The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-04-13
WELL-BORN PAUPERS
LAST OF MANY ENGLISH HOUSES
IN POOR CIRCUMSTANCES.
But Few OF the Present Peers Can
Trace Their Descent from the
Mobiles of the Days Of
Chivalry.

1t Ia q fact well known to all stu.
dents of family history. said genoa.
logical expert to writer for LONDON
Tit-Bits, that, II you want to find the
"bluest blood" and the longest lie.
scents, you must go, not TO the peer.
age. but 20 the great middle classes,
and even 'oHer, and that many proud
wearer OF dukes or an earls coronet
to-day has pedigree which VIII not
compare for distinction with that oil
some OF his tradesmen or tenants Yes,
| know this Is a surprising staten mt
but 1t is sober statement Of the
truth.
There are very few OF our present
peers who can trace their descent frrm
the great MOBILES of the days OF chiyal'
ry or earlier. The founder OF one line
OF marqucsses was an innkeeper; Of
line OF earls grazier, and so on; and
many Of The greatest aristoCrats OF our
time owe ,Hclr rank and wealth to the
enterprise and luck Of city apprentices
To quote Burke:
Let us iCUk back only as far as the
year 1887 and we shall find the great,
grandson II Margaret Plan.agcnet
herself the daughter and heircss OF
George, luke OF Clarence, following
the cobblcr craft at Newport, a liltlt
town in Shropshire Nor is this the
only branch FROM the tree OF royalty
that has dwarfed and withered.
IF We were closely to Investigate the
fortunes Of The many inheritors OF the
royal arms, It would soon be shown
that the aspiring blood Of Lancaster
flows through very humble veins
Among the lineal descendants OF Ed
ward Of Woodstock. earl OF Kent, sixth
son of Edward l.. king Of England, en-
titled to quarter the royal arms, occur
u butcher and toll gatheror-tle FIRST
a Mr.. Joseph Smart OF Halesowen, the
latter a Mr. George WiImot, keeper OF
the turnpike gate at Cooper's Bank
near Dudley
Then again, among the descendants
of Thomas Plantaganet, duke OF Glou.
cester, fifth ION Of Edward H., we dis.
cover Mr.. stephen James Penny, he
late sexton at ST. Georges, Hanover
square, strange descent from the
sword and sCeptcr to the spade and
plckax!"
The last head Of the great scottish
house Of Lindsay and de jurc earl OF
Crawford. died in 1744 in the capacity
of ostler In an inn at Kirkwall IN the
Orkncys; and in four generations The
descendants of Sir Richard Knlghtley
of Fawsley 1.-THE head of one of the
| oldest and Wost distinguished families
in England and his wife, daughter OF
the great protector Somerset, ended u,
| obscure London tradesmen - Grapers
and oil mon outside the city gates
Sir Thomas Conyers, the head o. q
family which had held vast estates
owned castles and enjoyed high rank
in the north Of England almost from
the days Of the conquest, died pan.
per in a Durham workhouse a grand
son Of Oliver Cromwell and a knsman
of Thomas Cromwell. earl OF Essex.
served behind the counter in 4 snow
Hill shop, while one of his nlcccs end.
ed her days in Il workhouse, and of hi
great-niccas one married a nutrhcrs
son and the other a CambridEeshirc
| shoemaker.
Among peasants and laborers, farm.
ers and small tradesmen are many ne.
BCendants Of the great feudal houses OF
Scrope AMI Greystokc. Neville md
| Darcy, and many another noble stock
who can clam kinsh!p with our bmaH
b!oodcd PEGS and royal desccn's ga.
lore, while In the pedigree of the duke
Of Northumberland figure farmers ana
haherdasher3, huEbandmen and paper
| staiuers.
|