perty had been sold long previously to the death of Lord Blessington.

In 1813, Lord Blessington obtained advances of money from the Globe Insurance Company, for which he gave them an annuity of £526 for one young life.

In 1813, he got money again from the same Company, for which he gave an annuity of £520 for the life of A. Mocatta, a youth.

In 1813, he got money from the Company, for which he gave an annuity of £510 for the life of William Coles.

In 1813, he obtained money from the same Company, for which he gave an annuity of £527 for the life of A. Angelo Tremonando.

In 1814, he obtained money from A. Tremonando and gave a life annuity for the same of £880.

In 1814, for other pecuniary accommodation, he gave an annuity to Alexander Nowell, for the lives of Frances and Henry Josias Stracy, and Rev. T. Whittaker, of £1000.

In 1816, he obtained money advances from Henry Fauntleroy, for which he gave an annuity for the lives of John Fauntleroy, and William James Watson, of £500.

In 1817, he borrowed largely money on mortgages, and in that year he raised on mortgage to Conyngham M'Alpine, Esq., £11,076.

In 1821, he borrowed from the Westminster Insurance Company, on mortgage, £25,000.

In 1825, he borrowed from the same Company, on mortgage, £5000.

In 1823, he borrowed from Thomas Tatham, Esq., on mortgage, £4000.

The following items give the principal amounts of annuities, mortgages, judgments, and other debts, legacies, sums of money, and incumbrances charged upon, or affecting the

estates of Charles John, Earl of Blessington, at the time

of his decease.

Mortgages from 1783 to 1823 inclusive, £47,846.
Legacies of the late Earl, £23,353.

Legacy to the Honourable Harriet Gardiner, to be raised. only on certain contingencies set forth in the will, £9230. Settlement on marriage of Lady Harriet with Count D'Orsay, £40,000.

Judgments, £13,268.

Bond debts, £10,357.

Promissory notes, letters of acknowledgments and I. O. U.'s, from 1808 to 1828, £10,122.

Simple contract debts due, or claimed to be due, to parties by the Earl of Blessington, £6878.

Total of debts, incumbrances, and legacies of the Earl of Blessington, set forth in the fourth schedule, £161,044.

But to this sum there is to be added, that of annuities given by Lord Blessington to various parties, bankers, Jews, and others, to the amount of £7887.

By the fifth schedule appended to the act, it appears the mortgages and sums of money which had been charged by the Count D'Orsay on the estates of Lord Blessington from 1837 to 1845, amounted to £20,184.

An act of Parliament (Vict. 9, cap. 1) was passed the 18th of June, 1846, "for vesting the real estates of the Earl of Blessington in Trustees for sale, for the payment of his debts, and for other purposes."

The act sets out with reciting a deed of settlement, dated 3rd of August, 1814, made shortly after the first marriage of the Earl.

By this deed, Josias Henry Stracey, Esq., of Berners Street, a partner of Fauntleroy, the banker, was appointed a trustee. over all the Tyrone estates, for the purpose of securing to Lord Blessington's son, Charles John Gardiner, a sum of £12,000

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on his coming of age, and the interest of that sum till he had obtained the age of twenty-one.

The next deed recited is one of lease and release, dated 16th February, 1818, on the occasion of the intended marriage of the Earl with Margaret Farmer, of "Manchester Square, widow," settling one thousand a year on that lady in the event of that marriage taking place; which marriage eventually took place the 16th February, 1818.

The will of the Earl, dated 31st August, 1823, is next recited, bequeathing "£2000 British per annum to Lady Blessington (inclusive of £1000 settled on her at the time of his marriage), to Robert Power £1000, and to Mary Anne Power £1000; to his daughter, Lady Harriet, all his estates in the county of Dublin, subjected to certain charges," provided she inter-married with his "friend and intended sonin-law, Alfred D'Orsay;" and in the event of her refusal, he bequeathed to her only the sum of £10,000. To his daughter Emily Rosalie Gardiner, commonly called Lady Mary Gardiner, whom he hereby acknowledged and adopted as his daughter, he left the sum of £20,000; but in case she married Alfred D'Orsay, he bequeathed all his Dublin estates to her, chargeable, however, with the payment of the annuity before-mentioned to Lady Blessington. To his son Charles John Gardiner, he left all his estates in Tyrone, subject to certain charges, also the reversion of his Dublin estates, in case of failure of male issue, lawfully begotten, of said daughters.

