The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-28
The Best Family i'm England.

We are often asked which is the best family
in England? 1t is not an easy question to
answer. What tests can we apply to deter
mine it? Let us try these three-length of
descent ancient renown, and historical i'm
portance. Length of descent throws out of
the competition many distinguished names,
such as those of Howard, RUSSELL and Cecil
Ancient renown throws out such families as
Seymour, Talbot, and even Stanley, none of
which were above the middle ranks five hun
dred years ago. But all the conditions seem
to be fulfilled by four families-those
of Hastings, Fielding, Courtney, and
Nevil. The first has been more or less noble
ever since the Conquest. The second is said,
but on doubtful grounds to have been of the
imperial Hapsburg race, and to have settled
in England in the reign of Henry the Third.
The Courtneys claim to be descended from
Pharamond, the founder of the French
monarchy, whose date is placed by historians
at the middle of the fifth century; and from
Otho, some of whose family were Emperors of
Constantinople, and previously Counts of
Odessa and Kings of Jerusalem; they are also
of very ancient nobility in England, and of
considerable historical and political import
anoe in our oTn day. Nevertheless, we think,
all things considered, the best family in Eng
land is that of the Nevils.
The ancestors of the Nevils were Earls of
Northumberland when we first hear of them
in Saxon times, nearly thousand years ago.
From the Earl of Cospatric, contemporary of
the Conqueror, derived the Nevils of Raby.
They received the name and estates of Nevil
with the heiress of Norman family; they
could boast of sufficient importance during
The wars of the Roses to furnish one Arch
bishop of York, one duke (the Duke of Bed
ford, nephew of the King-maker), one Mar
quis (the Marquis of Montacute, brother of
the King-maker), Earls of Westmoreland,
and Salisbury, and Warwick, the Lords
Fauconbrig, Latimer, and Abergavenny, from
which latter the only remaining branch
is descended. No other Eng
lish family fulfls the conditions
laid down above so satisfactorily as
this one. The Courtneys run them very close,
but the chief fame of the Courtneys is of
foreign growth, whilst the Nevils are Anglo
Saxon, and have been here ever since they
became family. Their pedigree is as well
authenticated as any pedigree of such length
can be, and in ancient honor and historical
importance they yield to none. They were
in the highest rank of mobiles before the Con-
quest, and have continued noble ever since;
and it may be said of one of them what can
be said, perhaps, of no other English subject,
that he could by his single voice control the
succession of the crown.
If it be asked which are the best families
IN Scotland and Ireland, we answer, those of
Hamilton and Fitzgerald. Instead of Hamil-
ton, we should perhaps say Douglas, as the
Dukedom of Hamilton may be said to OBJ
scure the ancient name and titles of that
family. The Douglases became Hamiltons
by female descent in 1898, when they rose to
the head of the Scots Peerage Roll.
In Ireland, the best family is also the
highest, the Norman stock of Fitzgerald,
Dukes of Leinster, taking easily the first
place. But genealogists, unless they happen
to be themselves Scots or Irish, are apt to
look with suspicion upon most Scottish or
Irish pedigrees. Many of the Oldest lines in
North Britain would not be admitted as legiti-
mate in England, owing to the operation Of
the peculiar marriage law; and the more an
oient-looking Irish pedigrees are similarly
invalidated by the very anomalous condition
in which matrimony remained as late as the
reign of Queen Elizabeth-Mr. Froudes
account of the household of Sham O'Neill is
an example. 1t is, therefore, difficult to trace
any house in either of the sister Kingdoms
beyond a couple of centuries at farthest,
without what in the eyes of an English gene
alogi atwould prove final break. OaSseEs
Magazine.