BARONETAGE
Last updated 26/03/2025
Names of baronets shown in blue 
have not yet proved succession and, as a
result, their name has not yet been placed on
the Official Roll of the Baronetage.
Date Type Order Name Born Died  Age
Dates in italics in the "Born" column indicate that the baronet was
baptised on that date; dates in italics in the "Died" column indicate 
that the baronet was buried on that date
STEWART of Ramelton,co.Donegal
2 May 1623 I 1 William Stewart c 1647
c 1647 2 Alexander Stewart 3 Sep 1653
Oct 1653 3 William Stewart,later [1683] 1st Viscount
Mountjoy Oct 1653 24 Aug 1692 38
24 Aug 1692 4 William Stewart,2nd Viscount Mountjoy 10 Jan 1728
10 Jan 1728 5 William Stewart,later [1745] 1st Earl of 
Blessington 7 Apr 1709 14 Aug 1769 60
14 Aug 1769 6 Annesley Stewart 1725 Mar 1801 75
Mar 1801 7 James Stewart c 1756 20 May 1827
MP for Donegal 1802-1818
20 May 1827 8 James Annesley Stewart 1798 13 Apr 1879 80
13 Apr 1879 9 Augustus Abraham James Stewart 29 Apr 1832 26 Aug 1889 57
26 Aug 1889 10 William Augustus Annesley Stewart 1865 4 Jan 1894 28
4 Jan 1894 11 Harry Jocelyn Urquhart Stewart 1871 12 May 1945 73
12 May 1945 12 Jocelyn Harry Stewart 24 Jan 1903 3 Mar 1982 79
3 Mar 1982 13 Alan d'Arcy Stewart 29 Nov 1932 20 Jun 2024 91
20 Jun 2024 14 Nicholas Courteney d'Arcy Stewart 4 Aug 1953
STEWART of Corsewall
18 Apr 1627 NS 1 James Stewart Jun 1671
He subsequently succeeded to the Earldom
of Galloway (qv) in 1649 with which title
the baronetcy remains merged
STEWART of Traquair,Peebles
c 1628 NS 1 John Stewart c 1600 27 Mar 1659
He was subsequently created Earl of
Traquair (qv) in 1633 with which title the
baronetcy then merged until it became 
dormant in 1861
STEWART
2 Oct 1628 NS 1 Andrew Stewart 30 Mar 1639
He subsequently succeeded as Baron Castle
Stewart (qv) in 1629 with which title the 
baronetcy then merged
STEWART of Ochiltree
18 Apr 1630 NS 1 James Stewart,4th Lord Ochiltree 1659
to     The patent was cancelled 7 June 1632
7 Jun 1632
STEWART of Blackhall,Renfrew
27 Mar 1667 NS See "Shaw-Stewart"
STEWART of Castlemilk,Lanark
29 Feb 1668 NS 1 Archibald Stewart c 1670
c 1670 2 William Stewart Nov 1715
Nov 1715 3 Archibald Stewart 5 Jan 1763
5 Jan 1763 4 John Stewart 1 Apr 1781
1 Apr 1781 5 John Stewart c 1740 15 Jan 1797
to     Extinct on his death
15 Jan 1797
STEWART
23 Sep 1681 NS 1 Charles Stewart c 1660 7 Oct 1735
He subsequently succeeded to the Earldom
of Moray (qv) in 1701 with which title the
baronetcy then merged until its extinction
in 1735
STEWART of Blair,Fife
2 Jun 1683 NS See "Drummond-Stewart"
STEWART of Allanbank,Berwick
15 Aug 1687 NS 1 Robert Stewart 1643 1707 64
For information about the Allanbank ghost,"Pearlin
Jean," see the note at the foot of this page
1707 2 John Stewart c 1685 19 May 1753
19 May 1753 3 John Stewart 1714 7 Oct 1796 82
7 Oct 1796 4 John Stewart 1754 1817 63
1817 5 John James Stewart 1779 29 Jan 1849 69
to     Extinct on his death
29 Jan 1849
STEWART of Burray,Orkney
4 Nov 1687 NS 1 Archibald Stewart 13 May 1689
13 May 1689 2 Archibald Stewart 1704
1704 3 James Stewart 24 Aug 1746
to     On his death the baronetcy became dormant.
24 Aug 1746 Now merged with the Earldom of Galloway
STEWART of Goodtrees,Edinburgh
22 Dec 1705 NS 1 James Stewart 1681 9 Aug 1727 46
MP for Edinburgh 1713-1715
9 Aug 1727 2 James Steuart-Denham 10 Oct 1713 Nov 1780 67
He succeeded to the baronetcy of Steuart
(creation of 1698 - qv) in 1773 when the
titles merged until their extinction
in 1851
STEWART of Tillicoultry,Clackmannan
24 Apr 1707 NS 1 Robert Stewart c 1655 1 Oct 1710
1 Oct 1710 2 Robert Stewart c 1700 4 Mar 1767
to     On his death the baronetcy became dormant
4 Mar 1767
STEWART of Athenree,co.Tyrone
21 Jun 1803 UK 1 John Stewart c 1758 1 Jun 1825
MP for co.Tyrone 1802-1806 and 1812-1825
Attorney General [I] 1799-1803
11 Jun 1825 2 Hugh Stewart 14 May 1792 19 Nov 1854 62
MP for co,Tyrone 1830-1835
19 Nov 1854 3 John Marcus Stewart 19 Nov 1830 28 Feb 1905 74
28 Feb 1905 4 Hugh Houghton Stewart 15 Sep 1858 18 Jan 1942 83
18 Jan 1942 5 George Powell Stewart 7 Oct 1861 16 Jul 1945 83
16 Jul 1945 6 Hugh Charlie Godfray Stewart 13 Apr 1897 31 Jul 1994 97
31 Jul 1994 7 David John Christopher Stewart 19 Jun 1935 20 Mar 2022 86
20 Mar 2022 8 Hugh Nicholas Stewart 20 Apr 1955
STEWART of South Kensington,London
11 Jun 1881 UK 1 Sir Donald Martin Stewart 21 Mar 1824 26 Mar 1900 76
Field Marshal 1894
26 Mar 1900 2 Norman Robert Stewart 27 Sep 1851 9 Nov 1926 75
9 Nov 1926 3 Douglas Law Stewart 1 Jul 1878 12 Aug 1951 73
