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Hereditary Genius
137
Holland, Lord. Had one son and one daughter. The son married an heiress, and had
only one son and one daughter. That son
died issueless; so the male line is
extinct.
Rockingham, 2d Marquis. Married an heiress, and had no issue; so the title became
extinct.
Sidmouth, Viscount (Addington). Was son of an heiress, and he had only one son
and four daughters. The son had numerous descendants.
Stowell, Lord. Married a co-heiress. He had only one son, who died unmarried, and
one daughter; so the male line is extinct.
Walpole, 1st Earl of Oxford. Had three sons and two daughters.
The eldest son
married an heiress, and had only one son, who died unmarried. The second and
third sons died unmarried; so the male line is extinct.
The important result disclosed by these facts, that intermarriage
with heiresses is a notable agent in the extinction of families, is
confirmed by more extended inquiries. I devoted some days to
ransacking Burke's volumes on the extant and on the extinct
peerages. I first tried the marriages made by the second peers of
each extant title. It seemed reasonable to expect that the eldest son
of the first peer, the founder of the title, would marry heiresses pretty
frequently; and so they do, and with terrible destruction to their race.
I examined one-seventh part of the peerage. Leaving out co-
heiresses—for I shall weary the reader if I refine overmuch—the
following were the results:
No. of cases.
1
Abingdon, 2d Earl; wife and mother both heiresses. No issue.
2
Aldborough, 2d Earl; married two heiresses. No issue.
1
Annesley, 2d Earl; wife and mother both heiresses. 3 sons and 2
daughters.
1
Arran, 2d Earl; wife and mother both heiresses. 4 sons and 3 daughters.
1
(His son, the 3d Earl, married an heiress, and had no issue.)
1
Ashburnham, 2d Baron; wife and mother both heiresses. No issue.
1
(His brother succeeded as 3d Earl, and married an heiress; by her no
issue.)
1
Aylesford, 2d Earl; wife heiress, mother co-heiress. I son and 3
daughters.
1
Barrington, 2d Viscount; wife and mother both heiresses. No issue.
2
Beaufort, 2d Duke; marr. Two heiresses. By one no issue; by the other 2
sons.
1
Bedford, 2d Duke; married heiress. 2 sons and 2 daughters.
1
Camden, 2d Earl; wife and mother both heiresses, l son and 3 daughters.
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