Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/605

 OBITUARY.

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and second, 1893, Jean, daughter of Sir Wm. Muir, K.C.S.I.

Marquess of Winchester. — Augustus John Henry Beaumont Paulet, fif- teenth marquess, premier marquess of England and Hereditary Bearer of the Gap of Maintenance, was born in 1858, educated at Eton, and after having served in the Hants Militia was gaz- etted to the Coldstream Guards, 1879. He accompanied his regiment in the Soudan Expedition in 1885, and was present at the various engagements in which it took part. He went out with the Guards Brigade to South Africa, acting as second in command of his regiment, and was the only officer of the Coldstreams killed at Magersfon- tein.

Duke of Westminster, K.O.— Henry Lupus Grosvenor, first duke, was the eldest son of the second Marquess of Westminster and grandson of the second Earl Grosvenor. He was born at Eaton Hall in 1825, and was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. He entered Parliament in 1847 as Liberal member for Chester, and retained the seat until 1869, when he succeeded to his father's peerage. The most noteworthy event of his parlia- mentary career was his opposition to Earl Russell's Reform Bill of 1866, when he joined the " cave of Adullam," as Mr. John Bright designated the Liberal seceders under Mr. Robert Lowe. On the second reading of the bill he moved an amendment declaring it to be inexpedient to pass a franchise bill without knowledge of the redistri- bution of seats which would ensue. The Franchise Bill having been carried by a majority of only five votes, the Government felt obliged to introduce the Redistribution Bill, which was finally rejected. His withdrawal from the majority of the Liberal party was, however, only temporary, and in the House of Lords he gave a general support to Mr. Gladstone's Govern- ment, and in 1874 he was recommended to the Queen by the retiring Prime Minister for a dukedom. In 1880, on the return of Mr. Gladstone to office, the Duke of Westminster was ap- pointed Master of the Horse, and held that post until 1885 when, on Mr. Gladstone's adoption of Irish Home Rule, he finally separated from his former chief.

It was, however, chiefly as a philan- thropist and as an owner of race-horses that the Duke of Westminster was best known to the public. The pos-

sessor of an enormous fortune, he dispensed his charity with generosity ana discrimination. He took an active and personal interest in countless causes which had for their object the benefit and relief of his fellow-crea- tures, and as the patron and president of numerous philanthropic bodies he was not content to be only a generous donor, but devoted his time and energies to render them efficient. As a landlord in town and country he was both liberal and considerate, and under his enlightened direction a large portion of his London property was rebuilt in a style which rendered that quarter architectually imposing, and many churches erected during his life-time on his estates in London and the country bear witness to his taste and liberality.

As a sportsman the Duke of West- minster inherited the traditions of his family, and did his utmost to main- tain them. Although both his father and grandfather had left racing stables, and had had some excellent horses, the Duke of Westminster in 1875 decided to establish a stud at Eaton Hall, whioh he started by the purchase of Doncaster for 14,000 guineas, which became the sire of Bend Or, the winner of the Derby in 1880, who was in turn the sire of Ormonde, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas, the Derby, and the St. Leger (1888). Ormonde's colt Orme, from which great things were anticipated, was poisoned just before runmng for the Two Thousand Guineas (1892), but became the sire of Flying Fox, who won in 1899 the three great historic races for three-year-olds, as well as three 10,0002. races during the season. The duke also won the Two Thousand Guineas and the Derby (1882) with a filly Shotover. He was the owner also of other horses which carried his colours to the front in important races at Newmarket, Epsom, Goodwood and Ascot, and it was estimated that his winnings during his career on the turf could have fallen little short of 350,0002. The Duke of Westminster married, first, in 1852, Lady Constance Leveson-Gower, daughter of the second Duke of Sutherland, and second, in 1882, Hon. Catherine Cavendish, daughter of Lord Chesham. His eldest son, Earl Gros- venor, died in 1884, leaving a son, Viscount Belgrave, who became heir to the dukedom. The Duke of West- minster died on December 22, after a short illness, at St. Giles', Dorset, while on a visit to the Earl of Shaftes- bury, who had recently married one of the duke's granddaughters.