FROM INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL TO PALACIAL RESIDENCE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 1 April 1901, Page 4

FROM INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL TO PALACIAL RESIDENCE.

The Christchurch Case

Some further details of the romance of the transition of a little girl from a Now Zealand Industrial Home to the position of heiress to an Irish estate arc given by the Christchurch Press.

Many years back a young man named Francis Berkeley chose to marry an Oamaru maiden. Ho was the brother of Lady St. George, wife of St John St George, an Irish baronet, living at Glasgow, and held an interest in £SOOO of Ihe Bcrley estates. For thirteen years ho lived with his wife, but he died early last year leaving a daughter about 5 years old named Rose. Mrs Berkeley then left Oamaru for Christchurch, and on sth January it became necessary to take out an order against her for the support of her child. The little girl was placed in the Nelson Industrial Home, and the mother obliged to pay 8s a week for Iter maintenance.

News of this came to the child’s relatives at Home, who had previously heard of the father’s death, and Mr Brcnton, a partner in the linn of Markly, Stewart and Co., acting on behalf of St John St George, baronet, immediately cabled out to say that Lady St George was anxious to adopt her niece. A Magisterial order for the cancellation of the maintenance order and the commitment to the Industrial School has accordingly been obtained, and the little girl is to leave Wellington for England by the Rimutaka.