to     Extinct on his death
12 Aug 1951
STEWART of Southwick,Kirkcudbright
7 Oct 1892 UK See "McTaggart-Stewart"
STEWART of Balgownie,Dunbarton
2 Jul 1920 UK 1 James Watson Stewart 12 Feb 1852 3 Nov 1922 70
3 Nov 1922 2 Alexander Stewart 5 Nov 1886 4 Feb 1934 47
4 Feb 1934 3 James Watson Stewart 6 Aug 1889 4 Jun 1955 65
4 Jun 1955 4 James Watson Stewart 8 Nov 1922 15 Mar 1988 65
15 Mar 1988 5 John Keith Watson Stewart 25 Feb 1929 13 Mar 1990 61
13 Mar 1990 6 John Simon Watson Stewart 5 Jul 1955
STEWART of Fingask,Lanark
10 Dec 1920 UK 1 John Henderson Stewart 1877 6 Feb 1924 46
6 Feb 1924 2 Bruce Fraser Stewart Sep 1904 5 Sep 1979 74
to     Extinct on his death
5 Sep 1979
STEWART of Stewartby,Beds
4 Mar 1937 UK 1 Percy Malcolm Stewart 9 May 1872 27 Feb 1951 78
27 Feb 1951 2 Ronald Compton Stewart 14 Aug 1903 26 Jan 1999 95
to     Extinct on his death
26 Jan 1999
STEWART of Callumshill,Perth
28 Mar 1957 UK See "Henderson-Stewart"
STEWART of Strathgarry,Perth
17 Aug 1960 UK 1 Sir Kenneth Dugald Stewart 29 Mar 1882 21 May 1972 90
21 May 1972 2 David Brodribb Stewart 20 Dec 1913 17 Oct 1992 78
17 Oct 1992 3 Alastair Robin Stewart 26 Sep 1925 13 Feb 2022 96
to     Extinct on his death
13 Feb 2022 
 
STEWART-CLARK of Dundas,West Lothian
12 Feb 1918 UK 1 John Stewart-Clark 14 Sep 1864 3 Mar 1924 59
3 Mar 1924 2 Stewart Stewart-Clark 4 Jul 1904 1 Dec 1971 67
1 Dec 1971 3 John Stewart-Clark 17 Sep 1929
STEWART-RICHARDSON
of Pencaithland,Haddington
13 Nov 1630 NS 1 Robert Richardson Apr 1635
Apr 1635 2 Robert Richardson 24 Jan 1613 c 1640
to     On his death the baronetcy became dormant
c 1640
c 1678 3 James Richardson 1680
1680 4 James Richardson 28 May 1717
28 May 1717 5 James Richardson 13 Apr 1731
13 Apr 1731 6 William Richardson 4 Apr 1747
4 Apr 1747 7 Robert Richardson 1752
to     On his death the baronetcy again became
1752 dormant
c 1783 8 James Richardson 24 Nov 1788
24 Nov 1788 9 George Richardson 11 Dec 1791
11 Dec 1791 10 George Preston Richardson c 1778 21 Oct 1803
21 Oct 1803 11 James Richardson 8 Nov 1804
8 Nov 1804 12 John Charles Richardson c 1785 12 Apr 1821
to     On his death the baronetcy again became
12 Apr 1821 dormant
9 Jan 1837 13 John Stewart-Richardson 1 Sep 1797 1 Dec 1881 84
1 Dec 1881 14 James Thomas Stewart-Richardson 24 Dec 1840 14 Feb 1895 54
14 Feb 1895 15 Edward Austin Stewart-Richardson 24 Jul 1872 28 Nov 1914 42
28 Nov 1914 16 Ian Rorie Hay Stewart-Richardson 25 Sep 1904 16 Jun 1969 64
16 Jun 1969 17 Simon Alaisdair Ian Neile Stewart-Richardson 9 Jun 1947
STEWKLEY of Hinton,Hants
9 Jun 1627 E 1 Hugh Stewkley c 1604 1642
1642 2 Hugh Stewkley 1719
to     Extinct on his death
1719
STILES of London
1 Dec 1714 GB See "Eyles"
STIRLING of Glorat,Stirling
30 Apr 1666 NS 1 George Stirling c 1680
c 1680 2 Mungo Stirling 21 Apr 1712
21 Apr 1712 3 James Stirling 30 Apr 1771
30 Apr 1771 4 Alexander Stirling 22 Feb 1791
22 Feb 1791 5 John Stirling 16 Mar 1818
For further information on this baronet's wife,
see the note at the foot of this page
16 Mar 1818 6 Samuel Stirling 28 Jul 1783 3 May 1858 74
3 May 1858 7 Samuel Home Stirling 28 Jan 1830 19 Sep 1861 31
19 Sep 1861 8 Charles Elphinstone Fleming Stirling 31 Jul 1831 8 Sep 1910 79
8 Sep 1910 9 George Murray Home Stirling 4 Sep 1869 1 May 1949 79
to     Lord Lieutenant Stirling 1936-1949
1 May 1949 On his death the baronetcy became dormant
For further information on a possible claimant to
the baronetcy,see the note at the foot of 
this page
STIRLING of Ardoch
2 May 1666 NS 1 Henry Stirling Feb 1669
Feb 1669 2 William Stirling Feb 1702
Feb 1702 3 Henry Stirling 18 Nov 1688 24 Nov 1753 65
24 Nov 1753 4 William Stirling c 1730 26 Jul 1799
26 Jul 1799 5 Thomas Stirling Oct 1733 8 May 1808 74
to     Extinct on his death
8 May 1808
STIRLING of Mansfield,Ayr
19 Jul 1792 GB 1 James Stirling c 1740 17 Feb 1805
17 Feb 1805 2 Gilbert Stirling c 1779 13 Feb 1843
to     Extinct on his death
13 Feb 1843
STIRLING of Faskine,Lanark
15 Dec 1800 GB 1 Walter Stirling 24 Jun 1758 25 Aug 1832 74
MP for Gatton 1799-1802 and St.Ives
1807-1820
25 Aug 1832 2 Walter George Stirling 15 Mar 1802 1 Dec 1888 86
1 Dec 1888 3 Walter George Stirling 5 Sep 1839 7 Jun 1934 94
to     Extinct on his death
7 Jun 1934
 
STIRLING-HAMILTON of Preston,Haddington
5 Nov 1673 NS 1 William Hamilton                            c 1645 c 1690
c 1690 2 Robert Hamilton                        1650 1701 51
1701 3 Robert Hamilton                                    c 1720
c 1720 4 William Hamilton                          6 Mar 1681 25 May 1749 68
