LORD CARDIGAN'S MARRIAGE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18409, 16 June 1925, Page 14

LORD CARDIGAN'S MARRIAGE.

HIS OWN STORY.

(FROSI OUE OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, May"s,

Tho romantic wedding of the tweuty-one-year-old Earl of Cardigan, only son and heir of the Marquis of Ailesbury, to Miss Joan Houlton Salter, the daughter of an architect well-known in. the Isle of Wight, has become public property after having beon kept secret for nearly a year. Of course, a good deal has appeared in the Press about "love at first sight," and so on. The Earl calls that "sloppy sentiment,'.' and ho further says: "We first met at a dance at Oxford, and were attracted to each other at once. But it certainly ivas not love at first sight. Love grew with a knowledge of each other. She did not know of my title at that, time, nifd for somo "time afterwards I was known to her as Mr Cardigan.- There was no special reason for keeping the knowledge of my title from her. but it is naturally tho more agreeable to recall that, there can be no shadow of a reason for thinking sho had ulterior motives in accepting my proposal, I think I knew more about her than sho did about me. I knew her father was a brilliant architect. I saw and admired a lot of his work. I knew, too, that tho elder sister had married the son of Sir Walter Mcnzics,

"Mr Cardigan." ' "She came to know of my title through a friend correcting her %vhen site spoke of me once as Mr Cardigan. Mj r first impression of her was that she had,an unusual personality. Her ready ■frit, vivacious and clever conversation, attracted my attention. Then I found that it was possible to enjoy a long conversation with her. That's, unusual, don't you think? There are girls whose chatter bores one after less than half an hour. I found, too, that in the estimation of all her friends who had seen her work she was an extremely clever artist. She is an accomplished musician, too, ami widely read. I have a very clever caricature in pen and ink which she did, based on u speech she heard me deliver. It was her wish that the marriage should be kept secret for the time being, and the sole reason.was a wish not to cause any interference with my career at Oxford."

Asked about his plans for the future, Lord Cardigan said: "I have none 1 care to reveal. I shall return to Oxford soon, but after that—well—l don't know." He is- taking Agriculture at the University.

Lady Cardigan is described as being extremely beautiful', with large brown eyes and naturally curly chestnut hair. She is an "outdoor" girl. She plays an unusually good game of lawn tennis and is a strong swimmer. She was educated at a convent. It is understood that she had received ninny offers of marriage, oue from an America:) millionaire.

Otber Romantic .Marriages. It is recorded that when Lord Cardigan inherits Savcrhake, he will become the possessor of the largest forest still belonging to a private subject in England. He can claim descent from Robert the Bruce. There have been other romantic marriages in the family (says a chronicler). The fourth marquis, who used to drive to Epsom in a coster's barrow wearing a suit of pearlies, married a chorus girl, the daughter of a Brighton baker. He borrowed money ?o heavily from MiSam Lewis, the well-known moneylender, that'al on:- time tho estates were imperilled. Lady Mabel Bruden-cll-Bruce* the sister of this eccentric nobleman, married Mr K. H. Sicvier,and Ladv Ernestine Brudonell-Brurc, sister of the present marrmiy, married, in 1898, a Mr H. B. Hunt, a young merchant 3ailer, who died in I'JiS of wounds received in action.

Lord Cardigan holds the eourtesy titlo which tuc J-irudciicll-Bniccs inherited from the eighth Karl of Cardigan, the soldier who lot! the charge of tne Light Brigade at Balaclava.