numberless discuses as hiI trees ; a regular menu flanked the robin Marquis's allotted cover: pvoiy hiukaback towel had. been pressed into s°rvicc as a napkin ; and that nothing should be lacking to this mimicry of splendour, the landlady's poor remnants of crockery and pewter had been furbished up and' mustered in solemn order on a crazy side-

board." fx>ckhart says that Scott delighted to relate this 'incident as a picture of manners passed away.

This, so to speak, second founder of the Abercorn Hamiltons succeed d as John James Hamilton. He was son of Captain John Hamilton, R.X.. a very gallant officer. Captain Hamilton Mas son of the seventh Earl. The eighth Eail. who never married', was a curious chaia.cter, who was alleged to have made the tour of Europe without leaning back in his cariiage. It was at his house, still standing in Witham, Essex — a large, stately Queen Anne mansion — that Queen Charlotte passed her "first night in England, on ioute to St. James's. When She subsequently said to the Earl : "I am afraid I put you to a great deal ot trouble." he is reported to have replied, "You did, madam!" John James succeeded this frank nobleman as ninth Earl, and very soon began to prove what "a great Count" he was. He made his headquarters at Stanmore, ten miles from London, where he purchased an estate of several hundred acres, which were converted into a small park and extensive pleasure-grounds. The very large house was furnished magnificently, and an immense establishment was main tamed. Lady Morgan, who was Lady Abercorn' s dame de compagnie. records that a hundred persons often slept beneath the roof — in fact, the mode of living was probably for several years second to none in England for splendour, and all sorts of stories, were told anent Lord Abercorn's fastidiousness and grandeur, one beinii that the housemaids never touched his bed save with gloves on! Lord Abercorn was a man of ability as well as an exquisite, and a very keen politician, in which capacity he became the intimate friend of Pitt, who made him a marquis, and then added a Bine Riband. Nor only so. Lord Abercorn 'vished to marry his cousin, Miss Hamilton, but conceived it to be beneath his dionity to marry a commoner, so he persuaded the Minister to induce George 111 to raise his bride to the rank of an earl's daughter. There was, wo believe, but <ne "precedent for this — when Sir R. Walunlp induced George II to raise his daughter by Miss Skerette to a similar rank. George IIT is said to have "kicked," and did it at Pitt's request very reluctantly. At Stanmore, not merely lords and ladies of high degree were received, but ail the leading talent of the day, for that was a period when the haute noblesse were far more appreciative of it than today. Thus it was at Stanmore Priory that Scott was an honoured guest even before he was the author of ''Waverley,' and it was here that he made acquaintance with Mrs Siddons-and her gifted brotner.

One of Lord Abercorn's peculiarities was a great dislike of plain women. At that time "Thaddeus of Warsaw" was the novel of the day, and in everyone's hands, t>o Miss Jane Porter, the now forgotten authoress, and her sister were bidden to Stanmore. Lord Abercorn is said to have surveyed them through a private peephole ; then, saying to his wife, "They are ugl\ as sin, my lady!" is said to have levanted during the visit. Another story told anent him is to the effect that he remarked to a friend : "Walking down Bond street to-day I saw a monstrous fine woman, who bowed to me: but 1 could not, for the life oi me,- recall who she w.as, though I knew tlu face. At length"! remembered it was my former wife." Lord Abercorn was undoubtedly a viveur. But Wilberforce records that he was very kind to pool people. He was a typical great noble oi his period. It was tho first marquis who mainly oeated Barons Court as it exists to-day. He exercised a very potent influence in Ireland, and Wellington records how difficult ho found it, when Chief Secretary, to satisfy the constant claims of "the two gieat northern Lords, Abercorn and Conyngham." Barons Court was in those days an oasis of luxury and civilisation in something like a desert, and Lord Abercorn's hospitalities were famous. It was + 1.-MV that La'iy Abei-corn persuaded the Viceroy, then on a visit, to make their household physician, Mr Morgan, a knight, as she wished to persuade her companion, Miss Owenson, to marry him. This was the future famous Lady Morgan.

The late Duke resided for some years' en grand train at Stanmore, and then let i*~ to the Queen Dowager, who died there. It was then sold to Sir John Kelk, the great builder, and subsequently convertea into an hotel, which, however, no longer