Arizona republican., 1899-06-08

daughters. The historic family Of l Pitt became extinct previous to Queen l Nictoria's ascension to the throne, and | there are no direct male heirs of his great rival Charles James Fox Sir ! Horace Walpo.e was the last male de- | scendant cf Sir Robert, the famous
 minister and Sir Philip Sydney. like | the poet, Lord Byron. left only one daughter. The patriot Hampden, last
 male descendant, passed away in 1754- i The present earl of Straford has no connection whatsoever with the chiv- | alrous IcI71 of that name who lost his { had On the scaffold, in the reign of King Charles l. Neither is the pres ent Lord Albem2rle, so sadly be-
 smirched in the Hooley scandals, in any way descended from General Monk. who was created duke of Abe marie by King Charles II as reward
 for bringing about the restoration.
 Long is the Hst, indeed. of n.ustriOus English names and titles which have either become extinct, CT else which
 are borne by people in no wise de- scendad from these who first rendered them iliustriOus.
 ApprCpos of Lord Byron it is inter
 esling to note that Newstead abbey, the famous country seat of the poet, and which he describes with SO much love and yeneration in many of his verses. notably in -'Childe Harold has just come before the courts Of London in connection with the pre- bate of the will of its late owner, Mir. William Frederick We5b, who died last winter in Egypt He is the first owner of Newstead abbey in more than 200 years tc leave a son, though curi- !, e -1,- -l- abbey to his eldest daughter, and after her to her younger sister, his son ROderick only coming in for the prop erty in the event Of their death with out issue
 According to local tradition, this ab- sence Of any direct male heirs to New stead abbey was due lo the existence Of a curse brought upon the place by the ff-h Lord Byron, who was, it may be remembered. tried for murder by the house of lords in Westminster hal and. found guilty, though he escaped by virtue of an old statute Of King Edward VI. which permitted him to get rid of the consequences of this crime by means of a fine. This particular Lord Byron, in the course of some building operations at New stead abbey, happened to come upon
 
 bots of the place. He permitted the bonfs 10 be reinterred. but had the skull converted into a drinking cup which he used for clrOusing.
 It was in consequence of this that a 1 curse tWas pronounced upon him t3. the | effect that he would die without leav- 1 ing any male issue to inherit the es- tate and it was further added that as ! long as the skull remained above ground there would nevsr be any di- | rect heir to the Newst sad abbey prop 1 erty. Lord Byrcn scoffed at the curse, | but lived to see both his son and the i latter's only son die in quick success sion by violence. l. was in this way that the abbey passed into the hands | Of the poet. @ distant relative. The | sixth Lord Byron died, as every cne knows. without male issue, leaving only a daughter, and the seventh Lord | Byron was again distant cousin, who was obliged though poverty tC. get rid l 7f Newstead abbey, which passed into the hands Of MT Webb by purchase.
 It was Colonel Webb who discovered shortly after he acqS5fI'ed possession cf the abbey. the grewsoma drinking 3Owl of the fifth Lord Byron, in 2 sIl- 1crsmith's shop in Bedford street. JoVent Garden Aware Of the story ,cncerning 1t. he at once purchased it md caused it to be reverencly reburied within the abbey precincts. It was af- e. this that his son was born. and the people Of the district are convinced nat if he has left male issue it is en- irely owing to his recovery and re- burial of the skull Of the old abbcr The place is kept in magnificent style, md the favorite bed room Of the poet las been left just as he used it-Mar- luise de Fcnteroy in Washington Post