Times Colonist from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada • 52

"The Islander Percy Buxton's production line LADY DIANA SPENCER'S VICTORIA CONNECTION Kv Kill cr.c?v Had there been a prixr, mmiic 33 years apo, for the the best looking, and the best dressed family in greater Victoria, Mr. and Mm. Percy Htixton, wilh their family of 11 eight boy and tlx girl would no doubt have been a top contender. at it After this marriage fell apart Burke Roche seems to have disappeared. Work was so enraged that he ruled he would disinherit any of his family if ever they lived in Europe or married Europeans.

"After his grandfather Work's death in 1911, the elder of Fanny's twins, then 26, the Hon. Edmund Maurice Burke Roche went to live in England to prepare himself for the day when he would be Baron Fermoy. At that time the second baron was his uncle, while another uncle lived in far away Victoria. There is a bit of a mystery here. No British Who's Whoot those years mentioned the third Baron Fermoy; the Who's Who jumps from the second to the fourth baron.

Fanny's elder twin became the fourth baron in 1920. He was born in the United States and had a B. A. By James K. Nesbitt When Lady Diana Spencer, as Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales conies to Victoria, as surely she will in, say, the next two years, she could, in very truth murmur: "I had a great-great uncle who was a very well-known resident of Victoria, B.C.

for many years but it was long before my time." ftlRCYA tit tODt: I XIV ti thtif 1 1 1 lOv. ft I rW. tm. aWrdt lf- tixh-r. Vt, rJi O.

Hurt. Jim, i. rUicit, $r-K Old Homes nml Families Ferry BuUoa joined tV Imprr.il at 18 years of ace and wa wnt 19 Caaada ta along ttiin hit brother. I frd. who la LV Imperial Army.

They were al ftort fM trrU in Ksqiitmalt. In JW9 Percy married HveoV He aad un4 hi production line. TV firtt baby died at rra afsr iXat all the btbies were bora wiuua a 19 year prrvl a were inlc birthi. The only tip wat la IVA wVa went otrrtri for the FirM World ttr. hea he lr ft far oertea hi wife a precasl and prrsentrd him another taty hi trtsrm Back home after the mtr he tnuam4 ta feat Ua cf duty until It numbered 1 1.

Terry wa knoa at "Tk (4 hi maaj and used IV ExiUvH ord -JlaSry" contersatKm. Whoa he prowCy git me a pkUrt t( Ut acme mmt ta ISIS after I foflmtuUsed ki la performance Mid. -Well, Uiiey. la tV trvy barrac In Fnland. there a a mo eiVa'- atng: Lngtand etpeeu etrry maa in fci dy, and I am im going 10 Ui my rwntry dsma Mrv rbrobe Simmtrnd.

tV oiirtj i( LSe fi-. ily. now lilng la m.rtmcnt tttUa hrf tjtis4. Barney, la Kwjuimalt. rrcallt Ok tttr.Zt Ut aJ how her mother took care of iVm.

All the chtldrra had a rrrular i lixrt a alat pienty of food. Haihin tkibet at dnne ia the bathtub vita otp aad rlUv treat. They had a roal and ood loe tt a4 baking bread and her mother made tikhr ueat a time. With the other bouvr ht.td ofk (4 i ail her mother neerrtmptainrd Uim-d in army favhioa by luh wftn m4 SO meant Ml. TV chiidrra rre rrr a4 me rr t.t mtfu, Cii a bd a rj tji i a rj a "uiiur TV rti fen- i)3(tij ft Ae Jartl.tif Olf arssy aJ irt a ta CUr Vr im iifij t-t tuiA atij i stm a it aJ lk imtr4 0 KM fuf lit t.Ut tfU tf.rt tt; tcfd ai ttS a a tuA UHt-tj ltf A3 S3 trtt 4 tse ttttt i 3 aJ lirt ta tmtt k.Tfm.

e'r IV I 41A y-oi Cimmt'Y i lua 4a i Cy''r fjnZrf te 4apti iKf fW tK.t ia tV li)-f'4t it.i a tt a r4 cs.wta a-Wifjr 4. iIjhi 4 a c- ai U-Smt. et i t.J or fui? a Jw ji a4 tes tmti sev-j kesa fi Oir rvuf. Ms4 jf iNr 4tt iev ai liimie Oir 4 a ju tutitiv tf-. V-f an a "-J' "Rj from Harvard.

