(Transcription) Western Morning News • 12 Jun 1911, page 8

LORD ELIOT.
EARL OF ST. GERMANS' HEIR COMES OF AGE.
"OUT OF THE PRAM, NOW."
The coming-of-age of John Granville Cornwallis, Lord Eliot, only surviving son of the Earl and Countess of St. Germans, and heir to the estates, was quietly celebrated on Saturday. At the Eliot Arms, St. Germans, Lord Eliot met about fifty of the principal tenants of the Port Eliot estate at luncheon. His lordship holds a lieutenancy in the 2nd Dragoons Royal Scots Greys, stationed at York, and travelled down overnight from the Northern city. Lord Eliot, who appeared in excellent health and spirits, greeted the tenants with great cordiality. He was accompanied by his mother, the Countess, and among those also present at the luncheon were Mr. C.I.L. Allix, the Earl's agent; Mr. G. Brenton, manager of the estates; Canon Westmacott, vicar of the parish; Dr. Harman, Dr. Gill, Messrs. W. Paige, R. Oliver, R. Banbury, John Tucker, and Hy. Maynard. The room in which luncheon was served was without decorations, beyond flowers for the table —red and white roses and irises— in conformity with the wishes of the family that the proceedings should be quiet and simple in character. At the conclusion of lunch punch, was served by Lord Eliot. — After the loyal toasts, including that of "The Duke of Cornwall," Mr. John Tucker proposed "The Earl and Countess of St. Germans," and on behalf of the tenantry congratulated them on Lord Eliot's coming-of-age. (Applause.) They hoped Lord Eliot might be spared to celebrate many more birthdays, and that the earl would long remain as their landlord. (Hear, hear.)

Lady St. Germans, in reply, said: "Thank you, on behalf of Lord St. Germans and myself for the kind way you always receive our names. Lord St. Germans is sorry he is not able to be here to hear the speeches."

SURPRISE PRESENTATION.
The toast of Lord Eliot's health, proposed by Mr. W. Paige, was accompanied by a pleasing incident—the presentation to his lordship of a gold-mounted hunting crop and pair of spurs. This had been kept a secret, and Lord Eliot was quite taken by surprise.— Mr. Paige, in proposing the toast, said they all wished Lord Eliot many happy returns of the day, and hoped he would be spared to celebrate many more birthdays. (Hear, hear.) His lordship was known to all of them. They all remembered when he was a baby in arms, and they all loved him. (Hear, hear.) They all admired him for the manly way he had come out at the present time. Lord Eliot had joined the army so as to show that he would help defend his country. (Hear, hear.) He was a piece of the old block, and to say that meant a lot, because there was no landlord in Cornwall appreciated more than their own. (Applause.) Lord Eliot had all the attributes of his father, and the same kindly heart. They admired him on account of his devotion to sport. (Hear, hear.) One never heard a bad word spoken of a man who rode straight to hounds as did Lord Eliot. He (the speaker) had heard it said that if anyone wanted to follow Lord Eliot with the South-East Cornwall Hounds they must have "something worth riding." (Laughter and applause.) Mr. Paige concluded by presenting the hunting-crop and spurs in token of the tenants' love and appreciation of his lordship. The speaker added that they looked forward to a not very distant date when they might, he hoped, give Lord Eliot a very handsome present. (Loud applause.) They knew to what he referred. (Laughter and applause.)

Mr. Henry Maynard, another of the tenants, expressed the hope that it would be a long time before they had to know Lord Eliot by a different title. (Hear, hear.)

