OUR NEW GOVERNOR'S FATHER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2067, 19 February 1889, Page 3

OUR NEW GOVERNOR'S FATHER

The following bit of family hlitory relating to tho Onslow family In published by »n exchange :— The predeoeeior of the present holder of the title was a Tory eooentrlo nobleman who lived to the great age of ninety. His son, who died young, married hia oouslc — but not without great objection on hla father's part, In fact, ho absolutely forbade the young people to see esoh other, and, aa a lait resource to break off tbe match, deolared that he would agree to It if the then Lord Oranlelgh would pot himself on parole d'Jwnntur not to «cc hia fiancee for five yeats. The loveia survived the ordeal, and even tnally married* The union of these blood /eUtlons mutt have been a trial to the old lord, for one of hii pet theories was that the race wanted mixing with some foreign blood. At one time, under the Influence of this theory, he even urged hii ion to marry a Spaniard. During a portion of hla lifetime Olandon waa nntenanted, for he would not live there after hla wlfe'a death, bat took a house m the suburbs of London, and resided with one of his daughters—Lady August* Onslow. Here Lord Onalow for many years went through his life, doing many kindnesses to friends, relations, and the poor, and indulging m his ecoentrloltlee. He dressed as long as he oould, four times a day, always m the old style of knee-breeohes, and went oat of doors In topboots, and would htve no aaslatanpe evr-P m bis nintleth year, declining help even m descending the stairs. He had the oaution, however, to desoend baokwards, thinking he might torn giddy if he walked looking down from a height, One of his Ideas was to have all the silver wbioh he used washed, and consequently bis butler used to band him every mornIng for his dally use a handful of silver oolnege of the realm which had nndergono fthttiHnn.