25 May 1749 5 Robert Hamilton                         1714 1756 42
1756 6 William Hamilton                          1748 1756 8
1756 7 John Hamilton                               c 1750 1778
1778 8 Robert Hamilton                               1754 8 Jun 1799 44
8 Jun 1799 9 William Stirling Hamilton              1788 6 May 1856 67
6 May 1856 10 William Hamilton (Stirling-Hamilton from 1889) 17 Sep 1830 26 Sep 1913 83
26 Sep 1913 11 William Stirling-Hamilton              4 Dec 1868 7 Oct 1946 77
7 Oct 1946 12 Robert William Stirling-Hamilton 5 Apr 1903 14 Feb 1982 78
For further information on this baronet's wife,
see the note at the foot of this page
14 Feb 1982 13 Bruce Stirling-Hamilton 5 Aug 1940 17 Sep 1989 49
17 Sep 1989 14 Malcolm William Bruce Stirling-Hamilton 6 Aug 1979
STIRLING-MAXWELL of Pollock,Renfrew
12 Apr 1682 NS See "Maxwell"
STOCKDALE of Hoddington,Hants
5 Dec 1960 UK 1 Sir Edmund Villiers Minshull Stockdale 16 Apr 1903 24 Mar 1989 85
24 Mar 1989 2 Thomas Minshull Stockdale 7 Jan 1940 28 Oct 2021 81
28 Oct 2021 3 John Minshull Stockdale 13 Dec 1967
STOCKENSTROM
of Cape of Good Hope,South Africa
29 Apr 1840 UK 1 Andries Stockenstrom 6 Jul 1792 15 Mar 1864 71
15 Mar 1864 2 Gysbert Henry Stockenstrom 11 Mar 1841 1912 71
1912 3 Andries Stockenstrom 22 Sep 1868 1 Dec 1922 54
1 Dec 1922 4 Anders Johan Booysen Stockenstrom 13 Mar 1908 20 Jun 1957 49
to     Extinct on his death
20 Jun 1957
STOKER of Dublin
21 Jun 1911 UK 1 Sir William Thornley Stoker 6 Mar 1845 1 Jun 1912 67
to     Extinct on his death
1 Jun 1912
STOKES of Lensfield Cottage,Cambs
6 Jul 1889 UK 1 George Gabriel Stokes 13 Aug 1819 1 Feb 1903 83
MP for Cambridge University 1887-1892
1 Feb 1903 2 Arthur Stokes 27 Sep 1858 12 Jun 1916 57
to     Extinct on his death
12 Jun 1916
STONHOUSE of Radley,Berks
7 May 1628 E 1 William Stonhouse c 1556 5 Feb 1632
5 Feb 1632 2 John Stonhouse 10 Sep 1601 14 Jun 1632 30
MP for Abingdon 1628-1629
14 Jun 1632 3 George Stonhouse 28 Aug 1603 31 Mar 1675 71
MP for Abingdon 1640,1640-1644 and 1660-
1675
31 Mar 1675 4 George Stonhouse c 1638 May 1700
MP for Abingdon 1675-1690
May 1700 5 George Stonhouse 24 Feb 1737
24 Feb 1737 6 John Stonhouse Jul 1740
Jul 1740 7 John Stonhouse c 1710 c 1767
He had previously succeeded to the
baronetcy of Stonhouse (cr 1670 - qv) in
1733 
c 1767 8 John Stonhouse c 1770
c 1770 9 William Stonhouse c 1714 by 1777
by 1777 10 James Stonhouse c 1719 13 Apr 1792
13 Apr 1792 11 James Stonhouse 9 Jul 1716 8 Dec 1795 79
8 Dec 1795 12 Thomas Stonhouse c 1744 1810
1810 13 John Brooke Stonhouse c 1797 2 Dec 1848
2 Dec 1848 14 Timothy Vansittart Stonhouse 26 Jan 1799 30 Jan 1866 67
30 Jan 1866 15 Henry Vansittart Stonhouse 6 May 1827 13 Nov 1884 57
13 Nov 1884 16 Ernest Hay Stonhouse 27 Jun 1855 18 Dec 1937 82
18 Dec 1937 17 Arthur Allan Stonhouse 24 Feb 1885 22 Nov 1967 82
22 Nov 1967 18 Philip Allan Stonhouse 24 Oct 1916 15 Oct 1993 76
15 Oct 1993 19 Michael Philip Stonhouse 4 Sep 1948
STONHOUSE of Amberden Hall,Essex
11 Jun 1641 E 1 James Stonhouse c 1652
c 1652 2 James Stonhouse c 1654
c 1654 3 Blewet Stonhouse c 1653 c 1670
c 1670 4 George Stonhouse c 1675
c 1675 5 John Stonhouse 1681
1681 6 George Stonhouse 14 Jan 1679 13 Apr 1695 16
to     Extinct on his death
13 Apr 1695
  STONHOUSE of Radley,Berks
5 May 1670 E 1 George Stonhouse 1675
1675 2 John Stonhouse c 1639 27 May 1700
MP for Abingdon 1675-1689 and 1690
 
May 1700 3 John Stonhouse c 1672 10 Oct 1733
MP for Berkshire 1701-1733.  PC 1713
10 Oct 1733 4 John Stonhouse c 1710 c 1767
He subsequently succeeded to the
baronetcy of Stonhouse (cr 1628 - qv) in
1740 when the baronetcies merged
STOREY of Settrington,Yorks
30 Jan 1960 UK 1 Samuel Storey,later [1966] Baron Buckton [L] 18 Jan 1896 17 Jan 1978 81
17 Jan 1978 2 Richard Storey 23 Jan 1937
STOTT of Stanton,Gloucs
3 Jul 1920 UK 1 Philip Sidney Stott 20 Feb 1858 31 Mar 1937 79
31 Mar 1937 2 George Edward Stott 20 May 1887 11 Jul 1957 70
11 Jul 1957 3 Philip Sidney Stott 23 Dec 1914 9 Dec 1979 64
9 Dec 1979 4 Adrian George Ellingham Stott 7 Oct 1948
STOUGHTON of Stoughton,Surrey
29 Jan 1661 E 1 Nicholas Stoughton 8 Feb 1635 30 Jun 1686 51
30 Jun 1686 2 Laurence Stoughton 17 Sep 1668 Jan 1692 23
to     Extinct on his death
Jan 1692
STOW of Lodsworth,Sussex
26 Jul 1907 UK See "Philipson-Stow"
STRACEY of Rackheath Hall,Norfolk
15 Dec 1818 UK 1 Edward Stracey 4 Jun 1741 16 Jan 1829 87
16 Jan 1829 2 Edward Hardinge John Stracey Sep 1768 14 Jul 1851 82
14 Jul 1851 3 George Stracey Dec 1770 27 Dec 1854 84
