People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 17 November 1910, Page 1894

People We Hear About

The Spanish Minister to Mexico in this Mexico's centennial year of independence is of Irish descent, Seiior Cologan y Cologan. The last Spanish viceroy. of Mexico was of the same race, Seiior Juan O'Donojuwhich is simply the Spanish of O'Donaghue. Mr. Joseph Nunan, a distinguished Limerick man, who is Solicitor-General in Demerara, has been nominated president of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society of British Guiana. The Queen of Belgium studied medicine as a girl and graduated with the degree of M.D. at Leipzig shortly before her marriage. She has never practised, but she takes a direct and personal interest in the dispensary for consumptives, which she and King Albert founded some years ago. She is one of the few women upon whom the Pope has conferred the Golden Rose. After a brilliant career as a soldier (says the Tablet), Major P. H. du Perron Casgrain, R.E., is to study for the priesthood in the diocese of Nottinghamat the head of which is a ' soldier bishop' (Bishop Brindle, D. 5.0.). Major Casgrain, who is a brother of Senator Casgrain, of Quebec, is in his forty-sixth year. He was educated at the Royal Military College at Kingston, Canada, and he served in the North-West Rebellion of 1885 as Adjutant of the 9th Canadian Rifle Militia. Then, being commissioned in the Royal Engineers, he took part in the Manipur Expedition of 1891; and also in the late South African war, when he was mentioned in despatches. Subsequently he filled several staff appointments in England. He is an accomplished linguist, being numbered among the Army interpreters in Russian.

The death of the Rev. Louis A. Lambert, LL.D. (says the Sacred Heart Iteview), removes from the ranks of the Catholic clergy of this country one of its finest scholars and ablest controversialists. Father Lambert was pastor of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Scottsville, N.Y. He was editor of the Freeman's Journal of New- York for many years, and laid the impress of his strong individuality on that excellent Catholic journal. Catholics throughout the country will agree with Bishop McGolrick’s estimate of him, that ‘no other man in all our land did, more effective work in opposing infidelity. Protestant and Catholic both united in distributing his grand work on Ingersoll, and it remains one of the most logical and clear-cut defences of the Catholic religion that have ever been given to the public.’ Sir Michael O’Loughlen, who has been appointed Lieutenant of the County of Clare, is the son of Sir Bryan O’Loughlen, once a famous Irish advocate, who afterwards emigrated to Australia and rose to official distinction. He died at Melbourne in 1905, During his absence the people of Clare chose him as their parliamentary representative; but he did not return to take his place at Westminster. There was a romantic story that as a youth of twenty he took part in the rebellion of 1848 in Ireland, and that on the collapse of the rising he fled to England, where he undoubtedly worked for some years as pupil to the engineer of a Lancashire railway. When the affair had blown over he returned to Dublin, where he was called to the Bar. Sir Bryan s father was the first Catholic judge appointed in Ireland after the passing of the Emancipation Act. His last Catholic predecessor on the Irish Bench died in 1638.

The marriage of Lord Lovat to the Hon. Laura Lister at the London Oratory (says the Glasgow Observer of October 1) promises to be a very interesting function, with many peculiarly Highland features. The noble bridegroom will wear full Highland dress, his brother and best man (Major the Hon. Hugh Fraser) will also be in uniform, and a large detachment of Lovat Scouts in uniform will line the aisle of the spacious church. The Right Rev. the Bishop of Aberdeen will be the officiant, and several of the assistant clergy will be near relatives of Lord Lovat. The wedding address will be given* by Dom Oswald Hunter Blair, 0 S B and there will be other representatives present of the Abbey of Fort-Augustus, of which Lord Lovat’s father was the munificent founder, and where he himself received his early education. It is probable■ that there will be a very large gathering at the wedding, the reception after which will be given (owing to the delicate health of the bride’s mother. Lady Ribblesdale) by her aunt, Mrs. Asquith, at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Downing street. Miss Lister will be attended by only one bridesmaid, her youthful sister, the Hon. Diana Lister.