Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/317

 11 S. X. OCT. 17, 1914.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

311

WILLIAM OLIVER GRAY. I shall be glad of any information respecting William Oliver Gray, who was some fifty years ago a well-known Fleet Street man. He died in 1872, and was buried in the extra-mural cemetery at Brighton. He was the editor of The Day's Doings, 1866-70, probably th? parent of illustrated daily journalism, and was also, I believe, a frequent contributor to Punch. In addition, he was the author of several books, the chief one being entitled ' Social Contrasts,' which consisted mostly of illustrations (coloured). The works bore the imprint of William Oliver. Is there any record of this publishing house or its suc- cessors ? Gray had a brother Alexander George, who was also a journalist. C. G.

EARLS OF DERWENTWATER: DESCENDANTS.

(11 S. x. 148, 218, 256, 271.)

I APPEND some notes upon the lady who called herself Countess of Derwentwater, and who caused such trouble at Dilston in the sixties. The notes were written, and in the hands of the Editor, before MR. RICHARD WELFORD'S most admirable summary had appeared. Some overlapping is unavoid- able, but on re-reading my notes I am hopeful that there may be enough value in the additional data here supplied to warrant printing as a further contribution to a prob- ably unique episode in family history.

The lady first appeared upon the scene at Blaydon, in 1865, and a year or so later took possession of Dilston more or less by force. The story is highly diverting, as will be seen from the following extracts from The Times and contemporary journals;

" Great excitement was caused at Hexham and the western parts of Northumberland on Tuesday by a lady who claims to be a descendant of Ratcliffe, the last Earl of Derwentwater, taking

! possession of Dilston Castle, about three miles from Ilexham, and claiming all the estates once belonging to that unfortunate adherent of Prince Charles, and which estates belong to Greenwich Hospital. The Hexham Courant, in an extra published on Tuesday night, gives the following account of the strange proceedings : ' This

neighbourhood of Dilston by the appearance of Amelia, Countess of Derwentwater, with a retinue of servants, at the old baronial castle of her ancestors, Dilston Old Castle, and at once taking possession of the old ruin._Her ladyship, who
 * morning great excitement was occasioned in the

is a fine-looking, elderly lady, was dressed in an Austrian military uniform, and wore a sword by her side in the most approved fashion. She was accompanied, as we have said, by several retainers, who were not long in unloading the waggon-load of furniture which they had brought with them, and quickly deposited the various goods and chattels in the old castle, the rooms of which, as most of our readers are aware, are without roofs, but a plentiful supply of stout tarpaulings, which are provided for that purpose, will soon make the apartments habitable, if not quite so comfortable as those which the Countess has just left. In the course of the morning her ladyship was visited by Mr. C. G. Grey, the receiver of the Greenwich Hospital Estates, who informed her she was trespassing upon the pro- perty of the Commissioners, and that he would be obliged to report the circumstance to their lordships. Her ladyship received Mr. Grey with great courtesy, and informed that gentleman she was acting under the advice of her legal advisers, and that she was quite prepared to defend the legality of her proceedings. The sides of the principal room have already been hung with the Derwentwater family pictures, to some of which the Countess bears a marked resemblance, and the old baronial flag of the unfortunate family already floats proudly from the summit of the fine, though old and dilapidated, tower.' " The Times, 2 Oct., 1868, p. 9, col 4.

" The Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital have ejected the lady calling herself the Countess of Derwentwater from Dilston Castle, which she had taken possession of with her retainers as the alleged heiress of the extensive Derwentwater estates, in the county of Northumberland. The last report was that the lady and her followers were encamped immediately adjacent to Dilston, with a view to a re-entry if possible." The Times, 6 Oct., 1868, p. 11, col. 1.

" On Wednesday, at the general Quarter Sessions for the county of Northumberland, held at Hexham, and at which there was a large attendance of magistrates, Earl Grey, referring to the encampment of the Countess of Derwent- water on the highway at Dilston, inquired of Major Brown (chief constable) what he had done in the matter. Major Brown said that the police had not interfered. Lord Grey said it was the police officers' duty to deal with any one infringing the law. Major Brown believed the encampment was a little way from the highway he understood it was in the hedge. Earl Grey said it was on the highway. Mr. Hodgson : It is a township road, and has been repaired by the township for 35 years. Earl Grey said that it was the duty of the police to apply the same rule to the lady as they would to any one else. Major Brown : She is summoned now. Mr. Sanderson said that if the police had summoned the lady before the magistrates it would have given her the power of at once raising the question whether it was a highway or not. Major Brown : \\'e saw the difficulty, and went to the Bench. We could not have apprehended her under the Vagrant Act. The surveyor is the proper party. The Chair- man : He has taken action now. Major Brown : Yes ; there is a summons out now, and if she does not appear, I suppose there will be a warrant instead. Nothing further was said on the subject." The Times, 24 Oct., 1868, p. 3, col. 6.