A GENEALOGICAL AND HERALDIC HISTORY OF THE COMMONERS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND ENJOYING TERRITORIAL POSSESSIONS OR HIGH OFFICIAL RANK; BUT UNINVESTED WITH HERITABLE HONOURS. AUTHOR OF BY JOHN BURKE, ESQ. S, Reinal 66 THE HISTORY Of the peerage AND BARONETAGE,” PUBLISHED FOR HENRY COLBURN, 3 MDCCCXXXVI. B95 co 147.536 SEP 12 1907 1.00 ΤΟ HENRY BROUGHAM, BARON BROUGHAM AND VAUX, Lord High Chancellor, &c. &c. &c. THE REPRESENTATIVE OF TWO VERY ANCIENT FAMILIES IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND, This Volume IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. PREFACE. in the THE First Volume of this Work is now completed, and an opinion may be formed of a project, which was deemed at its announcement so beset by difficulties, as to hold out little hope of a successful issue. Those difficulties have however passed away--the completion of the first volume is accomplished, and nothing formidable remains to impede the progress of the second. In these pages will be found the lineage of nearly four hundred families, enjoying aggregate probably a revenue of two millions sterling, and deriving, many of them, their territorial possessions from WILLIAM OF NORMANDY; invested however with no exclusive rank-designated by no exclusive title -and born to no exclusive privilege. To this grade in her social system— her independent country gentlemen-England is mainly indebted for her greatness abroad, and her prosperity at home. In this-and her free institutions, she differs from every other country in Europe. It was the Author's intention to acknowledge his obligations to his principal correspondents individually; but, on referring to the list, he finds it so extensive, that it would be entirely out of place to present such a catalogue here. He begs of them, nevertheless, to be assured that he entertains the strongest sense of the great and valuable assistance he has received. Indeed he is convinced that, could he adhere to his original determination, he should by simply so doing propitiate a more than ordinary degree of favor. He cannot, however, forbear recording the debt he owes to Sir David William Smith, bart. of Alnwick; to William Henry Allan, esq. of Durham; to Michael Jones, |