27 Dec 1854 4 Josias Henry Stracey 13 Nov 1771 6 Nov 1855 83
6 Nov 1855 5 Henry Josias Stracey 31 Jul 1802 7 Aug 1885 83
MP for Norfolk East 1855-1857, Great
Yarmouth 1859-1865 and Norwich 1868-1870
7 Aug 1885 6 Edward Henry Gervase Stracey 3 Dec 1838 6 Jun 1888 49
6 Jun 1888 7 Edward Paulet Stracey 5 Jul 1871 23 Aug 1949 78
23 Aug 1949 8 Michael George Motley Stracey 7 Jul 1911 25 Sep 1971 60
25 Sep 1971 9 John Simon Stracey 30 Nov 1938 5 Jul 2022 83
5 Jul 2022 10 Rupert Stracey 28 May 1951
STRACHAN of Thornton,Kincardine
28 May 1625 NS 1 Alexander Strachan c 1587 c 1659
c 1659 2 James Strachan 1686
1686 3 James Strachan c 1640 1715
1715 4 William Strachan c 1725
c 1725 5 Francis Strachan c 1753
c 1753 6 John Strachan c 1765
c 1765 7 John Strachan 10 Mar 1729 26 Dec 1777 48
26 Dec 1777 8 Richard John Strachan 27 Oct 1760 3 Feb 1828 67
to     On his death the baronetcy became dormant
3 Feb 1828
STRACHAN of Inchtuthel
8 May 1685 NS 1 Thomas Strachan after 1685
to     Extinct on his death
after 1685
STRACHEY of Sutton Court,Somerset
15 Jun 1801 UK 1 Henry Strachey 23 May 1737 3 Jan 1810 72
MP for Pontefract 1768-1774,Bishop's Castle
1774-1778 and 1780-1802,Saltash 1778-1780
and East Grinstead 1802-1807
3 Jan 1810 2 Henry Strachey 6 Dec 1772 11 Apr 1858 85
11 Apr 1858 3 Edward Strachey 12 Aug 1812 24 Sep 1901 89
24 Sep 1901 4 Edward Strachey,later [1911] 1st Baron Strachie 30 Oct 1858 25 Jul 1936 77
25 Jul 1936 5 Edward Strachey 13 Jan 1882 17 May 1973 91
17 May 1973 6 Charles Strachey 20 Jun 1934 23 Jan 2014 79
23 Jan 2014 7 Henry Leoffric Benvenuto Strachey 17 Apr 1947
  STRADLING of St Donats,Glamorgan
22 May 1611 E 1 John Stradling 1563 9 Sep 1637 74
MP for St.Germans 1624-1625, Old Sarum
1625 and Glamorgan 1626
9 Sep 1637 2 Edward Stradling 1601 21 Jun 1644 42
MP for Glamorgan 1640
Jun 1644 3 Edward Stradling c 1624 c 1660
c 1660 4 Edward Stradling c 1643 5 Sep 1685
5 Sep 1685 5 Edward Stradling 11 Apr 1672 5 Apr 1735
MP for Cardiff 1698-1701 and 1710-1722
5 Apr 1735 6 Thomas Stradling 24 Jul 1710 27 Sep 1738 28
to     Extinct on his death
27 Sep 1738
STRANG-STEEL of Philiphaugh,Selkirk
2 Jul 1938 UK 1 Samuel Strang Steel 1 Aug 1882 14 Aug 1961 79
MP for Ashford 1918-1929
Lord Lieutenant Selkirk 1948-1958
14 Aug 1961 2 Fiennes William Strang Steel 24 Jul 1912 13 Dec 1992 80
13 Dec 1992 3 Fiennes Michael Strang-Steel 22 Feb 1943
STRICKLAND-CONSTABLE of Boynton,Yorks
30 Jul 1641 E 1 William Strickland c 1596 1673
MP for Hedon 1640-1653 and Yorkshire East
Riding 1654-1655 and 1656
1673 2 Thomas Strickland c 1639 20 Nov 1684
MP for Beverley 1659
20 Nov 1684 3 William Strickland Mar 1665 12 May 1724 59
MP for Malton 1689-1698,1701-1708
and 1722-1724, Yorkshire 1708-1710 and
Old Sarum 1716-1722
12 May 1724 4 William Strickland c 1686 1 Sep 1735
MP for Malton 1708-1715, Carlisle 1715-
1722 and Scarborough 1722-1735.  PC 1730
1 Sep 1735 5 George Strickland Mar 1729 13 Jan 1808 78
13 Jan 1808 6 William Strickland 12 Mar 1753 8 Jan 1834 80
8 Jan 1834 7 George Strickland 26 Nov 1782 23 Dec 1874 92
MP for Yorkshire 1831-1832, Yorkshire West
Riding 1832-1841 and Preston 1841-1857
23 Dec 1874 8 Charles William Strickland 6 Feb 1819 31 Dec 1909 90
31 Dec 1909 9 Walter William Strickland 26 May 1851 9 Aug 1938 87
For further information on this baronet,see
the note at the foot of this page
9 Aug 1938 10 Henry Marmaduke Strickland-Constable 4 Dec 1900 26 Mar 1975 74
26 Mar 1975 11 Robert Frederick Strickland-Constable 22 Oct 1903 11 Dec 1994 91
11 Dec 1994 12 Frederick Strickland-Constable 21 Oct 1944
STRONGE of Tynan Abbey,co.Armagh
22 Jun 1803 UK 1 James Stronge 1750 1 Dec 1804 54
1 Dec 1804 2 James Matthew Stronge 6 Apr 1786 2 Dec 1864 78
2 Dec 1864 3 James Matthew Stronge 25 Nov 1811 11 Mar 1885 73
MP for co.Armagh 1864-1874
11 Mar 1885 4 John Calvert Stronge 21 Feb 1813 29 Dec 1899 86
29 Dec 1899 5 James Henry Stronge 8 Dec 1849 20 May 1928 78
PC [NI] 1924
20 May 1928 6 Walter Lockhart Stronge 5 Sep 1860 5 Jun 1933 72
5 Jun 1933 7 Charles Edmond Sinclair Stronge 5 Feb 1862 5 Dec 1939 77
Lord Lieutenant Londonderry 1938-1939
5 Dec 1939 8 Charles Norman Lockhart Stronge 23 Jul 1894 21 Jan 1981 86
PC [NI] 1946. Lord Lieutenant Armagh
1939-1981
For further information on the death of this
baronet,and of his son listed below,see the note
at the foot of this page
21 Jan 1981 9 James Matthew Stronge 21 Jun 1932 21 Jan 1981 48
He,together with his father the 8th 
baronet,was murdered by the IRA on 21 Jan
1981. He was presumed to have outlived his
father and to have therefore succeeded to
the baronetcy.
