Crawford avalanche., 1899-06-29


seme Of the Greatest Families Of
Bngland Now bat Memories.
The name of Cromwell has occupied
the papers, the platform and the pulpit
during the last week, and no one will
grudge our great cointryman his tri-
centennial honors, unless, perhaps, II
be the Society of the White Rose, or
some extra rabid Royalist. No direct
male descendant Of the Lord Protector
survives to enjoy the tribute paid to
the memory of his epoch-making an
cestor, the last Cromwell In a direct
line from "Old Noll," having been one
Oliver, an attorney, the son of wor-
thy grocer of Snow Hill. In this con-
nection II Is interesting to note how
many Of our most illustrIous dead are
now unrepresented' by direct male de-
scendants.
Here is an ample list of names Of
light and leading In literary history;
Chaucer, Shakespeare, Spenser, MIL
ton, Cowley, Butler, Dryden, Pope,
Swift, Addison, Cowper, Goldsmith,
DIR. Johnson, Scott, Byron, Shelley,
Keats, Tom Moore, Charles Reade and
r. l.. Stevenson, and Of not one of
these-and doubtless there are others
does direct male representative exist.
Turn from literary celebrities to naval
and military heroes, to statesmen and
to politicians. Sir Philip Sidney, illus
trious in letters and in war, left but
zone fair daughter" who died with
out issue. Sir Walter Raleigh's male
descendants have long since died out,
or have descended to such social
depths as to be untraceable. Sir Fran
els Drake and Nelson, the naval heroes
of two great fighting epochs, died
childless.
The patriot Hampden's last male de-
scendant passed away IA lonely bache-
lOr" in 1854. General Monk, Duke of
Albemarle, had but one son and with
him expired the hardly earned and
newly acquired family honor. Though
1t is not unfrequently assumed that the
Dukes Of Marlborough Of our day are
directly descended in the male line
from the great Churchill, that Is not
the case; that splendid soldiers only
son died in infancy, and his honors and
possessions passed to his daughters.
The great Lord Peterborough had
sons, but no grandson. The ill-starred
Strafford married thrice, but each of
his sons died without issue. The cele-
brated Duke of Ormonde's direct line
ended with his grandson's death at
AvignOn.
Clarendon, famous historian of the
D4I I.. u.Q O..
had but one grandson, who died with
cut male issue. Horace Walpole was
the last male descendant of Sir Robert,
the famous Minister, and he never
married Bolingbroke twice made
matrimonial venture, but had no child
by either wife. The historic family of
Pitt in respect Of direct male heirs
ceased, in 1885, while the rival house
of Fox lasted but little longer. Charles
James Fox left no heir, and the only
son of his nephew, the third Lord Hol-
land, died childless at Naples just forty
years ago Edmund Burke had but
one son, who died in early manhood,
leaving his brOken-hearted father to
exclaim: mine is Il grief that cannot
be comfOrted."
AS with the statesmen, so with the
philosophers and scientists. Neither
Bacon, Newton. Locke, Davy nor Stu
art Mill left son to inherit his fame;
while of historians, Hume, Gibbon and
Macaulay were never married. Among
our great painters, Reynolds, Lawrence
and the late Lord Leighton were
bachelors. Hogarth perpetrated a ro-
mantle love match, which was fruit
less; and Turner, the great magician
of color and canvas, twice soured by
early disappointments, never mar
ried.
Handel, who may almost be claimed
as an Englishman, had no wife but |
his art; Brahm perhaps our greatest
singer. whose daughter we some Of us
remember as Lady Waldegrave, l be-
lieve left no son; while Of the giants of |
the footlights, Davy Garrick and John
Kemble died childless, and the direct /
male issue of Edmund Kean ended |
with the death of his son Charles
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