The Washington herald., 1907-12-22

Of the English peerages, and most Of the
Scottish honOrs Of the same kind, are
held subject TO contest
Were II not for this question of cost.
the American Percys might take legal
steps TO establish their rights 20 the
earldom Of Northumberland The his
tOric House OF Percy has long since be-
come extinct in the male line in Eng
land and the present bearer Of the name
IS the descendant OF that Hugh Smithson,
who, having married the heiress Of the
last Percy Duke Of Northumberland, was
permitted by the crown 10 assume the
patronymic and the arms Of his wife. and
was subsequently. IN consequence of the
political influence derived from the
possession Of her estates, raised 10 the
House of Lords as the first Duke of
Northumberland of the present creation.
A Romantic Marriage.
I may add that his marriage was pre-
ceded by many obstacles. and attended
by much romance. and that there was
thereto child born out of wedlocll TO
the pair, q child which subsequently was
brought to this country. settled here. and
founded the Smithsonian Institution at
Washington. Now, one Of the ancestors
OF the last Percy Duke of Northumber-
land. namely. the third Earl of Northum-
berland, had brother of the name Of
George. who emigrated TO America, and
settled in Virginia. In "Burke's Peer
age" he is recorded as having died S. P
in 1852.
II would seem. however, that these two
letters were erroneous, and that, on the
contrary. he left legitimate sons Il was
a matter Of knowledge to the most emil
nent English and American geneaIogists
and to the family Of the present Duke Of
Northumberland in the early portion of
the nineteenth century that there were
then living in Virginia the llneal and
legitimate descendants in the male line
direct of this the Hon. George Percy.
who died in 1882. their ancestry being
matter OF common knowledge throughout
the South.
Their descendants, in turn, are living
to-day. and the senior of them could
undoubtedly, If he cared to go to the great
expense, establish his claim TO the earl
dom OF Northumberland as heir in the
male line direct Of the Hon. George Percy.
younger son of the second Earl of North
umberland But nothing that he could do
WOulu eudble MIN 10 recover the vast
Percy estates. now held by the Smithson-
Percy Duke Of Northumberland.
Methodists throughout the United States
have by reason of the muaificent role
played by the consort of the ninth Lord
Huntingdon in English and American
MethOdism been interested In the pre-
tensions put forward by a Brooklyn fur
niture dealer of the name of George
Plantagenet Hastings to the earldom Of
huntingdon. which IN olden times was
held by Robert Fitzooth, familiar to old
and young alike throughout hundreds
Of years under the name OF Robin Hood.
Claimant for Huntingdon.
The tenth Earl of Huntingdon died
little over a hundred years ego without
male issue the extensive estate passing
into the possession OF his sister, Lady
MORA. through whom they have since
come by marriage to the Earl of Lou
doan. Pho now holds them. The earl
dom OF Huntington remained in abeyance
for about twenty years. when claim was
put forward TO It by granduncle OF the
furniture dealer in Brooklyn, who based
his rights on descent from Sir George