21 Jan 1981 10 James Anselan Maxwell Stronge 17 Jul 1946
STRUTT of Little Warley Hall,Essex
5 Mar 1642 E 1 Denner Strutt Sep 1661
to     Extinct on his death
Sep 1661
STUART of Bute
28 Mar 1627 NS 1 James Stuart 1662
1662 2 Dugald Stuart 1672
1672 3 James Stuart 4 Jun 1710
He was subsequently created Earl of Bute
(qv) in 1703. The baronetcy is currently merged
with the Marquessate of Bute
STUART of Hartley Mauduit,Hants
27 Jun 1660 E 1 Nicholas Steward 11 Feb 1618 15 Feb 1710 92
MP for Lymington 1663-1679
15 Feb 1710 2 Simeon Stuart 17 Nov 1685 11 Aug 1761 75
MP for Southampton 1708-1710 and
Hampshire 1710-1713
11 Aug 1761 3 Simeon Stuart 19 Nov 1779
19 Nov 1779 4 Simeon Stuart 14 Jan 1816
14 Jan 1816 5 Simeon Henry Stuart 23 Oct 1790 23 Oct 1868 78
23 Oct 1868 6 Simeon Henry Stuart 15 Jun 1823 21 Aug 1891 68
21 Aug 1891 7 Simeon Henry Lechmere Stuart 15 May 1864 25 Nov 1939 75
25 Nov 1939 8 Houlton John Stuart 30 Dec 1863 3 May 1959 95
3 May 1959 9 Phillip Luttrell Stuart 7 Sep 1937 13 Mar 2016 78
13 Mar 2016 10 Geoffrey Phillip Stuart 5 Jul 1973
STUART of Oxford,Oxon
5 May 1841 UK 1 James Stuart 4 Mar 1789 14 Jul 1853 64
14 Jul 1853 2 Charles James Stuart 24 Jan 1824 25 Feb 1901 81
25 Feb 1901 3 Edward Andrew Stuart 20 Dec 1832 19 Aug 1903 70
19 Aug 1903 4 James Stuart 22 Oct 1837 5 Jun 1915 77
to     Extinct on his death
5 Jun 1915
STUART-FORBES of Monymusk,Aberdeen
30 Mar 1626 NS 1 William Forbes c 1650
c 1650 2 William Forbes c 1680
c 1680 3 John Forbes c 1700
c 1700 4 William Forbes c 1720
c 1720 5 William Forbes 12 May 1743
12 May 1743 6 William Forbes 5 Apr 1739 12 Nov 1806 67
12 Nov 1806 7 William Forbes 21 Dec 1773 24 Oct 1828 54
24 Oct 1828 8 John Stuart Forbes 25 Sep 1804 27 May 1866 61
27 May 1866 9 William Forbes 16 Jun 1835 5 Jul 1906 71
5 Jul 1906 10 Charles Hay Hepburn Stuart-Forbes 3 Jun 1871 Aug 1927 56
Aug 1927 11 Hugh Stuart-Forbes 9 Nov 1896 26 Jun 1937 40
 
26 Jun 1937 12 Charles Edward Stuart-Forbes 6 Aug 1903 28 Mar 1985 81
28 Mar 1985 13 William Daniel Stuart-Forbes 21 Aug 1935 17 Apr 2024 88
17 Apr 2024 14 Kenneth Charles Stuart-Forbes 26 Dec 1956
STUART-MENTETH of Closeburn,Dumfries
11 Aug 1838 UK 1 Charles Granvill Stuart-Menteth 15 May 1769 3 Dec 1847 78
3 Dec 1847 2 James Stuart-Menteth                  19 Aug 1792 27 Feb 1870 77
27 Feb 1870 3 James Stuart-Menteth              29 Jul 1841 28 Oct 1918 77
28 Oct 1918 4 James Frederick Stuart-Menteth              26 Feb 1846 7 Sep 1926 80
7 Sep 1926 5 William Frederick Stuart-Menteth 18 Jun 1874 20 Feb 1952 77
20 Feb 1952 6 James Wallace Stuart-Menteth 13 Nov 1922 9 Oct 2008 85
9 Oct 2008 7 Charles Greaves Stuart-Menteth 25 Nov 1950
STUART-TAYLOR of Kennington,London
11 Jul 1917 UK 1 Frederick Taylor                          6 Apr 1847 2 Dec 1920 73
2 Dec 1920 2 Eric Stuart Taylor                          28 Jun 1889 25 Oct 1977 88
25 Oct 1977 3 Richard Lawrence Stuart-Taylor 27 Sep 1925 10 Sep 1978 52
10 Sep 1978 4 Nicholas Richard Stuart-Taylor 14 Jan 1952
STUCLEY of Affeton Castle,Devon
26 Apr 1859 UK 1 George Stucley Stucley 17 Aug 1812 13 Mar 1900 87
MP for Barnstaple 1855-1857
13 Mar 1900 2 William Lewis Stucley 27 Aug 1836 19 Feb 1911
19 Feb 1911 3 Edward Arthur George Stucley 12 Feb 1852 7 Dec 1927 75
7 Dec 1927 4 Hugh Nicholas Granville Stucley 22 Jun 1873 25 Oct 1956 83
25 Oct 1956 5 Dennis Frederic Bankes Stucley 29 Oct 1907 17 Sep 1983 75
17 Sep 1983 6 Hugh George Coplestone Bampfylde
Stucley 8 Jan 1945
STUDD of Netheravon,Wilts
16 Oct 1929 UK 1 Sir (John Edward) Kynaston Studd 26 Jul 1858 14 Jan 1944 85
14 Jan 1944 2 Eric Studd 10 Jun 1887 11 Jun 1975 88
11 Jun 1975 3 Robert Kynaston Studd 9 Jul 1926 27 May 1977 50
27 May 1977 4 Edward Fairfax Studd 3 May 1929 20 Jan 2025 95
20 Jan 2025 5 Philip Alastair Fairfax Studd 27 Oct 1961
STUDHOLME of Perridge,Devon
3 Jul 1956 UK 1 Henry Gray Studholme 13 Jun 1899 9 Oct 1987 88
MP for Tavistock 1942-1966
9 Oct 1987 2 Paul Henry William Studholme 16 Jan 1930 31 Jan 1990 60
31 Jan 1990 3 Henry William Studholme 31 Jan 1958
STURDEE of Falkland Islands
19 Jan 1916 UK 1 Sir Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee 9 Jun 1859 7 May 1925 65
Admiral of the Fleet 1921
7 May 1925 2 Lionel Arthur Doveton Sturdee 3 Sep 1884 19 Dec 1970 86
to     Extinct on his death
19 Dec 1970
  STYCH of Newbury,Essex
8 Oct 1687 E 1 William Stych 12 Mar 1697
Mar 1697 2 Richard Stych 11 May 1725
