Catholic Peers and Their Heirs

New Zealand Tablet, 26 July 1906, Page 13

Catholic Peers and Their Heirs

A recent reference to the fact that the Catholic Laird of Lochnell is.^after the male descendants of the late Duke of Argyll, next, in remainder to the Scottish Dukedom and other titles (although not to the English honors), suggests some interesting, reflections as to the position and prospects of the small body of Catholics in the enjoyment of peerages of England Scotland, and Ireland at the present time (says tile Edinburgh ' Catholic Herald '). The Catholic Peers number altogether forty-one, and they include one Duke two Marquises, nine Earls, four Viscounts, and'twentyfive Barons. ' ' Not ail of them, however, sit and vote in the House of Lords ; for seven of the, Irish Peers, and one Scotch one> have no hereditary seat in Parliament, while the Ensrlifch Barony of Beaumont is at present held by a little girl. Two, however, of the seven Insh Peers just menti o md, the Earl of Westmeath and Lord Bellew, have recently been elected Representative Peers (the first Catholics who have ever been so elected), and this brings the entire number of Catholic votes in the Upper Hou^e up to thirty-five. It appears probable, nevertheless, that there will be a considerable diminution in this number in the near future. The Marquis of Ripons only son and heir is a Protestant, and the last male of his line ; and the Earl of Ashburnham's brother and heir-presumptive is also a Protestant. Lord Brampton, who will enter on his 90th year in a few months, has no heir ; nor has Viscofimt Llandaff, who is 80. nor Lord O'Brien, who is 64 ; and the same is at present the- case with Lord Acton and Lord Emly. Lord Vaux of Harrowdcn has three daughters and co heiresses, between whom failing a male heir, his barony will fall into abeyance ; and should the Duchess of Norfolk have a son, the Scottish' Barony of Herrics (to which her little daughter is at present in remainder after her mother) will ultimately be merged in the Premier English Dukedom. Against these prospective permanent losses or temporary eclipses is to be placed the fact that the little heirs-apparent to the Marquisate of Headford and 1 the Earldom of Eldon are both Catholics ; and so also is the brother and heir-presumptne of the present Viscount Strathallan, ' de jure ' Earl of Perth. One Catholic pnost is heir-p resumptive to the Barony of Arundell of Wardour, and another is next in remainder, after his nephews and great nephews, to the Scottish Marquisate of Queensbeny. H