People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 34, 25 August 1904, Page 10

People We Hear About

A London correspondent states that Colonel Collins intended taking a trip to Paris at tthe conclusion of tbe Bisley meeting, after which he was to visit Ireland.

Miss Jane Barlow, authoress of ' Bog-larid Studies,' ' Kerrigan's Quality,' ' From the Land of the Shamrock,' and other Irish stories, has been presented with the Litt D degree, honoris causa, by the Dublin University, of which her father is the Vice-Provost. She is the first lady to receive a degree from the University. Mv&s Barlow's Irish Idylls was specially mentioned by the Public Orator when the honor was conferred on her.

Sir Albert a Beckett, late Assistant AccountantGeneral of the Army, who has given forty-six years of exceptional service to the War Office ; General Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny ; Colonel Francis Hugh Plowden, who holds the rank of Brigadier-General and 2rcid Class Dislirict Commander in India ; and the Hon. Edward Patrick Morns, Minister of Justice in Newfoundland, have been the recipients of many congratulations upon the honor of Knighthood conferred on them by the King.

The present young Marquis of Lothian, whose health is unfortunately a source of much anxiety to his 1 family,, is the nephew of Lord Ralph and Lord Walter Kerr ; and as he is unmarried and has no brothers the heirpresumptive to the marquisato is Lord Ralph KeuF,-*wiho is married to the youngest sister of the Duke' of Norfolk, and whose eldest son is just finishing his undergraduate career at Oxford. It will be an interesting circumstance if the headship of this ancient and noble house should (as will in all human probability be the case), after more than three centuries, revert once again to a Catholic.

Lord Kelvin celebrated his 80th birthday on July 3, It is stated (says an exchange) that he was the first man who despatched a wireless message He was in the Isle of Wight, and wanted to communicate with Mr. George Stokes at Cambridge, and despatched his wireless telegram to Bournemouth. TBie Scotchmen are immensely proud of their distinguished ' countryman.' But it happens that Lord Kelvin, though bearing a Scottish title, is not a Scotchman, but an Irishman, who did not leave his native country till he was- fourteen years of age. It is remarkable that the other scientist, Marconi, whose name is so indissolubly associated with wireless telegraphy, should be an Irishman by birth and have Irish blood in his veins. Marconi was born at Enniscorthy, and his mother was an Irishwoman.

The recent birthday list (says the ' Catholic Herald') included the name of Lady Florence Dixie, whom the Catholics of the country reckon as one of themselves. Ladyi Florence is a well known writer, explorer, and champion of women's rights. Her advocacy had a good deal to do w,th the liberation of Cetewayo, the Zulu king, though that event otaly preceded his death by a few years. During the late war Lady Florence acted as war correspondent for the ' Morning Post.' She is a first-rate horsewoman, and was a mistress of the gun, which .she has, however, foresworn on humanitarian

grounds. To which it may be added tlhat she is the daughter of the lately deceased Marchioneps of Queensberry, and therefore the sister of Canon Lord Archibald Douglas, of Annan. Her husband, Sir Beaumont Dixie,

is one of the rather numerous Catholic baronets, the eleventh holder of a title conferred in 1660. Born in 18r>l, Sir Beaumont married Lady Florence in 1875. The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk were recently en-

tertained by the Cutlers' Company at their hall in

Sheffield, and were presented with a congratulatory address and a icmarkable cabinet of cutlery The members of the Company ioined in the gifts already presented by the city to the Duke and Duchess on the/ occasion of their marriage, but they felt under such obliga-

lion to the Duke for the services he has rendered tto the Company that they decided to make a Beparate gift in addition. It took the form of a cabinet of cutlery and silver plate of about 600 pieces, comprising every requisite of the kind for the dinner table. The articles were made by different members of the Company, but ' they were marked only with the name and arms of the Cutlers' Company. In acknowledging the gift the Duk« said he was especially gratified to get the information from the Master Cutler that he was the proud owner of the best, set of cutlery She/Held had ever produced.