People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 14 January 1915, Page 41

People We Hear About

, There are three Bishops serving at the front with the French —Mgr. Ruch, Coadjutor of Nancy, Mgr. Perros, Vicar-Apostolic of Siam, and Mgr. Moury, Bishop of La Cote d'lvoire.

In. the field of battle as in the field of letters Monsignor Bickerstaffe-Drew (' John Ayscough ') has distinguished himself. He has been ' mentioned ' by Sir John French in despatches. Under the pen-name, ' John Ayscough,' Monsignor Bickerstaffe-Drew has written a number of very popular novels.

Seven brothers of an Irish famly named Carrigan, living at Loanhead, Scotland, are at present serving in the Army. John and Hugh are in the Cameron Highlanders, James and Frank in the Royal Scots, Andrew in the Royal Scottish Fusiliers, Patrick in the Highland Light Infantry, and William in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

For the first time in the history of the kingdom, Holland's Upper House of Parliament has a Catholic for its presiding officer. On the death of the former incumbent Queen Wilhelmina recently appointed Baron Von Voorst president of the Senate. Baron Von Voorst is a descendant of the few noble families in Holland whose Catholicity antedated the sixteenth century. Catholics forming the numerically strongest portion of the Senate's present conservative majority, the appointment was made regardless of creed or party.

The editor of the London Tablet has had his share of sorrow in connection with the war. His eldest son, Second-Lieutenant Richard Snead-Cox, who was gazetted to the 3rd Battalion Royal Scots on the outbreak of the war, was killed in action on October 28. Mr. Richard Snead-Cox was educated at Downside and New College, Oxford. He was twenty-one years of age. His younger brother, Geoffrey Snead-Cox, aged nineteen, second lieutenant Welsh Fusiliers, was killed in action just eight days previously —on October 20.

There is an ancient tradition, says the Echo d V Notre-Dame de la Garde, which attributes to St. Ambrose of Milan the origin of the surname of the Pope's family, Delia Chiesa (of the Church). It is said that one day the great Archbishop and Doctor of the Church, speaking to a member of tho family said : ' You are a good servant of the Church.' This title was so greatly appreciated that the family which at that time bore the name of della Tune, changed it into della Chiesa. A branch of the family is said to have settled down in France at the time the Papacy was established at Avignon. Later the family became naturalised and the name was changed into its French equivalent de. VEglise. The present head of this branch is Colonel de VEylise, who was seen at the Lourdes Eucharistic Congress.

The cables announce the death of General Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny,G.C.V.O., the distinguished Irish Catholic soldier. The son of Matthew Kelly, of Treanmannagh, County Clare, he was born in 1840, and added the surname Kenny in 1874. He was educated at Carlow Lay College, and entered 2nd Foot in 1858. He served in the China War of 1860, and Abyssinia War of 1867-8. In 1896-7 he commanded an infantry brigade at Aldershot, and a ear later was made a Major-General and Inspector-General of Auxiliary Forces and Recruiting in the same year. He relinnuished the dual post to take temporary chief command at Aldershot. In the South African war he commanded the 6tth Division, and was promoted Lieutenant-General for distinguished service in the field. In 1902 he was knighted, and was Adjutant-General to the forces in 1901-4. General Kelly-Kenny was a great favorite of the late King Edward and of the present King, and took part in many functions connected with the Court. His orders included the Grand Cordon of the Red Eagle and the Grand Cross of the Rising Sun. Since 1907 he had been living in retirement, having well earned the rest.