Hi: Recently, I spotted a Hinds query SOMEWHERE and asked him his Hinds connection. He sent his info to me but unfortunately, it was not my line. But I sent his info on to another Hinds researcher who is also not on his line but she was interested enough to do some research concerning his mention of Grace Hinds. If you are connected to this Grace Hinds Curzon line - let me know and I'll connect you with another of her descendants. He says he has only what his ancestors have handed down to him and so does not actively do research on this line. But, I'm sure he would like to know of any new cousins. If ANY of you have interesting articles about ANY Hinds - send them to the list, please. They need to go into the archives for future researchers. I'm copying below the Grace Hinds Curzon story as sent to me by a very active Hinds researcher who does not want to be deluged with messages so she sends her info to me. You shy Hinds researchers can do the same. Note that my e-mail address is on all of my messages. If any of you disagree with info in the article - or have some fun information about Grace or her relatives - let's hear about it on the mail list. We need to get some dialogue going on both these Hinds lists. Regards, Nan Wolf Hinds-L mail list administrator [email protected] ----------------------------------------------------- OLD HUNTSVILLE A publication for Historic Huntsville Vol I Issue 3 - Christmas Holiday Issue 1990 GRACE HINDS, LADY CURZON MARCHIONESS OF KEDLESTON Royalty in North Alabama? Many people don't know it, but an Alabama native was both a countess and a marchioness. Her name was Grace Hinds Curzon, and she has a fascinating, almost rags to riches background. There are lots of stories about this woman who was at one time a favorite in European society. But perhaps some of the most accurate information can be found in the book, "The Life of Grace Hinds Curzon, Marchioness Curzon of Kedleston," compiled by Leon T. Hinds, in 1971. Trice Hinds currently lives at 513 Randolph Avenue in Huntsville, and is a relative of the famous lady. Grace Hinds was born in the Hinds-McEntire home, located near the downtown area of Decatur on Sycamore Street in 1878. The home was built by John Burleson about 1835 and overlooked the Tennessee River. The story goes that both Yankee and Confederate Army chiefs used the house as headquarters during the Civil War. In fact, it was at the Hinds home that the battle of Shiloh was planned by General Albert Johnston. The home was spared the flames of the Civil War fires, but several large decorative balls which were atop the iron fence around the house were shot off during numerous battles. After the war, Col. Jerome J. Hinds of Illinois and his brothers were so taken with the house that they made it their home. Col. Hinds and his brother Monroe were both soldiers in the Union Army. The two Hinds brothers made large purchases of property in a stricken but potentially rich valley and soon owned larger land areas on both sides of the Tennessee River near Decatur. Later when Monroe Hinds married, he and his wife raised their children in the home, including their daughter, Grace. Grace Elvina Hinds was born in 1878 in the upstairs room of the brick house in Decatur and was the third offspring of a family of seven. Her father was a U. S. Marshall during Chester Arthur's administration following Garfield's death and was United States Minister to Brazil. It was later said that when she became famous she forgot her old friends, but she never forgot the old Decatur home. In her book, "Reminiscences," she wrote: "Decatur, Alabama, as I remember it, was a quiet, sleepy town, although my older friends used to tell me, with great pride, of the wealth and dignity of the vast entertaining and hospitality before the Civil War." The Hinds moved to Huntsville when Grace was still a young girl, since her father was U.S. Marshall of the Northern District of Alabama. They lived modesty in Huntsville during his four-year term of office in a house on Grove Street almost opposite the Paul Davis home. While in Huntsville, the family attended the Episcopal Church and young Grace played in the area around Big Spring. Old-timers remember her as a bright child who appeared on the streets with long curls that her mother tediously wrapped. While living in Huntsville, however, the family encountered some misfortunes, In April 1882 Grace's mother died and was buried in Maple Hill. (The researcher says that this was a brother - not her mother. Her mother died in London in 1943.) In February of the following year, her father died and later in November 1888, Lucia, Grace's infant sister, died also. Another unfortunate incident that befell the family was the day the home on Grove Street burned and the family had to move to a smaller house on the corner of Madison and Gates. In 1890, Grace was 12 years old and the remaining family moved back to Decatur. From then on the story of a modest North Alabama resident reads almost like a fairy tale. Five years after the family had moved from Huntsville to Decatur, Mrs. Hinds