PEER'S SON-IN-LAW

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 367, 23 February 1937, Page 8

PEER'S SON-IN-LAW

WORKHOUSE INMATE DECLINE FBOM MAYFAIR. NOW A JOBBING CARPENTER. (By Air Mail.) LONDON, Nov. 7. An ex-public school boy and Army officer who has twice married the daughters of peers, and is now son-in-law to Lord Bethell, millionaire property owner, has just left Fordingbridge workhouse in Hampshire. In ragged torn overalls, with a bag of tools over his shoulder, he is tramping between builders’ offices asking for work as a carpenter.

•The man from the workhouse is Cap.tain Clive Harrison Martyn, M.C., and his wife, the Hon. Phyllis Bethell, third daughter of Lord Bethell, is well known in London society. She has just returned from a visit to New York. In 192.5 Captain Martyn was married in St. George’s, Hanover Square, to Vera Pearl Jessel, second daughter of Lord Jessel. She died in 1928.

This week in the back room of a labourer’s cottage at Ringwood, Captain Martyn, M.C., out-of-work builder’s carpenter, told a strange story of his life during the last four years from hi§ house in Mayfair to the labour exchange queues of the south coast. "I left the Army in 1920, went to India, where I worked in the jute trade until 1928, earning a little more than £l5OO a yean In 1928 my-first wife died and

I came back to England and was district superintendent to the old London General Omnibus Company, Barking District. For a time, too, I was secretary to Lord Ashfield. Up to 1933 I lived very comfortably, a car, a flat in town, everything I wanted. Then 1 marjfed my present wife, Phyllis, Lord Bothell’s daughter, by special license. “In June last year I lost my job and the fun began. You have no idea how hard it is to get a. job. I went to labour exchanges. I was not going to ask my father-in-law. for a job. I noticed that day after day they were asking for bricklayers and carpenters at the exchanges. So I took a chance, paid £2O for a bag of carpenter’s tools and applied. Well, I got several jobs, anything from building sties to bird eages for old ladies’ canaries. “Wherever I am, whatever I Am doing, my wife comes and stays with Me from March to September each year. But I never know anything more of her during the winter period but what I read in the newspapers. She was with me up to Aix weeks ago—now I see she has just been to America.”