to     Extinct on his death
11 May 1725
STYDOLPH of Norbury,Surrey
24 Dec 1660 E 1 Richard Stydolph c 1630 13 Feb 1677
to     Extinct on his death
13 Feb 1677
STYLE
13 Sep 1624 I 1 Humphry Style 10 Nov 1659
to     Created a baronet of England 1627 (qv)
10 Nov 1659 Extinct on his death
STYLE of Wateringbury,Kent
21 Apr 1627 E 1 Thomas Style 1587 18 Oct 1637 50
18 Oct 1637 2 Thomas Style Dec 1624 19 Nov 1702 77
MP for Kent 1656-1658 and 1659
19 Nov 1702 3 Oliver Style c 1670 12 Feb 1703
12 Feb 1703 4 Thomas Style 11 Jan 1769
MP for Bramber 1715
11 Jan 1769 5 Charles Style 18 Apr 1774
18 Apr 1774 6 Charles Style 5 Sep 1804
5 Sep 1804 7 Thomas Style 5 Nov 1813
5 Nov 1813 8 Thomas Charles Style 21 Aug 1797 23 Jul 1879 81
MP for Scarborough 1837-1841
23 Jul 1879 9 William Henry Marsham Style 3 Sep 1826 31 Jan 1904 77
31 Jan 1904 10 Frederick Montague Style 20 May 1857 22 Jul 1930 73
22 Jul 1930 11 William Frederick Style 11 Jul 1887 27 Jun 1943 55
27 Jun 1943 12 William Montague Style 21 Jul 1916 1981 64
1981 13 William Frederick Style 13 May 1945
STYLE of Beckenham,Kent
20 May 1627 E 1 Humphry Style c 1596 10 Nov 1659
to     Extinct on his death
10 Nov 1659
SUDBURY of Eldon,Durham
25 Jun 1685 E 1 John Sudbury 27 Mar 1691
to     Extinct on his death
27 Mar 1691
SULLIVAN of Thames Ditton,Surrey
22 May 1804 UK 1 Richard Joseph Sullivan 10 Dec 1752 17 Jul 1806 53
17 Jul 1806 2 Henry Sullivan 13 Mar 1785 14 Apr 1814 29
MP for Lincoln 1812-1814
14 Apr 1814 3 Charles Sullivan 28 Feb 1789 21 Nov 1862 73
21 Nov 1862 4 Charles Sullivan 13 Jan 1820 3 Dec 1865 45
3 Dec 1865 5 Edward Robert Sullivan 29 Oct 1826 22 Jul 1899 72
22 Jul 1899 6 Sir Francis William Sullivan 31 May 1834 13 May 1906 71
13 May 1906 7 Frederick Sullivan 28 Apr 1865 24 Jul 1954 89
24 Jul 1954 8 Richard Benjamin Magniac Sullivan 26 Oct 1906 22 Aug 1977 70
22 Aug 1977 9 Richard Arthur Sullivan 9 Aug 1931  Nov 2022 91
Nov 2022 10 Charles Merson Sullivan 15 Dec 1962
SULLIVAN of Garryduff,Cork
29 Dec 1881 UK 1 Edward Sullivan 10 Jul 1822 13 Apr 1885 62
MP for Mallow 1865-1870. Solicitor 
General [I] 1865-1866. Attorney General [I]
1868. Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1883
13 Apr 1885 2 Edward Sullivan 27 Sep 1852 19 Apr 1928 75
19 Apr 1928 3 William Sullivan 21 Feb 1860 7 Jul 1937 77
to     Extinct on his death
7 Jul 1937
SUMMERS of Sholton,Flint
2 Jul 1952 UK 1 Geoffrey Summers 2 Sep 1891 17 Jan 1972 80
17 Jan 1972 2 Felix Roland Brattan Summers 1 Oct 1918 1993 74
to     Extinct on his death
1993
SUTHERLAND
of Dunstanburgh Castle,Northumberland
16 Jun 1921 UK 1 Sir Arthur Munro Sutherland 2 Oct 1867 29 Mar 1953 85
29 Mar 1953 2 Benjamin Ivan Sutherland 16 May 1901 6 Nov 1980 79
6 Nov 1980 3 John Brewer Sutherland 19 Oct 1931 11 May 2024 92
11 May 2024 4 Peter William Sutherland 18 May 1963
SUTTIE of Balgone,Haddington
5 May 1702 NS See "Grant"
  SUTTON of Norwood Park,Notts
14 Oct 1772 GB 1 Richard Sutton 31 Jul 1733 10 Jan 1802 68
MP for St.Albans 1768-1780, Sandwich 
1780-1784 and Boroughbridge 1784-1796
10 Jan 1802 2 Richard Sutton 16 Dec 1798 14 Nov 1855 56
14 Nov 1855 3 John Sutton 18 Oct 1820 5 Jun 1873 52
5 Jun 1873 4 Richard Sutton 21 Oct 1821 2 Oct 1878 56
2 Oct 1878 5 Richard Francis Sutton 20 Dec 1853 25 Feb 1891 37
26 Apr 1891 6 Richard Vincent Sutton 26 Apr 1891 29 Nov 1918 27
29 Nov 1918 7 Arthur Sutton 24 Sep 1857 4 Feb 1948 90
4 Feb 1948 8 Robert Lexington Sutton 18 Jan 1897 6 Jan 1981 83
6 Jan 1981 9 Richard Lexington Sutton 27 Apr 1937 7 Apr 2021 81
7 Apr 2021 10 David Robert Sutton 26 Feb 1960
SUTTON of Moulsey,Surrey
5 Mar 1806 UK 1 Thomas Sutton 6 Nov 1813
to     Extinct on his death
6 Nov 1813
SUTTON of Castle House,Barnstead,Surrey
30 May 1919 UK 1 George Augustus Sutton 21 Sep 1869 7 Nov 1947 78
to     Extinct on his death
7 Nov 1947
SUTTON of Beckenham,Kent
24 Jun 1922 UK 1 George Sutton 24 Aug 1856 30 Apr 1934 77
to     Extinct on his death
30 Apr 1934
SUTTON of Hertford Street,London
26 Jun 1925 UK See "Bland-Sutton"
SWALE of Swale Hall,Yorks
21 Jun 1660 E 1 Solomon Swale 14 Feb 1610 19 Jun 1678 68
MP for Aldborough 1660-1678
19 Jun 1678 2 Henry Swale c 1639 19 Jan 1683
19 Jan 1683 3 Solomon Swale c 1665 30 Dec 1733
30 Dec 1733 4 Sebastian Fabian Enrique Swale after 1741
to     On his death the baronetcy became either
after 1741 extinct or dormant
The baronetcy was,however,assumed in 1877.
