The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-14
PEDIGREE HUNTING.
Has strange Surprises and Illus
tratcs Dramatic Possibilities.
From Tit-Bits

From Tit-Bits
II really do not think there can be
a more fascinating pusuit than pedi.
gree hunting said a we'll known
heraldic agent. for il Is full of such
strange surprises, and illustrates as
perhaps no other pursuit can the dra-
matte possibilities of life from the
farcical to the tragical.
IF were to publish all know there
would be a great hutter of alarm and
Indignation in many a highly placed
society dovecote, and many a humble
and despised toiler would find that he
had an ancestry of which the highest
noble might be proud.
why, / know a man who earns 25
shillings z week in a city warehouse
who has better blood in his veins than
almost any member of the peerage;
but he has no idea of 1t, and If he had
il would be rather a curse than a bene-
fit to him.
You may take 1t for granted that
many poor man or woman who en-
viously watches the coroneted car
riages dash past them boasts a lineage
many centuries older and immeasure-
ably better than the lords and ladies
who sit in them. In fact. only a few
weeks ago ! made the discovery that
the coachman of a certain noble lord,
whose great-grandfsther was a laborer
has diresct. descent from King Ethel
red, through the Barons Lumly, and
is connected both by blood and alliance
with our royal family.
This is nothing remarkable either,
for, as you may know, the last of the
Plantagenets died as farm laborer;
and the granddaughter OF Margaret
Plantagenet, niece of Kings Edward
~ and Richard III. married a village
joiner. and had a son who lived and
died cobbler at Newport in Shrop-
shire. in the seventeenth century.
Very many of the ancient and
powerful family of Burgh, which
traces its descent from Charles. Duke
of Ingeheim, fifth son of the Emperor
Charlemange, are to-day earning their
livings in all kinds of mental and
humble capacities.
"Of course, to people in such posi-
lions their ancient lineage is absolute
ly useless, and a knowledge of 1t could
only unfit them for the lowly roles
they are destined to play in life; but
their masters would gladly pay many
thousands of pounds to boast such
descent.
MANY of my clients are people OF
this class-people who almost insist
that ] shall provide them with a family
tree, and are terribly indignant, and
even abusive, when | fail, as in most
cases is almost inevitable. No doubt by
much searching you may find a man
who will invent genealogies for these
parvenus, but ! never knew a man OF
this sort myself.
"Only last year a man commissioned
me to trace his descent, which, after
infinite labor and searching in two
continents, carried back to the middle
OF the eighteenth century when ]
found his progenitor was Of very
humble rank In life. who had narrowly
escaped transportation.
when / told him the result OF my
researches he was furious and vowed
that he would not pay me a penny for
my labor lie has since revised this
dc cision--under pressure.
I'm another case / found that my
client was directly descended from a
farm laborer In Yorkshire, who, as far
as / have been a BILE 10 discover, does
not seem 10 have had a father.
MANY people are quite content on
the strength or some similarity OF name
10 annex the pedigree and armoriai
achievements Of some ~ our nOblest
families, one man ] know, whose
name resembles that Of a certain Well
known duke, has calmly Appropriated
the coat of arms, crest, motto and even
supporters, and has had them painted
OF engraved on his cr0ckery and silver
In fact, on over the house.
And yet J have the best reasons
for knowing thar this man ia 30 more
connected with the ducal family ~
which be- boasts than with the man in
the moon.
- 40 NOT think 81 Is az eNsERerafion
20 Soy thuf Boz nineteen caaes ouf ~
twenty "a very modersf estimate. in.
decd the claims made nj people fo
. coat of Hrma ~ connection 18Th
nopis families are absolutely wofth7