He gained some prominence in England as Lord Mayor of King's Lynn. He remained a bachelor for another 11 year. until, in 1931, at age 46 he married a young lady from Scotland, Ruth Sylvia Gill, 23 years younger. Their daughter, Frances Burke Roche was born in 1936, is the mother of Lady Diana Spencer. The dowager Lady Fermoy, now 72.

Lady-Diana's grandmother is Secretary-Lady-in Waiting to Queen Mother Elizabeth at Clarence House. Thus the 'grannies' of the principals in the July 29 Royal Wedding are close companions, and have been for many years. The dowager lady Fermoy is mother of the present Baron Fermoy, born in 1939. and. in 1955.

succeeded his father, the American born baron. His heir, the future sixth Baron Fermoy is his 13-year-old son, the Hon. Patrick Maurice Fermoy Lady Diana's first cousin. Have I lost you? In 1962, hen Victoria marked its 100th birthday as an incorporated city, the centennial committee arranged the Parade of Ships on the causeway embankment, honoring noted ships of our history and the people they brought here. One plaque is to SS Princess Marguerite, the Royal yacht, which carried to Victoria, from Vancouver, in 1939, King George and Queen Elizabeth, the plaque donated by the CPR.

(This is not the present Marguerite. The Royal Marguerite was sunk by enemy action in the Second World War. The Centennial Committee wrote to the Queen Mother, advising her of the plaque marking the 1939 Royal visit. The reply came from Clarence House: "Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, bids me write and thank you for your kind thought in informing Her Majesty of the commemorative plaque of Their Majesties visit to Victoria in 1939. which is to be placed along the Victoria Harbor embankment.

Queen Elizabeth read with interest the series of plaques. Her Majesty has very happy memories of her visit to Victoria Yours Sincerely Ruth Fermoy Lady-in-Waiting." Another plaque in Victoria Harbor's Parade of Ships marks the 1937 visit to Victoria of the 32nd President of the United States and Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who entertained George the sixth and Elizabeth at a state dinner in the White House, and a hot dog picnic at Hyde Park, which latter feast raised many eyebrows and caused much 'tut The idowed Mrs. Roosevelt was advised of this plaque, and her reply came from 55 E. 72nd Street.

New York City: "You were very kind to write and tell me about the plaques, and I want to thank you warmly. It is more than kind of the Kiwanis Club to commemorate the 1937 visit which is one that I remember well." "I wish I could visit Victoria in the near future and have the pleasure of seeing the placques. Wiih appreciation and my good wishes Eleanor Roosevelt." (Note the spelling of placques. It is obvious Mrs. Roosevelt did her own typing.

She was then 78 and died late in 1962). The envelope to this letter is stamped ith Mrs. Roosevelt's scrawled signature. That was her post-age stamp. Free use of the mails is granted to all ex presidents and to the widow of a president ho dies in office.

Victoria's Mrs. Burke Roche and her sisters. Mrs. Crow Baker, Mrs. Spinks and Mrs.

Ogilvie were prominent in Victoria's high society and cultural life, when ladies had their 'at home' days and went to the drawing room after dinner, leaving the gentlemen to each other for an hour around the dining room table. Women of today have outlawed this delightful custom. UV le SmtiMitiuiC iinCt ajLiuit Hint1 wfift awie, inn whKIb (iiti'im-e ts 1iie i-HiLtut ttCt: rtt( il iltittlt nwr nkt to km Jiie Ctwr i lK-a riil mnir l.t i'Otl ih Mn ucii aiv' ri -fJ ittH Koat tztHt nt Did it(i til fiH 4 tie it Jh afi tut uhU t. I tm il 1j Sirttf viiiiAr ttitr i tiinu tit tnirt iltc i rt tit 1liSe i)lt 4'wif jfiHift litiift, t.44 fmiivff a fn fi hm ti ttnt irt JtK i.liit Iuit4rt 1I1il -nj lf liutfc tml tMrn Via She uu.j.8 tAi'mrtl. 1m lutftn't imfitut, Tt tir.on itta flW Si 1J tK'C tti'O'tf flu' ti rtv'T fcitrditoilra a sow iiw'nHB i-inm-ut Iwiiflitif i milk UiiHt Inn iM lUwC lit TvX tu ttutHt 5ii affn-j tt, a true -in rwrtitia'j ut t-hu 6' nj (iftrtww 14.

