Personalities.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 452, 15 December 1904, Page 2

Personalities.

LORD CHESHAM. PROMINENT among the Peers is Lord Ghesham, who is credited with the intention of disposing of a large portion of his Buckinghamshire property. He is the owner ,of some twelve thousand acres, exclusive of his large holdings in -London, which themselves bring in a handsome revenue. The Latimer estate, the greater portion of which is to come under the hammer, includes a fine old house, surrounded by picturesque gardens and famous hanging woods. Horace Walpolß visited Latimer a hundred and sixty or seventy years ago, and was by no means taken with it. ' The house is large and bad, and old,' he wrote, ' but of a bad ago ; finely situated on a hill in a beech wood, with a river at the bottom, and a range of hills and woods on the opposite side belonging to the Duke of Bedford.' The house has been much improved since Walpole's day, and ia now one of the most 'delightful old places in the country. Lord Chesham is fifty-four and the third holder of the barony granted to Charles Compton Cavendish, fourth son of the first Earl of Burlington, and brother of the fifth Duke of Devonshire, in 1853. The Lord Chesham of today married, in 1577, the second daughter of the first Duke of Westminster. This Duke, by the way, married, for the second time, Lord Chesham's sister, and Lady Chesham thus technically became her stepmother's sister-irrfaw and sister-in-law to her own father. THE RAJAH OF RAJPIPLAHAnother distinguished visitor in England at present, following the Alake of Abeokuta, the Khedive of Egypt, and the Maharajah of Jhalawar, is the able Rajah of Rajpiplah, a Hindu ruler who has so far been but little heard of in London, but whose name and State have always been familiar to our friends in Bombay, Rajpiplah only covers 1,500 square miles, carrying a population of 120,000, 60. per cent, of whom, roughly counting, are Bhils. But Rajpiplah is of enormous importance to Cambay, for it is in a way the Kimberley of that Eastern Amsterdam, while wealthy Bombay plays the part of London to both. Among the mountains—and it is nearly all mountains —in the picturesque little State are the famous mines from which pours forth a regular stream of agates, onyx, cornelian bloodstones, and all the chalcedonic forms for ' cutting' in industrious Cambay and subsequent sale in Bombay and Bond-st. The Rajah is a popular ruler, and knows something about the ways of the world. ADMIRAL MAY, Admiral Sir John Dalrymple Hay, chairman of Reuter's, has had a singularly adventurous career. It is seventy years since he entered the Navy, and when he had his first taste of active service William the Fourth was still en the Throne of England. This was during the first Kaffir war. Princess Victoria had only just become Queen when he was present at the capture of Beyrout and St. Jean d'Acre, and her reign was still young when he gained his first promotion for his daring attack upon Tortosa. After the Borneo operations of 1845, he was promoted to Commander, and, after a turn at annihilating Chinese pirates, he served through the Crimea, and was present at the fall of Sebastopol. Since those days he has been a Sea Lord, Privy Cjuncillor, Member of Parliament, and writer of books. He married, in 1847, a daughter of the eight Lord Napier. The founder of the famous Agency of which Sir John is chairman, died in 1899, but his widow, a very charming old lady, is still hale and hearty, and, at her home in Chesham Place, loves to tell stories of the day, threo-and-fifty years ago, when Julius Reuter, almost friendless, possessing little capital, and,-, speaking not a word of English, opened his little news office at No. 1, Royal Exchange. Their son, Baron Herbert de Reuter, is now the.head of this great concern, whose' ramifications extend throughout the world.. There is also another son, Baron George de Reuter, who married the beautiful Miss Maud Potter,' of Philadelphia, and is responsible for Reuter's Paris business. LORD BELHAVEJ*. Lord Belhaveh and Stenton is the owner of a title which has caused much trouble to Lyon Office and. the Committee of Privileges. He is sixty-four, and a fine type of his race. The family lineage goes back to John Hamilton of Bropmhill, natural brother of the first Earl of Arran, who was legitimised by a letter under the Great Seal of Scotland in 1513. His great-great grandson was created .first Baron Belhaveh for his loyalty to Charles the First, but leaving no sons, the barony went, by a new patent, to the husband of his j daughter Margaret. When ..James Hamilton, fifth Baron.and Stenton, mecVin 1777, his eldest surviving son, Robert Hamilton of Wishaw, should have succeeded as sixth baron. He could not be persuaded, however, to assume the title, and therefore it was annexed by Captain William Hamilton, of the 44th Foot, a ' wide coJlatesal '.into whose family a century and a-half earlier the father of the first Lord Belhaven had married, , This gallant captain ,yoted at th,e generftl election of 1790.as Lord Belhaveh. but objection was taken to the vote, and hjs cltim to the title was rejected by the Housje'of Peers three years later; l, Six years'after.that the barony, was awarded to WiUiam,.son of the Robert Hamilton of Wisham, • who had refused ite*" His son, Robert Montgomery, succeeded course.as eighth baron, but wrought further family confusion by dying childless. Of two claimants who came forward, the-Hpuse of adjudged James Hamilton's T qjaim and he accordingly becamefhintb Lotd}jßelhaven. He died eloven years ago, leaving eight daughters, but no son, and again there was disputed .succession, The,- present poor, Colonel ' Albxa'nderK v Gha ! rles" Hamilton, established his clairh ten years ago. Ho was the son of William John Hamilton, a descendant by second marriage of the William Hamilton through whom the ninth baron was descended.