For further information see the note at the 
foot of this page
  SWAN of Southfleet,Kent
1 Mar 1666 E 1 William Swan 6 Dec 1631 9 Oct 1680 48
Oct 1680 2 William Swan 17 Mar 1667 7 Apr 1712 45
to     Extinct on his death
7 Apr 1712
SWANN of Princes Gardens,London
16 Jul 1906 UK 1 Charles Ernest Swann (Schwann until 1913) 25 Jan 1844 13 Jul 1929 85
MP for Manchester North 1886-1918
PC 1911
13 Jul 1929 2 Charles Duncan Swann (Schwann until 1913) 27 Jan 1879 10 Mar 1962 83
MP for Hyde 1906-1909
10 Mar 1962 3 Anthony Charles Christopher Swann 29 Jun 1913 3 Feb 1991 77
3 Feb 1991 4 Michael Christopher Swann 23 Sep 1941
SWINBURNE of Capheaton,Northumberland
26 Sep 1660 E 1 John Swinburne 19 Jun 1706
19 Jun 1706 2 William Swinburne 17 Apr 1716
17 Apr 1716 3 John Swinburne 8 Jul 1698 8 Jan 1745 46
8 Jan 1745 4 John Swinburne 2 Jul 1724 1 Feb 1763 38
1 Feb 1763 5 Edward Swinburne 24 Jan 1733 2 Nov 1786 53
2 Nov 1786 6 John Edward Swinburne 6 Mar 1762 26 Sep 1860 98
MP for Launceston 1788-1790
26 Sep 1860 7 John Swinburne 1831 15 Jul 1914 83
MP for Lichfield 1885-1892
15 Jul 1914 8 Hubert Swinburne 24 Jan 1867 22 Jun 1934 67
22 Jun 1934 9 James Swinburne 28 Feb 1858 30 Mar 1958 100
30 Mar 1958 10 Spearman Charles Swinburne 8 Jan 1893 1 Mar 1967 74
to     Extinct on his death
1 Mar 1967
SWINNERTON-DYER of Tottenham,Middlesex
6 Jul 1678 E 1 See "Dyer"
SYDENHAM of Brimpton,Somerset
28 Jul 1641 E 1 John Sydenham c 1620 1643
1643 2 John Sydenham 1643 19 Dec 1696 53
MP for Somerset 1669-1679
19 Dec 1696 3 Philip Sydenham c 1676 10 Oct 1739
to     MP for Ilchester 1701 and Somerset
10 Oct 1739 1701-1705
Extinct on his death
  SYKES of Basildon,Berks
8 Jun 1781 GB 1 Francis Sykes 25 Feb 1730 11 Jan 1804 73
MP for Shaftesbury 1771-1775 and 1780-
1784 and Wallingford 1784-1804
11 Jan 1804 2 Francis William Sykes 11 Nov 1767 7 Mar 1804 36
MP for Wallingford 1794-1796
7 Mar 1804 3 Francis William Sykes 8 Aug 1799 6 Apr 1843 43
6 Apr 1843 4 Francis William Sykes 10 Jun 1822 1 Jan 1866 43
1 Jan 1866 5 Frederick Henry Sykes 12 Feb 1826 20 Jan 1899 72
20 Jan 1899 6 Henry Sykes 9 Dec 1828 10 Apr 1916 87
10 Apr 1916 7 Arthur Sykes 2 Sep 1871 5 Sep 1934 63
5 Sep 1934 8 Frederic John Sykes 10 Nov 1876 17 Mar 1956 79
17 Mar 1956 9 Francis Godfrey Sykes 27 Aug 1907 19 Apr 1990 82
19 Apr 1990 10 Francis John Badcock Sykes 7 Jun 1942 15 Oct 2020  78
15 Oct 2020 11 Francis Charles Sykes 18 Jun 1968
  SYKES of Sledmere,Yorks
28 Mar 1783 GB 1 Mark Sykes Apr 1711 14 Sep 1783 72
14 Sep 1783 2 Christopher Sykes 23 May 1749 17 Sep 1801 52
MP for Beverley 1784-1790
17 Sep 1801 3 Mark Masterman-Sykes 20 Aug 1771 16 Feb 1823 51
MP for York 1807-1820
For further information on this baronet,see the
note at the foot of this page
16 Feb 1823 4 Tatton Sykes 22 Aug 1772 21 Mar 1863 90
21 Mar 1863 5 Tatton Sykes 13 Mar 1826 4 May 1913 87
For further information on this baronet, see
note at the foot of this page.
