EARLDOMS TO LET. VACANCIES OCCUR FOR 800 ODD PEERS!

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 56

EARLDOMS TO LET. VACANCIES OCCUR FOR 800 ODD PEERS !

There are at the present time over eight hundred peerages to let, or, as it is technically known, lying dormant or extinct because no male heir is known to be living. But in all m probability in the great majority of cases the rightful heirs are alive, although they are not aware that they have a right to a seat in the Upper House. For you must take into consideration the fact that in 300 years a man has 1024 descendants at the lowest estimate, and that in most cases, although the elder brother's children may have died without leaving any children, you find that the younger sons emigrated and were lost sight of in the colonies and America.

Again, there arc living to-day thousands of persons who bear the same family name or surname as that of the owners of these earldoms. Think of the number of people who have the patronymics of Jones, Smith, Jenkinson, and Butler. And yet there are titles lying dormant because no one having ono of these very common names has chosen to discover whether he has a right to an earldom.

In many cases the titles have been to let for so many years that it would be extremely difficult to trace your right to them ; but even since Queen Victoria ascended the throne, over 100 peerages have become extinct from the above cause. In fact, you may be a paupt-r to-day and tomorrow find yourself numbered among the nobility of the realm. As most people have heard, there was a Mr R. D. Fitzgerald in Australia, who filled the post of coachman to a Mr Howe, of the town of Adelaide in

that colony. As he was one morning holding his master's horse prior to driving him out, a telegraph boy ran up and handed him a telegram from a London firm of solicitors, stating that by some unexpected deaths it was found that he was the heirpi esumptive to the Barony of Ros, one of the oldest in the British peerage. Again, there was living in November, 1862, in a small set of rooms off Cavendish Square, London, a Scotch gentleman by the name of Campbell. He certainly had heard that far back in history he had sprung from a good Scottish family, but that he was coming into a title he had not the remotest idea. Yet by the death of the fourth Earl of Breadalbane — childless — in that month and year he became fifth earl of that ilk.

According to Burke, the greatest authority on the subject, there is undoubtedly a man living somewhere, most probably in the United States of America, of the name of Dillon, who is heir to the now vacant Irish Earldom of Rosscommon, and tho same is probably the case with reference to the majority of other vacant earldoms. In many cases heirs to peerages live and die in poverty, ignorant of the" .fact, as was the case of the last known heirs to the ancient Earldom of Kent. One," Mr George Wilmot, died at the little village of Dudley in 1846, where he had all his life filled the post of turnpike-gate keeper ; the other was a Mr Smart, highly respected as the local butcher *>t Halesowen, where he died in 1855. There not being a shadow of doubt as to the real descent of George Wilmot the turnpike-gate keeper, he was buried in the tomb of his ancestors, the Earls of Kent.

Part of Lord Rosebery's estate is called New Hall, and really belongs to the family of the Stewarts, of Craigie Hall, who were originally Lords of Innermeath. That an hei; - to this rich estate and title still exists cannot be doubted, and probably one day he will come forward and assert Ins claim.

It has lately come to light that the long extinct Earldom of Tyrone, in Ireland, really belongs partly to a millwright of Drogheda and partly to a baker of Dublin, and in this case the claimants have the Royal blood of Ireland in their veins ; while among the descendants of Thomas Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester and fifth son of Edward 111, we find a Mr J runes Penny, who, instead of taking his place as one of the first peers of England, took his place as sexton of St. George's Church, Hanover Square, London.

Indeed, there is at the present moment a builder living in Islington, London, named James Stafford who is only waiting for funds to lay claim to the Stafford Peerage. After having been held for nearly two centuries by unlawful owners, according to him, he hopes to regairr it and take the title of Earl Stafford, and with the title the accompanying estates. And Lord Redesdale wrote in reply to an inquiry from him :

"If you can prove your descent in the manner you state, you will establish your right to the barony." In some cases the heirs to titles do not care to adopt them. The Baronetage of Cameron has long been dormant — in fact, since the sixteenth century, because the rightful owners have not chosen tc lay claim to it. The present heir to ;t is aDr Fairfax, who is earning a living by healing the sick in a little Western Virginian village in the United States of America. But tha title and attached estates are still his by law, and in all probability some deSGendant will cast aside the Republican spirit that has so long kept the family from possessing the title and take his place among the barons of these islands. Subjoined is a, list of a few of the peerages which are now to let. As will be seen, some of the rightful owners bear most common names: — Name When the Style of Title was of Family. Last Held. Title. Gordon .. .. 1847 Viscount Kenmure. Stewart .. .. 1807 Duke of Albany Allen „ .. 1845 Viscount Allen Johnstone (during 18th century) Viscount Annandalo Murray .. . 1658 Earl Murray Campbell (during 18th , century) Baron Arase Butler „., .. 1677 Earl Gowran Barry .. .. 1750 Baron Barry of Saniry Lamb „ „ 1853 Baron Beauvile Wotton. i. ... 1683 Earl Bellomont Norris ... i. 1623 Earl Berkshire Paget ..: .. 1769 Earl Burton Stuart .. .. 1670 Duke of Cambridge Carew .., .. 1G29 Baron Curew Knight .. .. 1772 Earl Cathloiigh Leigh „ .- 1667 Karl Chichester Hamilton .. 1675 Earl Clanbrassil Scott „, .. 1807 Earl Dalkeith Grey .. .. 1741 Earl of Kent Sutton .. .. 1757 Baron Dudley p arr „ .. 1549 Baron Parr of Horton Long *„ ♦• 1838 Baron Farnborough Maxwell 1646 Earl of Dirletoun Fraser ... «• 1720 Baron Fraser Grant .. •.. 1866 Baron Gleneig Thompson •• 1745 Baron Havcrsham Herbert .. .. 1801 Bar. Herber of Chir*bury Parker (18th century) Baron Morley Smith or Smyth (c) 1706 discount Carrington Saunderson . . 1723 Earl of Castletown Wentworth „. 1815 Viscount Wentworth Jones .. .. 3885 Viscount Kanelagh Jenkinson .. 1851 Earl of Liverpool Gardiner .. .. 1829 Earl of Blcssington