COMING OF AGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1938, Page 18

COMING OF AGE

THREE YOUNG PEERS

ENTRY TO HOUSE OF LORDS

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, September 1.

This year three young peers will come of age and will be eligible to take their seats in the House of Lords. One of them, says the Belfast "Telegraph," Lord Kenyon, whose birthdaycomes in September, has been waiting for the past eleven years, for it was in 1927 that he succeeded his father, who had held the title since 1869 and had been Lord-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, and King George V. The Earl of Craven was also bora in the month of September. He succeeded his father in 1932. He is a second lieutenant in the Coldstreara Guards supplementary reserve. His mother is a daughter of Mr. William George, town clerk of Invergordon, and has connections in Northern Ireland. The third, Lord St. John of Bletso, came- of age in August. He succeeded to the title four years ago. His father, who served throughout the South African and Great Wars, took a prominent part in the public affairs of Bedfordshire. The young peer has five sisters and no brothers. Next year two more famous names will resume their places on the roll of the House of Lords by the coming of age of Earl Jellicoe' and Earl Haig. The two young peers were born within a few weeks of one another, Earl Haig in the middle of March and Earl Jellicoe in the first week in April. There are altogether twenty-two peers who are under age. They must conform to certain prescribed formalities before they can take their seats when they attain their majority. First, they must prove their right to the title in set terms, which are contained in a document a draft of which is kept in the Lord Chancellor's office. When this has satisfied the authorities the young peer—the process, is the same for all peers who succeed to titles—is notified that a writ awaits him calling upon him to appear at the House of Lords. Hemust call and ask the Clerk to the Crown for this. He carries it into the House, takes the oath, signs the roll, and shakes hands with the Lord Chancellor. He may then take his seat.