The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-05

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ago, and to the accident, that won him
for bride the heiress of William Hewitt,
| his master, after rescuing her from the
swollen waters of the Thames.
The Marquis of Salisbury Is the latest
of a long line of distinguished { ecils,
great statesmen and polished courtiers;
but we should scarcely know him to-
day II his, ancestor, Christopher. Gas
coigne, had not yentured to London as
boy and climbed the civic ladder 10
it's topmost rung carrying his money
bags with him.
The Marquis of Bath owes his family
name to a remote forefather who kept the
inn at Church Streetton, and thus identi-
fed himself as John 9th Inne' lin later
days, "Thynne'') and whose ancestor.
seven generations back. was an under
forester in Shropshire. And the Mar
quisses of Ripon owe their fortune to a
shrewd line of Robinsons, who for gen.
erations served the good people of York
behind the counter.
When we descend to Earls we find the
commercial strain even stronger. Earls
Cromer and Northbrook with the two
baronial lines of Ashburton and Revel-
stroke) had for founder one John Barring,
son Of a poor German parson who came
to England a couple OF centuries or SO
ago to make his fortune. and who, af-
ter coming to grips with poverty. was
able to open q small cloth factory near
Exeter. 49,. .t .ss ti
The Earl of Dudley draws blood and
wealth from one William Ward, who
left Staffordshre cottage in which no
had been Graded to learn the craft of
goldsmith In London, and to reach the
goal of his ambition when Queen Elize-
beth made him jeweler. The Earls Of Jer-
sey are similarly indebted to Francis
Child, another prentice lad of the fol-
lowing century. who served behind the
counter Of William Wheeler jeweller and
goldsmith, under the shadow Of Temple
Bar. ~.Saa
The founder of the noble line of Car
rington (barons. viscounts and earls) was
4 modest tradesman, one John Smith,
who in the 18th century, dispensed dress
lengths and tapes to the ladies of Not
tingham without thought or care for
such baubles as titles of peerages.
The Earls of Warwick have on their
family tree such exalted names as Ne
Vile and Plantagenet, and many another
proud name of feuda1 days; but by far
the most important of their forefathers
was William Greville, a prosperous WOOL
stapler of five centuries ago; and Samuel
Eastwood, who from being city APP
prentice, found fortune in wines, and
lived to drink Queen Anne's health as
Londons lord mayor just over two CEN
turtles ago. - sf
The original Spencers, from whom the
ducal line of Marlborough and the Earls
Spencer derive their origin, were no
mediaevaI barons OF Norman strain. They
were just plain, homely farmers, who
titled their lands and bred fine cattle in
Warwickshire. The foundation stone OF
the Capel (Earls of Essex fortunes was
we'll and truly laid by one William Capel,
who tramped to- London from his poor
Suffolk home to see for himself II it.
was true that its streets were paved
with gold Much gold rewarded his quest,
though the pavements yielded none, and
he was Sir William and lord mayor be-
fore he was laid to rest. His son proved
himself doughty knight on French bat
tie fields, and welded a daughter of the
old feudal family of Roos Of Belvoir.
The Earls OF Radnor would have been
unknown today If Flemish youth. Lau-
renee des Bouveries. had never drfted to
Canterbury. fortune seeking. In the days
when Elizebeth was queen, and by his
shrewdness and hard labor had not made
his pile as a Turkey merchant.
1t was one, Godfrey Fielding. who
served behind a MERGERS counter in Milk
street in the days Of Henry VI, who
founded the noble family of Denbish;
| 1ust as Godfrey Boleyn (who, few years
later, succeeded Fielding as lord mayor
made the fortune which led to a crown for
his great-granddaughter, Queen Bess.
Gilbert Heathcote, who, from serving
customers In the City ~ london. be-
came it's chief magistrate, has an honor
ed place on the family trees of Viscount
Downe and Lord Aveland There are
many others.