The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-06
Industrious IN. Walton" Seeks
to Do Business With the
Socially Ambitious.

n INCE certain M. Walton" has
been industriously flooding the
~ leadlng cities OF the United States
..,r, with circular letters. dated from
me Hcraldtc Genealogical Office" at
rohtannes, in the Department Of the
aube, France, Offering 10 secure no.
binary titles for the recipients, It may
DC Just as well to explain that the
ticiaidlc Genealogical Office Is not an
o'hcial or government department: that
=. mas nothing whatsoever In common
Wlth the o1hclal Consu!ta Heraldica nj
fone, tho Royal College of uer;,ids in
iohdon' or the Hcroidsamt at Berlin,
atc;' put Is purely private concern.
anu' ! am sorry TO add, II must be
something in the nature Of a gwIndie
Inc circular begins In n very in.
aalhl"rs fashion. 1t commences by stat
,ns mat many gentlemen belonging
70 ihtniiics OF nobility in Europe emf
sratcd TO America generations upon
generations ago, abandoned the use of
Ihclr titles, and their descendants now
60 not know that their ancestors be-
now VIII be pleased IL IL can be cstah
iisned that they have by virtue of their
uesccht Inc right to use titles such as
those or marquis, count, baron" Ii
cai research, and If find any wealthy
american family now existing comes
from an ancient house OF the European
nobility can secure the recognition of
the title and have it lesalized BIZ the
courts of Europe"
Not content with this-and this is
where the swindle comes In: Should
any one" writes NJ. Walton .intrust
me with such researches, and / asccr.
tain that my client il not descend ed
from the nobility. l am in a position
regular patent, the title of baron,
COUNT or marquis, at the rate OF 10000
francs for baron, $4,000 francs for
count and 10000 francs for marquis"
nl Nf nr
anybody who will place him in COM
munication with customers.
Now. II is beyond the power Of NJ
Walton, or any one else OF the kind. TO
sell a bona fide title. such az he offers,
either for 10000 or any other sum. and
any one who makes any purchase OF
the kind from NJ. Walton will lind that
he has bought gold brick.
Until about five years ago the tiny
republic OF San Marine was in the
habit OF selling titles. But since It
mas abolished the practice. at the In
stance OF the italian government there
Is no sovereign power In existence that
has titles for sale. and sovereign states
arc the only ones that have the right
purchased from It's holder. No for
eigner owning a European title OF no.
bility can sell II or transfer It to any
one else, even by means of adoption
which may or may not be OF his
torical character. TO a stranger by
adoption. after complying with GER
tain legal requirements. though not
any title OF nobility that he may pos
sess. Everywhere In Continental Eu-
rope the governments have adopted the
same rule as that OF France, namely,
that titles cannot legally be borne or
used without the consent OF the gov
eminent. which consent Is only grant
ed when legitimate descent In the male
line can be shown.
There is but one exception To this
rule. namely, in Spain. There alone II
Is possible for man to acquire
title, not. however, by purchase, but
by marriage. That Is to say, II COM
moner, be he native or allen, weds
Spanish duchess. marquis or countess
In her own right. he then becomes, by
marrying her. and without any further
process, a duke, marquis or count, as
the case may be. being compelled, how
ever, to adopt her name In lieu of his
own, along with her title. An InStanc
OF this Kind was the case OF the late
Granville Murray. famous as an Eng