[It is to be borne in mind, when this will was made, the 31st August, 1823, his Lordship's daughter Harriet, whose marriage he provided for, being born the 3rd August, 1812, was just cleven years of age.]

The act then goes on to recite a deed of settlement made in contemplation of the marriage between Count and Countess D'Orsay, dated 2nd November, 1827. The parties to this

deed being Lord Blessington of the first part, Count D'Orsay of the second part, Lady Harriet Gardiner of the third part, the Duc de Guiche, Lieutenant-General and Premier (ecuyer) of his Royal Highness the Dauphin, and Robert Power, formerly Captain of the 2nd Regiment of Foot, then residing at Mountjoy Forest, of the fourth part.

The deed is stated to be for the purpose of making a provision for the said Alfred, Count D'Orsay, and Lady Harriet Gardiner, who is described as " then an infant of the age of fifteen years, or thereabouts."

Lord Blessington bound himself by this deed to pay, within twelve months after the solemnization of this marriage, the sum of £20,000 British to the trustees, the Duc de Guiche and Robert Power; and bound his executors, within twelve months after his decease, to pay said trustees £20,000 more, to be invested in the funds, and the interest thereof to be paid to Count D'Orsay, and after his decease, to the said Lady Harriet during his life; the principal at her death to go to any issue by that marriage, and in the event of failure of issue, to be held in trust for the executor and administrator of the said Alfred, Count D'Orsay.

Then the act recites the marriage of the Count D'Orsay with Lady Harriet, during the life-time of the said Earl, of there being no issue by that marriage, and of their being separated in the year 1831, and having lived wholly separate from that time.*

The death of the Earl is then mentioned, having occurred on the 25th May, 1829, and the fact of the will being duly proved in the Prerogative Court; and it is also stated that his Lordship was possessed of estates in Kilkenny, which were not devised by his will: that his Lordship's son, Charles John Gardiner, had filed a bill against Lady Blessington, Count

* The date of the deed of separation between the Count and Countess D'Orsay, is the 15th and 16th February, 1838.

and Countess D'Orsay, in 1831; that the will was declared by a decree in Chancery, well proven, and that the trusts therein specified should be carried into execution, that receivers should be appointed, that Luke Norman should continue agent of the estates, and that an account should be taken of all debts and incumbrances on the same; that the 18th June, 1834, the Master in Chancery reported on the charges and debts on the estates, and on the 14th of July, 1834, an order was made directing a sum of £500 to be paid yearly to the Count D'Orsay, and £450 to the Countess D'Orsay, for their main

tenance.

Various bequests of his Lordship are recited in this document: to Lady Blessington he bequeathed the lease of his house in London (in St. James's Square); at the expiration of the lease, the furniture, books, &c., were to be removed to Mountjoy Forest Estate in Tyrone, where a house was to be built according to plans then laid down, empowering executors to borrow for the purpose. money "All his carriages, her paraphernalia and plate," he left also to his wife; to his son John "his plate, wardrobe, swords, &c. &c." He appointed Alfred D'Orsay guardian of his son Charles John Gardiner, till he came of age, the previous settlement of £12,000 to be null and void on his obtaining the Tyrone estates. "He appointed his beloved wife guardian of his daughter, Harriet Anne, and appointed his sister Harriet guardian of his daughter, commonly called Lady Mary." To his sister, Miss Harriet Gardiner, he left an annuity for life of £500.

A deed of separation between the Count and Countess D'Orsay is referred to, setting forth that Count D'Orsay had granted several annuities for his life to his creditors, with power to repurchase the same, and had charged the interest on the two sums of £20,000 settled on him, at the period of his marriage, by Lord Blessington, and that he required a sum to redeem the same, amounting to about £23,500.