Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-05
ROADS TO THE PEERAeE
Some Famous English Families OF
Humble Origin.

Not to doughty deeds of arms. al
though their ancestral halls are dec
Grated with many trophy of the bat
tie, but to the keen business acumen,
commercial instinct and the ability OF
their forefathers to strike bargain
do many Of our "old nobility" owe
their rank and riches, says London
Tit Bits.
Apprentices, farmers. drapers, gro
GERS, brewers and even barge owners
figure in the romances of the peerage
and baronecy, a mere accident some
times leading the way to title. es-
tates and great privileges in the old
days.
Since one Edward Osborne jumped
from old London bridge to save his
masters daughter from drowning, af-
terward marrying her and acquiring
by the marriage goodly estate, every
ambitious apprentice has been watch
ing for a similar chance. for Edward
Osborne was the founder of the Duke
who. by court influence and intrigue,
attained to the highest rank In the
peerage.
And 1t was William Ward. another
London apprentice. who founded the
family Of the Earl of Dudley. He came
up to London when lad, and was
bound apprentice to city goldsmith
A lucky chance placed him in posses
sion of rare riches, for shortly after he
had set up In business for himself in
Lombard street sailor who had just
landed from his ship came in and Of
fered to sell him what proved to be a
lot of rough diamonds. Ward bought
them at immense advantage to himself
as well as a second lot, which the sail
or brought the next day and 1t was
this lucky stroke of fortune which en-
abled Ward to become jeweler to the
court But 1t was the bargain which he
struck with the last Of the Suttons
Lord OF Dudley, which enabled him tc
enter the peerage. The Lord Of Dudley
was hard up, and wanted 10000
pound loan On ample security. Ward
replied that he might do better thai
that. He himself had a son, Humble
b yname, and his lordship had 6
granddaughter. II his lordship woult
marry the young lady to his son, Hum
BILE Ward, he would be we'll satisfied
with that security. 2The bargain was
struck, and thus the Wards and the
Suttons became united.
David Cecil, the first Of the Sails
burys, was q middle-class water ball
iff, and could only bequeath his daugh-
ter the moderate sum Of twenty pounds
at his death; but his son Richard was
a page, and afterward groom Of the
robes to Henry VIII, and he made such
a good use of his opportunities that he
was successful in obtaining huge
grants Of land and title for his son
William Cecil, who became Lord
Burghley.
And 1t was no northern baron who
founded the house of Bedford, but one
Henry Russell, who in the 18th GEN.
tury made a modest living out of tho
part ownership of barge at Wey-
mouth.
Nearly 800 years ago there was g
piquant scene in the house Of lords
when the Earl of Arundel taunted the
Earl Spencer of those days with the
fact that at a time when certain greai
events were happening, Lord Spencer:
ancestors were keeping sheep.
when my ancestors were keeping
sheep. as you say" retorted Lore
Spencer, your ancestors were plotting
treason"
1t Is an incident in the family history
Of the Spencers which recalls the fac
that they sprang from farmers who
bred their sheep and cattle in the War
wickshire fields in the fifteenth century
the founder of the line being Johr
Spencer, a grazier, who took to wife
the daughter of one William Graunt. 6
husbandman.
The founder Of the house Of Angle
sey was William Paget. son Of one Of
the sergeants Of the mace in the city
while about 500 years ago the Bath
rusts were trading as clothiers at Can.
terburg and Staplehurst. Ultimately
one Launcelot Bathurst became a Lon
don alderman, and his grandson secur.
ed title.
Reference to the Spencers remind!
one that $50 years ago the head Of the
house Of Cavendish, of which the Duke
Of Devonshire Is now chief, was an OBJ
scure landowner In Suffolk. who hat
the good luck to obtain an appointment
as treasurer Of the chamber to the
king, and obtained grants Of land from
which the Cavendishes derived enor.
nous wealth.
The Marquis Of Ripon Is lineally de-
scended from q line Of tradesmen a
York, whose name he bears, and 1t wa!
behind the counter that the founda
there would be no Earl of Craven to-
day If William Cravan, the son Of 6
Yorkshire husbandman in Queen Eliz'
abeth's time. had not taken 1t into hi:
head to tramp to London to win a for
tune.
The Earls Of Essex are equally In.
debted for fortune and rank to William
Capel, a poor Suffolk boy, who. like
William Craven, tramped to London
and found riches; while John Barring
the son of a parson passing rich or
forty pounds a year." similarly became
the founder Of four noble houses. two
of earls-Cromer and Northumberland
two of barons.
The Earl of Onslow has for fore
father one Thomas Foot, who was a