Born	1868
Died	1907
Daughter of Claude Scott and Maria Burney

Mabel Scott

From: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/24824628 (17/5/2013) COUNTESS RUSSELL'S MARRIAGE. HER HUSBAND CHARGED WITH IMPOSTURlE. A remarkable and sensational sequel to the recent marriage of Mabel Countess Russell to a man descrlbed as Prince Athrobold Stuart de Modena, aged 31 years. a widower of independent means, was heard at Portsmouth yesterday (says the London "Daily Chronicle" of April 21), when the latter was placed in the dock on a charge of making a false cntry of marriage at the Portsmouth Registry Office. Un the charge-sheet he was en tered as William Brown. 29, and describ ed as a gentleman. He is a smart-look ing man, having a bronzed and healthy appearance. Mr. King appeared for the delence. Story of the Marriage. In the early part of last year Countess Russell obtained a divorce from the Earl, and in December last she married again. The ceremony was performed at the Portsmouth Registry Office and it was then understood that the bridegroom was connected with a distinguished Aus trian house, ahnd that he had served with distinction in the late Boer war. Early in November Lady Scott and her daugh ter, Countess Russell, went to Southsea and took a suite of rooms at the Beach Mansions Hotel. and in the course of a day or two they were joined by the Prince. who stayed at the hotel as the guest of Lady Scott. Ladv Scott. sonme little time afterwards, paid a visit to the registrar's office in St. Michael's-road. Portsmouth,and ti ere prosecuted inquiries as to the procedure connected with a marriage by m.pecial li cense before the registrar. She ex nlained that one of the parties had been divorced, and. having been told that the decree would have to be produced, satis fied the registrir on that head. Sub sequently the contracting parties gave the necessary notices, and the ceremony w~s gone through on December 19. The only persons present besides the regis trar and his clerk were the countess, the prisoner, and Lady Scott. The certi ficate was made out thus :- "Athrobold Stuart de Modena, aged thirty-one, widower, independent means: address. Wyndleshore. Datchet, Bucks. Father's name, Franz Joseph de Medena (deceased), no occupation. indep:ndent. To Mabel Edith Russell, formerly Scott (suinster), aged thirty, divorced wife ot John Francis Stanley Russell; occupa tion - : address, Beach Mansio:ns Hotel. Southsea. Father's name. Claude Edward Scott (deceased); occupation, independent." The certificate was signed in a bold, clear hand by the bridegroam. "Athro bold Stuart de Modena," and by the tiride "Mabel Edith Russell." and,wis attested by "Maria Selina Scott," and one of the clerks of the registrar. After the mar ria?e the parties returned to the Beach Mansions Hotel. where the- staved some few days, and then left, presumably, for London. j. The bridegroom is now said to have been a valet in a "ood family, and there is reason to believe that he was-in South Africa at the time of the war. It is also alleged that his father is a coachman re sidin; near Reading. and that the pri soner has not lived regularly at hime since he was eighteen years old. It is six weeks,ago since the warrant was granted, and from that time the de tectives have been busy looking for the prisoner. A solicitor from the office of the Public Prosecutor proceeded , to Portsmouth, and made application for the warrant, the application being heard in camera. A representative of the same Department will attend to prosecute when the accused is again brought before the Magistrates. The Countess's Litigation. Mabel, Countess Russell, has had a somewhat chequered mmitrimonial career. As Mabel Scott, younger daughter of Selina, Lady Scott, of Oatlands Park. Wey bridge, she married, in 1890, Earl Russell, grandson of the celebrated Lord John. Little more than a year after wards she petitioned for a judicial sepa ration, but this action failed. In lMay, 1894, she petitioned for the restitution of conjugal rights. and there was a counter petition on the part of the carl for a separation on the groundthather charges amounted to cruelty. In the develop ment of this bitter matrimonial feud, Lady Scott, the mother of the countess, was sent to prison without hard labour for libelling Earl Russell. The false alle gations which were the basis of this libel prosecution raised the interesting ques tion, argued before the House of Lords: What is legal cruelty ? Anril. 1895, the countess's petition - dismissed, and the earl's was successful. All this li tigation had, however, failed to bring about a dissolution of the marriage. This was finally achieved by the marriage in Nevada, United States. of Earl Russell, in April, 1900. to Mrs. Mollie Somerville, otherwise Cooke. When EaIrl Russell re turned to England a prosecution for bigamy was instituted. He was tried by his peers in the House of Lords, and sen tenced to three months' imprisonment as a first-class misdemeanant. Early in 1901Fix this text the countess petitioned for a divorce on the ground of this bigamous marriage, and was successful, the decree being made absolute more than a year ago. Zoomplus thumb minus left thumb right up thumb down Show/hide