The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-05-12
LEAPS INTO THE PEERAGE.
sion Bring Titles Never
Expected.

the morning with noble title or two
and perhaps vast acres, with castles
and wealth, is an experience possi-
BILE only to a British subject. The
law Of succession regarding the mo-
bility sometimes plays strange tricks
of this kind, not only in fiction but
in real life, says the Chicago Tribune.
Unexpected leaps from obscurity
to the perage, from poverty to great
wealth, are not uncommon in Eng
land. Many such instances have
been recorded in recent years, the
elevations in some cases going to
persons who did not even know they
were in the line Of succession for a
title.
The present duke of Hamilton, by
sequence of accidents, found him
self transformed seven years ago
from an unknown lieutenant to the
premier peership of Scotland, with
three ducal titles and as many mar
quisates, to say nothing Of earldoms
and baronies sufficient 10 equip half
a dozen average peers.
4lOW ELknL was lAC B4OcDCNt VI
Lieut.. Alfred Douglas-Hamilton ever
succeeding to the family honors may
be gathered from the fact that, al
though he is the thirteenth duke Of
Hamilton, he derives his descent
from a third SON of the fourth duke.
who was born in the faraway seven
teenth century, and that all his in
termediate ancestors were younger
sons. How many lives might in the
ordinary course have come between
the young lieutenant ard the duke
dom it is impossible to estimate; but
as it was said in sporting parlance
at the time of his accession, the odds
we're thousands to one against his
ever wearing the strawberry leaves.
BY similar series of accidents the
present duke of Portland succeeded
TO the title and wealth OF the Ben
tincks. The son of a third son, who
in turn was third son Of the third
duke, there seemed as much chance
of the young subaltern Of the guards
ever being the head of his family as
of his becoming emperor Of China
The fourth duke alone had four sons,
all Of whom were eonsiderate enough
not to marry; and the third duke
was also blessed with four sons, who
were sufficiently amiable to make the
way clear for the lucky young sol
der
When Master William Grey first
opened his eyes in Newfoundland so
years ago his prospects of a coronet
would have been considered dear at
half crown, for his father was but
the third son Of the third son Of an
earl OF Stamford and there were
many lives between him and rank |
and fortune. His father was a poor
clergyman, and the future earl had |
to face many vicissitudes of fortune |
before he was suddenly exalted from
the position of a London diocesan
reader TO be earl OF Stamford and /
Baron Grey of Groby.
Probably no one was more sur
prised than the late earl of Caithness,
when he realized that he.was heir to
bis distant cousin, the fifteenth earl.
As a young man there had been so
many lives between him and the title
that he would have laughed at the
suggestion that one day he would
wear an earl's coronet. and he made
himself quite happy as a bank agent
IN Scotland. while his son, the earl
of to-day, tended his farm and herd
I'd his sheep in the states.
There was equally little chance of
Augustus Arthur Perceval ever quail
wing for a seat in the house Of lords,
Tor his father, a poor army officer.
sas a second son Of the fifth son OF
he second Baron Aden. who himself
vas not within measurable distance
y the earldom OF Egmont.
There are few more dramatic
stories IN the peerage than this of
he elevation of the hall porter Of
,helsea town hall TO the rank of
'arl, viscount. and baron by a series
# accidents only less remarkable
han the hard blows that Fortune
.ad dealt lin before she revolution
sed his life in this startling fashion.
A still more dramatic story is told
# one Of the earls of Huntingdon.
Who before his elevation to tae earl
lom was an obscure barrack master
n Ireland One day he chanced to be
ooking through some old corre-
pondence Of his grandfather. man
I a position as humble as his own.
When he saw a reference to a possi-
lie claim to the extinct earldom Of
Following up that clew
be barrack master discovered that
ie was really heir to the title, and
fter long struggle succeeded in
citing his claim admitted and in
al<ing his seat in the house Of lords.
The history Of the Bellew family IL
the strange vicissitudes by
rhieh a title may fan 10 a seemingly
person. At one time there
7ere no fewer than ten lives between
he present holder and the title, and
ct within TIE short space Of two
ears every one Of these intermediate
ives was removed. four heirs perth.
1g together through the upsettnsg