THE PORTLAND DUKEDOM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8353, 9 February 1907, Page 5

THE PORTLAND DUKEDOM.

Received February 8, 10.3 a.m. | LONDON, February 7. The Directors of Druce, Limited, have decided to follow the advice of Mr Coburn, Mr Druce's Australian legal adviser, in connection with his claim to the Portland estate in/ preference to that of other counsel. (The case has been before the courts for some years. The claim of the Druce family to the dukedom is based on the contention that the fifth Duke of Portland, "the eccentric duke," and Thomas Charles Druce, the founder of a bazaar in Baker Street, London, were the same person, and that the Duke was in the habit of passing between Harcourt House, his town house, and the Baker Street bazaar by a subteranean passage. It is claimed that if the coffin in which T. C. Druce was supposed to have been buried in High gate Cemetery were opened it would be found to contain nothing but lead —a fact that would be strong .presumptive proof that Druce and the /fifth Duke of Portland were one and the same person, and that the mock funeral was a ruse on the part of the Duke when he decided to drop his character as 3JHr Druce. Mr George Hollamby Druce, of Melbourne, claims to be the eldest son of the eldest son of Thomas Charles Druce by his first marriage. He was born in Australia and has followed the trade of a carpenter. Last year he disposed of all his claims and rights as the claimant grandson and heir at law of Thomas Charles Druce to a company, G. H. Druce, .Limited, registered at Somerset Housd.)

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