jntiHtMr nut ij iitt; ftm it urn t.i I iut7ma a Howe l'S 4: Qi-' ifiUim, gV m-ni ti Site Jjutfiitst 4l8 Ijr mwtti fli 5i.1 nt atttC Siui art muiu'ttif stin'W ewtn'rtl. JU) aiwttiiitfw a (tw Cn.i tmtvuifut aiitC jmi- Si tmJ'i 4iim in tw a mv in.1 lim Stmt t-nii-in if tiiw a pr tenil't Mt fl Uie Sh fumib 3 rnm Sni Otr fiwrowm. 1mj1i at jrt-t t4i'iK wcri kvT' Hm4 a i.k a iii'ftiim Ciwaw Ct lt atw iJnC sltr yfi in 3(t'i ei (C nun irin rH mte av mt 3 rs tn That person was the Hon. Edmund Burke Roche, born in Ireland, 1859, died here in 1948. Were he living today, he could say: "Good gracious me I can't quite believe it but my great-great niece may one day be consort of His Majesty, King Charles I of Canada extraordinary!" Leave it to Victoria to come up with such a personal connection with the Royal Family.

Victoria's Hon. Burke Roche ranched in Wyoming and gold-mined in the Yukon, before, in 1912 he settled down in Victoria, marrying Elizabeth Blanche, daughter of John Greakes Clapham of Quebec, who had three other daughters Mrs. Edgar Crow Baker, Mrs. William Ward Spinks and Mrs. Hunter Ogilvie.

Mrs. Burke Roche died here in 1933, 15 years before her husband. The Hon. Edmund was of the old British Imperial school, when Britannia ruled the waters and the sun never set on the Empire of which Victoria was a proud and super-loyal bastion outpost. I came across Lady Diana's family connection in Time Magazine.

Time ran Lady Diana's family tree on her maternal side, to show she had an American great-great grandfather. When I saw the family name, Burke Roche, bells rang and I started digging and was nearly driven mad with the many complications. It's certainly confusing but I think I have it all sorted out. Victoria's Hon. Burke Roche was son of the first Baron Fermoy, in the County of Cork, in the Peerage of Ireland, created by Queen Victoria in 1856.

This baron was succeeded to the title by his number one and number two sons, who became the second and third Barons Fermoy. Victoria's Hon. Burke Roche was their younger brother. In due course he became uncle to the fourth baron and today would be great uncle to the fifth baron, who is Lady Diana's uncle. Still with me? Time Magazine says that the third baron-to-be, the Hon.

James Boothby, went to live in the United States and married Fanny Work, daughter of Frank Work who had sold dry goods in Ohio and made a million or two in New York working with the Vanderbilts. He is down on the family tree as Lady Diana's American great-great grandfather. Frank Work must have been furious at his daughter's choice of a husband for, according to Time, he frowned on rich America girls marrying impoverished Europeans and Time calls Fanny's husband cash-short. The Hon. and Mrs.

James Boothby Burke Roche had twin sons. Page 10 From pngc 10 Man, but he's KOOU IS, 4 i a I The Cro Baker estate a iiVsr4', a the frtrs Uoad. here the hoopjjjl i Mjy. The nummfl had a Unier. hand piiaW f-i bird and Ttowert.

mmair T-jct. a rJ torey ba Irony runnln: clear arot4 IV tarsal enrance hall and tde baytnkm kxk: da terrare to the Carte water. and the ether hosnr aloe tJse fk-rge were al a ea fete oa the Vjr' UnMaj. the May 21 whea all Victoria to tV Cesfje fe the Regatta and firework. ThthouewabwUilathemid iMtfefoe Mr aaJ Mr.

Northing P. Snowdea She bttr V.kJj, f.Ma daughter of the Robert Daosuir The Snow dea Dunm-jir a IV wrUJ event of the eawa at rain r. IV ia Jame Bay. where Robert dd ta t4 fra where the wtdowed Mr. Dvmnr ad ta lr new cattle of C'r Jiarrwh ta The Snuwden raited their (irfe a tV lowerthey had their initial ad building JuM arn the rhki Mr 4" fism iiiin tuatarvT.

AiCVmA l. ml i t. mi fit IV ete V. Itcw "Siimir" IV na tine it cv Vtwa Vm at (iiimiiiui let iv-i ttf a af. i wm Csr aianr.rf atif ifr rowe uirttt-i Crti-nwt f.mi I.fa ai f-M fa-e tttotm i Kt, rft UKf mm ftiiiv it Wtii.stu-I l.e rt- ktoru lt4 iiJV' -tjul tn tf wf "a I 1k tt a wy amr fr tV- I tf, tMr IV 1 li'ji ISf t.iUl It Wr CV rrrtYTM ftrtB- II Itr rf aJJiit ta Stw 19 il I -Cmtme utn b4 rsttint tumuli I)g iii 4 Site LADY DIANA SPENCER family home on Pemberton Road.

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