People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 1 May 1913, Page 41

People We Hear About

... Sir Charles = Santley; the distinguished ' Catholic vocalist, celebrated his seventy-ninth birthday on -February 28, ' ' - -\ ' Mr. John Lavery, A.R.A., the well-known Catholic artist, has been given; the' chair -in the Belgian Academy vacant through the death of Sir L. Alma Tadema. v v '-"- -a " -*• -s:'-

Alderman Richard Power, J.P., was 1 installed aft. Mayor of Waterford on February 24. It is just twentyfive years ago since the same honor ! was conferred on/ him. The venerable Mayor is in his eighty-eighth year and his zest for municipal life is as fresh'as ever. - , During his American lecture tour, Mr. Seumas MacManus, the Irish author, while ; in New Orleans, met the widow of Richard ; D'Alton Williams, the patriot-poet of the Nation.: expresses himself "as pleasantly astonished to find her alive and- well at the age of eighty-two. She had been a teacher in the New Orleans public schools for forty-nine years, and only in 1911 was retired on full pension. Her daughter is now a teacher also in the public schools in New Orleans.- ' ; ' •.."'- ■:■'■'■"'-, /:': ■- ~-<s.

Mme. Adelina Patti celebrated, her seventieth birthday on February 19. The daughter of Salvator: Patti, of Catania, Sicily, and Caterina Chiesa, Mme. Patti was born in Madrid on February 19, 1843. Both her parents were well-known opera singers, as was her elder sister, Carlotta, who died in 1889. At the age of seven Mme. Patti made her debut in public on the concert platform. In 1859 she made her first appearance m opera at New York, and when, two years later, she went to London, she was only allowed to appear at Covent Garden on ' condition that " she sang' for nothing. Since then the same theatre has often paid her £IOOO a night. > The Right Rev. Dr. Amigo, Bishop of Southward who celebrated the silver jubilee of his ordination recently, was born at Gibraltar in 1864. He was educated at St. Edmund's, Ware, and Hammersmith Seminary, and- was ordained in 1888. He was consecrated Bishop of Southwark in 1904. The Southwark Incorporated Rescue Society and the Catholic Boys' Brigade count the Bishop as something more than their president—their warm ally—and he is a member of the League" of the Cross. Southwark diocese comprises the ancientdioceses of Canterbury, Rochester, and Chichester, with part of old Winchester. In the numbers of its churches and clergy it is at the Seti. of the. English dioceses, not excepting the archdiocese t>f Westminster. Lord Llandaff, whose "ueath took place recently, was born in 1826 in Ceylon, where his father was a judge at the time. He was educated at the Universities of Paris and London, and was called to the Barin 1850. Eighteen years later he became Queen's; Counsel and a bencher of Lincoln's : Inn. He represented the constituency of Dungarvan in the House'of Commons (1868-1874) as a = Conservative, and becameHome Secretary in 1886. He held office till 1892, as? member for East Birmingham, and was intimately associated with Lord Randolph Churchill, especially during; the years immediately subsequent to his election." Mr;' Matthews was descended from the-Welsh family off Mathew, a branch of which formerly held the Earldorm of Llandaff in the Irish peerage. This suggested the) title, Viscount Llandaff, under which name Mr. Matthews was advanced to the peerage in 1895. Thereafter-ill-health prevented Viscount Llandaff ; from taking part in the more strenuous political campaigns, but he-, specially exerted himself to defend Catholic interests,, most noteworthy being his efforts to have expunged! those portions of the Royal Declaration at Coronation* offensive to Catholics. ,