In 1785 Maria Fitzherbert (1756-1837), a Roman Catholic, secretly married George, Prince of Wales and the future King George IV of England (1762-1830). Many believe that the couple had a son, who was sent to Spain and then to America in the care of the Ord family, and raised as James Ord. James Ord (1786-1873) entered Georgetown College in 1800. The Library's Special Collections Division opened an exhibit in October entitled James Ord and His Family: Beyond 200 Years in America, which features several items concerning Maria Fitzherbert. It includes two original letters from the nineteenth century written to her, and books about her life authored by Catholic literary figure Sir Shane Leslie, who was also a possible descendant of hers through an "adopted" daughter, Minney Seymour.

Portrait photograph of Edward Otho Cresap Ord I (1818-1833) in military uniform, circa 1861-1865.

First page of an autograph letter from the Duke of Kent to Mrs. Fitzherbert, dated December 20, 1816 from Brussels. He notes that it has been four months since he left England and recounts his extensive travels on the European continent. Edward Augustus (1767-1820), the Duke of Kent and Strathern and brother of King George IV, was the fourth son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria.

Over the years, many Ord family members have attended Georgetown University, and James Ord had many notable descendants. His son General E.O.C. Ord I (1818-1883), who did not attend Georgetown University, became a noteworthy Union officer during the American Civil War, commanded a Northern victory at Dranesville, Virginia and participated in the siege of Vicksburg and the march against Petersburg and Richmond. The exhibit contains numerous letters written by E.O.C. Ord I, including some that mention his Mexican War service and describe the California gold rush. Another descendant of James Ord, E.O.C. Ord II (1858-1923), had a prominent military career and saw action in the Spanish-American War. The exhibit highlights events in his career and displays his Spanish-American War diary and the diary from his time in the Philippines just after the turn of the twentieth century.

Materials relating to other Ord family members include documents regarding Mary Ord Preston and Ellen Frances Ord, as well as items pertaining to Georgetown University students James Lycurgus Ord and James Pacificus Ord.

The items featured in this exhibit were drawn from the Ord Family Papers: Part I, donated by Marian Ord; the Ord Family Papers: Part 2, donated by Edward W. Hutchinson and Judith L. Hutchinson; the Ord Family Papers: Part 3, purchased from John N. McWilliams; the Sir Shane Leslie Papers, acquired from Lady Leslie; the Julius P. Garesche Collection, donated by the Garesche family; and the Hunt-Chilton Collection, donated by Henry G. Hunt. The exhibit runs through December 31, 2006 in Lauinger Library's Gunlocke Room.