ROMANCES OE THE PEERAGE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 288, 25 November 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

ROMANCES OE THE PEERAGE.

SHOP ASSISTANTS WHO FOUNDED

NOBLE FAMILIES. ('<OBDEN” once asserted, that “ the ■* British anstoc.-acy was cradled behind citv counters.' While there may b.e some exaggeration in the statement, a study of the genealogical trees of o-.;r aristocracy reveals - many romantic ttorios of humble iolk who have I< urule.l families which to-day figure large!’’ i’i the peerage. Mr. Thornton Hal’, who is unequalled as a popular writer on the records of o.ir nablo families, de votes an interesting chapter in Jus recently published n-nk, "Love Romance', or tho Aristocracy ” (Werner Laurie., l< tho subject, and shows how *n th? veins of scores of the proudest English peers runs the blood of ancestors vdr> served customers in city shops.

Among the forefathers of the Duke of Northumberland, for instance, we fuva such names as William le Smythescnm. or Thornton Watlous, husbandman; William Sniitheson, of Newsham husbandman- Ralph Smithson, tenant far mcr: and Anthony Smithson, yeoman. “ It was this Anthony whose son Hugh left the paternal farm to serve behind the counter of Ralph and William Robinson. London haberdashers, .-.nd thus to take tho first step of that successful career which made him a baronet end a man of wealth. From Hugh, the London ’prentice, sprang in the fourtu generation that other Hugh win ivo.i tho hand of Lady Elizabeth Seymou’, and with it the vast estates and historic name of Percy.”

A REMARKABLE RECORD

The Duke of Leeds numbers among his ancestors Edward Osborne, a London apprentice who gallantly saved the life of the daughter of his employer, William Hewitt, a merchant of Philpot Lane, when the fair maid fell : a’.o thi Thames and was in danger of being swept away. Wedding bells followed this bravo exploit, and in duo courio Osborne became Lord Mayor of London.

“ Tho son of this romantic alliance was knighted for prowess in battle ; Edward- Osborne’s grandson was made a baronet; and his great-grandson, Sir Thomas, added to the family dignities by becoming in turn baron, viscount, earl, and marquess, and, finally, Duke of Leeds. Thus only two genai ations separated tho ’prentice lad of Philpot I.anc from his descendant of the strawberry leaves, the first of a long and stih unbroken line of English dukes, whose l.icod has mingled with that of many noble families.”

FRO.M PUBLICAN TO PEFR.

The noble house of Ripon, Mr. Hail goes on to inform us, has its origin in Yorkshire tradesmen who carried on business, in York, some of whom were Lord Mayors of that city two or three »ntiiries ago. These early Roiiit.sons ■dded to their fortunes and enriched blood by alliances with some or. families in the north of Engand slowly but surely laid the of one of the wealthiest and of great English of Bath derive dcsone John o’ th’ Inne, who a worthy publican Stretton, and v.ho was doscen.lseventh generation froi’.i NViIBottefeld, an under-forester cf in the thirteenth ’entury ; through his mother, tl e late of Salisbury derived a strain blood from Sir Christophe: the first Lord Mayor of Lonlive in the Mansion House. Hie GREAT FAMILY OF SMITHS. r Then, .'.gain, the Earls of Dci.bigh have for ancestor one Godfrel Fielding who served his apprenticeship in Loudon, made a fortune as a Milk Street mercer, and was Lord Mayor wh"'i Henry VI. was King. One of tlm fonn rI*TS of the family fortunes of :li - Earl . : Warwick was William Grcvill.’, cit' zen and woolstapler, who died five eei.liiriis ago after amassing consi-ierable wealth ; while the father of the noble Louse of Dudley was William Ward, tho son of poor Staffordshire parent-;, v.ho was apprenticed to a goldsmith and made a fortune as a London jewelThe present Earl Carrington belon*. I * the great family of Smiths, ami ow es his wealth and rank to a resp’"table ! Nottingham draper nam'd John S.nitn. ! who-*' descend;.nt.s blossomed int> ban!'-I irs and members of Parliament, *no 1 ! whom was raised to the peera*.- > I > ; G* orge 111 and created Baron C> rin*r ! ton. Lord Hart wood springs ir->m " sleek of merchants wh*i acciim; lau-d , great wealth in the eighteenth c'mtury, | w hdo f ord Jorsi-y •'-v. es much of h*-- ! liehes to Franks Cli’ld, an in.-lii-:; riouC apprentice who in Stuart days tu.'rriol the daughter <?f his master, Williar '.'’’h'-eI.T, the goldsmith, who lived on--c'.eor west of Tempi.:• T!..-r. TRADE AND SUIAWBERRY LEAVE-:.

An interesting list of “Coronet* d m'*n of commerce.'' as Mr. H;?j di s ei-ibes tl.i ni. has be. n ir.eluded m his ex-rdlent book. “ Leeds Hiuliip. Burton Iveagh. and Ar.hiaun," ’i" says ‘ owe their wealth and rank to .-ucc* sful brewing. Baron Overt ottn wn * pro

j-rietor • t a large chemical work, ; Lord Allerton s riches Laie keen drawn iron les tan-pit*- ; I,*>r.l Armstrong's miUi-ir,.-* come from the far-i'.*med El«’.; ... k ci>

gine-works at New<-a*t!*-■: an I Lord .Masham -: fr-na Ins nulls * t Ma: niir;hair.. rhe Visco-inty of Hambli'd. n Jm.sprung from a modest news-shop in th*Strand; the Barony of Burnham was "radled in a newspaper office; .and Lords Mount Stepien and Strathcona were shepherd-hoys seventy years or more ago. before they found thc:r wax through eommeree to the roll of peers.