AMERICAN BORN PEERESSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 190, 1 August 1908, Page 3

AMERICAN BORN PEERESSES.

(M.A.P.) A REAL LOVK MATCH. Regarding the forthcoming marriage of .the Hon. John Ward and Miss Jean Reid, daughter of the American Ambassador to this country, the staunch advocate of rigid republicanism will have no need to agitate himself at the idea of good American dollars being given iu exchange for the privilege of wearing the strawberry leaves; for in this instance there is but the remotest possibility of a coronet of any 'sort falling to the happy couple in the future, aad Mr. Ward, who is the brother of the Earl of Dudley, possesses ample means; so that his marriage may be regarded as a romantic love match, pure and simple.

FORTUNE OF EIGHT MILLIONS. The list of American women who have married in Europe during comparatively recent years is a formidable one; and yet it is a fact that barely ten per cent, of tho uiemocrs of the British peerage havo chosen their brides from across the Atlantic. These dozen or so Amcii-cau-bom peeresses have succeeded generally in creating so favourable an impression upon English society as to convey the impression that they are far more numerous than is really the case. Prominent among them is tiie Duchess of Roxburghe, formerly Miss May Ogden tioolet of New York. At the time of ho-r marriage in 1003 the American newspapers were Hooded with ■' copy" dealing with what they stated to be the

"intimate life" of both the bride anl bridegroom, down to tho minutest detail. When the young couple embarked on their honeymoon they were besieged by crowds of eager journalists, many of whom actually crossed to Europe on the same vessel, and haunted the corridor leading to the state room occupied by the Duke and Duchess, until the newlywedded couple were afraid to leave their berth by night or day, even for the purpose of taking exercise. The bride brought her husband a fortune of £8,000,000.

THE DUKE'S TITLES. The Duchess of Marlborough, nee Miss Cousuelo Vanderbilt, was only sevente m when, in 18115, she assumed the respoiisiblities of one of the. proudest of English ducal houses. She quickly became arislocratiseil, and as exclusive as the most reserved member of the peerage She was somewhat appalled in the beginning at the idea of marrying a man who was not only Duke of Marlborough, but also Raron Spencer, Baron Churchill, Earl of Sunderland. Marquis of Blandford, Prince of Miiidelheim in Suab'n, and IYmce. of the Holy Roman Empire "My! there would be few blank spaces on a visiting card if it held all that," sho remarked.

A SCHOOLGIRL BRIDE. The pale, golden-haired Countess of Craven was barely seventeen when sha was taken from tile schoolroom to become the bride of the fourth earl, who claims kinship to royalty through the marriage of an ancestor with Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia. Her ladyship's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Martin, now make their home in England, and are so rich that they are able to help their daughter to maintain her exalted posit ion in the most lavish manner.

"THE WOMAN' IX WHITE." Some of the leading beauties of the present age are to be found among British peeresses. Their pre-eminent position is due in a largo measure to the fact that they include among their number several ladies of American birth, j The Countess of Essex, who was formerly Miss Adela Crant of New York, is! one of the loveliest women in the world. | She it was who provided Sir Hubeit Herkomcr with the inspiration for hi* famous picture, "The Woman in White." Lady Essex is an exception to the supposed rule that the daughters of a democratic State who wish to form an alliance with the aristocracy are obliged to barter their wealth for a title. Her only sorrow is that her husband's moderate means and her own prevent her fron maintaining both a town and a country residence.