"A WHOLE-HEARTED SPORTSMAN."
Canon Westmacott, speaking as "a tenant of very nearly three-quarters of an acre," offered his congratulations to Lord Eliot, and wished him every joy and every blessing. (Applause.) It would be 21 years in October since he (the Vicar) came into that parish, so that he could claim to have known Lord Eliot almost as long as he had existed. When he came to the parish Lord Eliot was a little baby, so constantly wheeled about in a perambulator that he sometimes wondered, "Will that boy ever be allowed to walk?" Somehow, the idea had stuck to him ever since, because his lordship infinitely preferred to be carried by some other legs rather than his own. (Laughter and applause.) In the years he had known Lord Eliot he had observed how his lordship was gaining in the affections of the people among whom he dwelt. It might be curious for a clergyman to say that he loved to see a wholehearted sportsman, but he had noticed that such a man usually lived the cleanest, straightest, and very often the most religious life. (Applause.) The tendency of the present age among young men, he thought, was slackness, but they had before them a man who could not be accused of that. (Hear, hear.) Lord Eliot was keen at cricket, keener with the gun, and keenest of all with the hounds, and if only he would run as straight through life as he could go straight after the hounds he would do very well. A man keen as a sportsman was generally keen in the duties of life, and in his religious duties as well. Lord Eliot, they could thank God, was no "slacker." (Loud applause.) There were tremendous responsibilities before him, responsibilities that would increase year by year. The political outlook was not what it used to be fifty or a hundred years ago, and landlords were called upon to do their duties in very different ways now. Lord Eliot had got responsibilities before him, and would require strength to meet them, and the speaker was thankful to say that his lordship knew where to go to find that strength, and was near enough to find it and find it in the proper way. If he clung to the religious life set before him— and he might truly be thankful for a good father and a good mother— (applause)— he would find it was the best friend he had. (Applause.)

Mr. R. Banbury congratulated Lord Eliot on his heritage—not so much on his broad acres or what he would inherit financially, as his honoured name and the love and esteem in which his revered parents were held in the locality which knew them best. (Applause.) The earl and countess were never more highly esteemed and more deeply loved than at the present time. (Hear, hear.) Lord Eliot's coming-of-age carried with it a very rich present and prospective inheritance, and he was sure his lordship would hand down that name untarnished, and that in years to come he would be as greatly loved and highly esteemed and respected as his beloved father was. They would always be delighted to hear of his lordship's success. (Applause.)

LORD ELIOT'S REPLY.
Lord Eliot, received with great enthusiasm and musical honours, thanked them for the kind presents they had made, which could not have been more suitable. Any horse ought to feel honoured by being spurred with those spurs, if it knew who gave them. (Laughter.) He hoped to use them for many years to come. I know, continued his lordship, you realize the difficulty, and the reason we wanted my 21st birthday to be kept rather quiet, and when my father asked me about it and asked me what I should like, I said I would like just a dinner, and to have you here, and see you, and talk with you. (Applause.) We are most of us old friends. You most of you knew me when I was taking exercise in "pram." Well, I'm out of the "pram" now. (Laughter and applause.) I do not remember you, then, of course, but I have got to know you since, and I am sure we are all the best of friends. (Hear, hear.) The last present you gave me was nearly five years ago—at the coming-of-age of my brother. I shall never forget that present. It was unexpected, and it touched me more than anything I can say. I was speechless, but my mother prodded me in the back, and said "You have got to do something." (Laughter.) Well, it was not my coming-of-age—nor my silver wedding. (Laughter.) That present and this one I shall prize more than anything I have got. Lord Eliot recalled the names of some of the more prominent tenants, and in speaking of the future pictured his great grandson "standing in this room, shivering in his shoes, and stuttering out a reply to Mr. Paige's great grandchild." (Laughter.) He hoped they would all have representatives at that gathering. (Hear, hear.) There had always been goodwill and friendliness between landlord and tenant on the Port Eliot estate. (Hear, hear.) He knew he was lucky because he had got such a good example in his father as a landlord. (Hear, hear.) He realized the responsibilities that lay before him. Celebrating his 21st birthday reminded him that he was getting older and must begin to take life seriously. It had done him a lot of good to hear their speeches, which were, he knew, thoroughly genuine, and not "small talk." (Hear, hear.) No business of any kind, whether city business, or that of landlord and tenant, could be run unless there was absolute good feeling between the two. Friendship and comradeship were wanted, and he believed that existed on the Port Eliot estate. It existed now, and he was sure it always would. He again thanked them for the kind way they had received him, and for their kind presents. (Applause.)

Today Lord Eliot attends a gathering of tenants of the Earl's Gloucestershire estates. Congratulatory addresses from the tenantry in Cornwall and Gloucestershire are in preparation, and will be sent to his lordship at a later date.