FITZHERBERT, Maria Anne (Smythe), morganatic wife of King George IV of. Eng land; b. Brambridge, England, 26 July 1756; d. Brighton, England, 27 March 1837. Her first husband was Edward Weld, to whom she was married in 1775. He died within a year and she was married to Thomas Fitzherbert 1778. He died in 1781 and she was married to the Prince of Wales 21 Dec. 1785. The mar riage was never either publicly avowed or dis avowed by George, but it was known to both that the Marriage Act of 1772 invalidated any marriage contracted by a member of the royal family under 25 years of age without the Icing's consent. Mrs. Fitzherbert was a Roman Catho lic and by the Act of Settlement, if the heir apparent married a Roman Catholic, he for feited his right of succession. There was a general understanding that a marriage had taken place, however, and she was received by the best society and by members of the royal family and was treated by Prince George as his wife. Some time before his marriage to Caroline he ceased for a time to live with her, but in 1800 the connection was resumed and continued until 1803, when it was finally ter minated at her desire because of his attentions to Lady Hertford. William IV offered to
make her a duchess and allowed her to use the royal livery. Consult Wilkins"Mrs. Fitz herbert and George IV' (London 1905).
Thomas, American edu cator: b. Longwood, Goochland County, Va., 12 Oct. 1862. He was graduated at the Univer sity of Virginia in 1883 and made postgraduate studies in classical philology at Rome and Pompeii and at the University of Berlin. In 1883-84 he was professor of Latin at Central University, Kentucky, professor at the Univer sity of Texas from 1889 to 1899 and since 1899 professor of Latin at the University of Virginia, He published 'The Philosophy of the Humani ties' (1897) ; (Outlines of a System of Classi cal Pedagogy' (1900); Bulletins of the School of Latin, University of Virginia, and contri butions to philological journals.