TO DAY IN HISTORY

Southland Times, Issue 20525, 29 June 1928, Page 6

TO DAY IN HISTORY

JUNE 29 Born: Sir Henry Yelverton, eminent English judge, at Islington, 1566; Rev. John Williams, the “Apostle of Polynesia” at Tottenham, 1796. Died: Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond (mother of Henry VII,) 1509; Pierre de Marca, Archbishop of Paris, historian, 1662; Francesca Caracciolo, Neapolitan patriot, hanged 1799; Valentine Green, eminent mezzotent engraver, at London, 1813; Rev. David Williams, originator of the Royal Literary Fund, 1816; Henry Clay, American statesman, Washington, 1852; Elizabeth Barrett Browning, poetesa, at Florence, 1861. Events: Wreck of the White Swan on the East Coast, sailing from Auckland to Wellington, many valuable N.Z. public records lost, 1862; Old Age Pensions (N.Z.) increased to £26 per annum, 1905; Greece declared war on Germany, 1917.

Prince Francesco Caracciolo, Neapolitan Admiral, was born on January 18, 1752, of noble parentage, and entering the navy he served with distinction on British vessels during the American War. As Admiral to King Ferdinand IV of Naples, on the flight of that monarch in 1798 he accompanied him to Palermo, returning to Naples in the next year when he was given command of the new Parthenoppean Republic and fought against the combined navies of Naples and Britain. When the republic was overpowered by the British Fleet and Cardinal Ruffo’s army. Caracciolo was betrayed on June 29, 1799, and taken on board Nelson’s flagship. Sir William Hamilton told Nelson the queen of Naples desired Caracciolo hanged. Within 24 hours he was tried by a Neapolitan court-martial on Nelson’s flagship, denied all witnesses and found guilty of high treason. He was not permitted time for a confession, and Nel son refused his request to be shot. Caracciolo was hanged at the yardarm of the British ship Minerva. The Rev. David Williams, was born in Glamorganshire and was trained as a dissenting minister. He opened a chapel in Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, London, and engaged in educational work. At a club in Chelsea he first broached the idea of a fund to help distressed authors and the Royal Literary Fund was started on his initiative in 1788. He was himself a prolific writer on religious and political subjects. MARGARET BEAUFORT. Margaret was the daughter and heiress of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, grands >n of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Being very beautiful as well as heiress of great possessions, she was at the early age of fifteen years anxiously sought in marriage by two persons of high rank and influence. One was the son of the Duke of Suffolk, then Prime Minister; the other was Edmund, Earl of Richmond, half brother to the reigning monarch, Henry the Sixth. Wavering between these two proposals, Margaret in her perplexity requested advice from an elderly gentlewoman, her confidential friend. The matron recommended her not to consult her own inclinations, but to take an early opportunity of submitting the question to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of undecided maidens. She did so and the saint appeared to her in a vision, dressed in great splendour and advised her to marry Edmund. Following this advice she became the mother of Henry Tudor, who afterwards became King Henry VII. Edmund died soon after the birth of his son, and Margaret married twice afterwards; first, Humphrey Stafford, son of the Duke of Buckingham; and secondly, Thomas, Lord Stanley, subsequently Earl of Derby. We are not told if she consulted St. Nicholas in the choice of her second oi; third husbands.

Margaret founded several colleges, and employed herself in acts of real charity and pure devotion not common at the period After a useful and exemplary life she died at the age of sixty-eight years, having just lived to see her grandson Henry VIII. seat-

ed on the throne of England. She is included among the Royal authors as a translator of some religious works from the French, one of which entitled “The Soul’s Perfection” was printed at William Caxton’s house by Wynkyn de Worde. Al the end of this work are the following verses: ‘This heavenly book more precious than gold, Was late direct with great humility, For godly pleasure therein to behold, Unto the right noble Margaret, as ye see, The King’s mother of excellent bounty, Harry the Seventh; that Jesu him preserve, This mighty Princess hath commanded me T’imprint this book, her grace for to deserve. HENRY CLAY. Henry Clay of Kentucky, was one of the most popular statesman of America. With an ordinary education, he made his way first to distinction as a barrister, and next to eminence as a politician, purely by the force of his talents and particularly that of oratory. His career as a statesman was unfortunately not quite consistent or unsullied and hence he failed to obtain the highest success. In 1832 he was the candidate

of his party for the Presidency but was defeated by General Jackson, with only influence enough left to quiet for the time the national discordances respecting the tariff and slavery, by what were considered judicious compromises—moderate duties, and a division of the unpeopled territory by a line, separating the free and slave States that should be found in the future. In 1840 he might have been elected to the Presidency; but his timid party set him aside for General Harrison, who was considered a more available candidate. Later he had the mortification of giving place to General Scott and General Taylor. In 1844 he was a candidate, but was defeated by Mr Polk, who was elected by the party in favour of the annexation of Texas, and of going to war with England rather than give up the claim to Oregon, or what is now British Columbia up to the parallel of 54.40 long. The party motto was “Fifty-four forty or fight!” but after the election they accepted a compromise and a lower parallel. Disappointed in his ambition, mortified by the ingratitude of his party, Mr Clay retired from the Senate in 1842 but was induced to return in 1849. His last public efforts were in favour of the slavery compromises of 1850. Mr Clay was tall, raw-boned and homely, but his face lighted up with expression, his voice was musical and his manners extremely fascinating. Few men have had more or warmer personal friends. His oratory possessed a power over his hearers of which the reader of his speeches can form no conception. It was a kind of personal magnetism, going some way to justify those who suspect that there is a mystic influence in high-class oratory. He was loved with enthusiasm. No man in America ever had so great a personal influence while few men of as high a position have left so little behind them to justify contemporary judgments to posterity.