brother, John Trillia came to Decatur from South America to visit the family. He was fascinated by his young relative and offered to take her on a 3-month journey with him. Grace jumped at the chance. While visiting there , the young Grace met and married an Argentinian millionaire and packer of London - Alfred Duggan - who kept herds in South America and was a native of Tennessee. Although she was never particularly happy with him, Grace gained experience, poise and education in London and before long had captured the hearts of European society. They had three children 2 boys and a girl. After the death of Duggan, Grace was left with some $25 million. (Further research says 50 million- Nan) On January 2, 1917 she married George Nathaniel Curzon, a widower, in a private chapel of Lambeth Palace. This was the second American heiress that Curzon had married. The ceremony was attended only by eight or nine guests, including children, and Grace had only one attendant. Following this wedding, the couple moved to London where they bought the historic Bodlam Castle in Sussex. Built in 1386, this structure is considered the finest English example of medieval castles. There she lived with all the splendor and pageantry of medieval royalty and became a world famous hostess. Among her friends were King George V, Queen Mary, The Prince of Wales, the Churchills, the Queen of Portugal, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt and others. Grace was an extremely beautiful woman. Sir John Lavey, the most famous artist of the time painted her portrait. She was exceptionally youthful for her 36 years, which was probably one reason she captured so many European hearts. Curzon had a brilliant career behind him and was the idol of many women. One of the ladies he eluded was Elinor Gly, who later wrote a novel about a noble young aristocrat who was ruined and deserted by a scheming American heiress. Lord Curzon became Viceroy of India, Earl, Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Lords. The King of England conferred Curzon with the title of Marquis and Grace received that of Dame of the Order of the Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire. All was not storybook perfect, however. Grace was extremely independent and as early as the first year of their marriage, while Curzon was struggling to regain the heights which he achieved in Indian in 1939, they had a habit of living apart. Curzon had a great dream of becoming the Prime Minister of England. He failed, but did fill many important government posts. He was a controversial figure, attacked by some as a tyrant and a political turncoat and praised by others as a beneficient rule of India and skilled negotiator and shaper of England's postwar policy. He kept five or six mansions, country manors and town houses and that included two or three castles. He was a collector of castles, a man said to have artistic taste and a reverence for antiquities. He died in 1925, litterally in a harness, which he wore for 48 years because of the constant pain he suffered from a back injury. He was still making plans for his future on his deathbed. Lady Curzon, Marchioness of Kedleston, a woman who won approval wherever she went, wrote her memoirs in 1955, something she had wanted to do for a long time. King George V knew that she wanted to do this, but persuaded her to wait for at least 25 years after Lord Curzon had died. She wrote the book 30 years after his death. Grace Hinds, the little girl who grew up on Grove Street in Huntsville, lived with the opulence and pageantry of medieval royalty. it was a long way from the cotton fields of her North Alabama home. Submitted by James Record, Sr. (end of article from Old Huntsville, a publication for Historic Huntsville, Al, Vol 1 Issue 3 Holiday Issue 1990) ---------------------- (Below is a note written by the researcher who sent me the article concerning the validity of some of the info in it.) "Dear Nan, I have looked up Grace Hinds in David's book and find that her lineage is as follows: Joseph Hinds, Sr. Simeon Hinds Simeon Hinds Joseph Monroe Hinds Grace Elvina Hinds Her father was quite colorful himself. According to David, he was born in Illinois and served in the U. S. Army during the Civil War. After the war, he moved to Decatur, Alabama. In 1872, he was appointed U. S. Consul General at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where, in 1873, he married Lucia Anita Trillia, born about 1850, of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He returned to Decatur in 1878 and was appointed U. S. Marshall for the Northern District of Alabama. About 1896, his merchandising and steamboat business failed and he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. He later secured a U. S. Government position in Manila, Philippine Islands, where he died about 1905. His wife died in 1941 according to David. A handscribbled note on the article said that she died in 1943 in London. His writing is hard to read but note the comment on the top of page two of the article that much of the article is wrong."