4 May 1913 6 Mark Sykes 16 Mar 1879 16 Feb 1919 39
MP for Hull Central 1911-1919
16 Feb 1919 7 Mark Tatton Richard Sykes (Tatton-Sykes
13 Jul 1977) 24 Aug 1905 24 Jul 1978 73
24 Jul 1978 8 Tatton Christopher Mark Sykes 24 Dec 1943
SYKES of Cheadle,Cheshire
17 Jul 1917 UK 1 Alan John Sykes 11 Apr 1868 21 May 1950 82
to     MP for Knutsford 1910-1922
21 May 1950 Extinct on his death
SYKES of Kingsknowes,Selkirk
17 Jun 1921 UK 1 Sir Charles Sykes 31 Dec 1867 16 Nov 1950 82
MP for Huddersfield 1918-1922
16 Nov 1950 2 Benjamin Hugh Sykes 8 Jun 1893 22 Dec 1974 81
22 Dec 1974 3 John Charles Anthony le Gallais Sykes 19 Apr 1928 12 May 2001 73
12 May 2001 4 David Michael Sykes 10 Jun 1954
  SYMONS of The Mynde,Hereford
23 May 1774 GB 1 Richard Symons c 1743 4 Jul 1796
to     MP for Hereford 1768-1784
4 Jul 1796 Extinct on his death
SYNGE of Kiltrough,King's Co.
12 Aug 1801 UK 1 Robert Synge 1804
1804 2 Edward Synge 6 Apr 1786 22 Jul 1843 57
22 Jul 1843 3 Edward Synge 19 Nov 1809 13 Jan 1884 74
13 Jan 1884 4 Noah Hill Neale Synge 5 Feb 1811 16 Jul 1886 75
16 Jul 1886 5 Robert Synge 8 Jul 1812 11 Sep 1894 82
11 Sep 1894 6 Francis Robert Millington Synge 27 May 1851 1 Nov 1924 73
1 Nov 1924 7 Robert Millington Synge 17 Nov 1877 21 Dec 1942 65
21 Dec 1942 8 Robert Carson Synge 4 May 1922 17 Aug 2011 89
17 Aug 2011 9 Allen James Edward Synge 15 Jan 1942
SYNGE-HUTCHINSON
of Castlesallagh,Wicklow
11 Dec 1782 I 1 Francis Hutchinson 1726 18 Dec 1807 81
18 Dec 1807 2 James Hutchinson c 1732 early 1813
early 1813 3 Samuel Synge-Hutchinson 22 Apr 1756 1 Mar 1846 89
1 Mar 1846 4 Edward Synge-Hutchinson 31 Aug 1830 3 Nov 1906 76
to     Extinct on his death
3 Nov 1906
Sir Robert Stewart, 1st baronet of Allanbank
Sir Robert is a central figure in the legend of "Pearlin Jean," a famous Scottish ghost said to
haunt the family home of Allanbank. The following story is extracted from "The Haunters and
the Haunted" edited by Ernest Rhys (1859-1946) [Daniel O'Connor, London, 1921].
'It was Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe [c 1781-1851], the antiquary, who furnished this account of
Pearlin Jean's hauntings at Allanbank.
"In my youth," he says, "Pearlin Jean was the most remarkable ghost in Scotland, and my terror
when a child. Our old nurse, Jenny Blackadder, had been a servant at Allanbank, and often
heard her rustling in silks up and down stairs, and along the passages. She never saw her, but
her husband did.
"She was a French woman, whom the first baronet of Allanbank, then Mr. Stuart, met with at
Paris, during his tour to finish his education as a gentleman. Some people said she was a nun; 
in which case she must have been a Sister of Charity, as she appears not to have been 
confined to a cloister. After some time, young Stuart either became faithless to the lady or was 
suddenly recalled to Scotland by his parents, and had got into his carriage at the door of the 
hotel, when his Dido unexpectedly made her appearance, and stepping on the forewheel of the 
coach to address her lover, he ordered the postilion to drive on; the consequence of which was 
that the lady fell, and one of the wheels going over her forehead, killed her.
"In a dusky autumnal evening, when Mr. Stuart drove under the arched gateway at Allanbank,
he perceived Pearlin Jean sitting on the top, her head and shoulders covered with blood.
"After this, for many years, the house was haunted; doors shut and opened with great noise at
midnight; the rustling of silks and pattering of high-heeled shoes were heard in bedrooms and
passages. Nurse Jenny said there seven ministers called in together at one time to lay the 
spirit; ''but they did no mickle good, my dear.'
"The picture of the ghost was hung between those of her lover and his lady, and kept her
comparatively quiet; but when taken away, she became worse-natured than ever. This portrait
was in the present Sir J.G.'s possession. I am unwilling to record its fate.
"The ghost was designated Pearlin, from always wearing a great quantity of that sort of lace.
"Nurse Jenny told me that when Thomas Blackadder was her lover, they made an assignation to
meet one moonlight night in the orchard at Allanbank. True Thomas, of course, was the first
comer; and seeing a female figure in a light-coloured dress, at some distance, he ran forward
with open arms to embrace his Jenny; when lo and behold! as he neared the spot where the
figure stood, it vanished; and presently he saw it again at the very end of the orchard, a 
considerable way off. Thomas went home in a fright; but Jenny, who came last, and saw 
nothing, forgave him, and they were married.
'Many years after this, about the year 1790, two ladies paid a visit at Allanbank - I think the
house was then let - and passed the night there. They had never heard a word about the 
ghost; but they were disturbed the whole night with something walking backwards and forwards
in their bed-chamber. This I had from the best authority."
'To this account may be added that a housekeeper, called Betty Norrie, who, in more recent
times, lived many years at Allanbank, positively averred that she, and many other persons, had
frequently seen Pearlin Jean; and, moreover, stated that they were so used to her as to be no
longer alarmed at the noises she made.'
Sir John Stirling, 5th baronet [NS 1666] and his wife
The following romantic tale of the marriage of Sir John Stirling, 5th baronet, appeared in the
Hobart "Mercury" of 5 June 1871:-
'The following story of a young Canadian girl is told by the St.Mary's Vidette:- Many years ago
a young man made his appearance in Stratford [in what is now Ontario in Canada], and spent
a few weeks at the tavern which then existed to afford shelter to stage-coach travellers. 
Whence he came, and what his business, none could guess. Directly opposite the tavern stood
a small cottage and forge of a blacksmith named Folsom [some sources say Folsome or Tolson].
He had a daughter who was the beauty of the village, and it was her fortune to captivate the
heart of the young stranger. He told his love, said that he was travelling incognito, but in
confidence gave her his real name, claiming that he was heir to a large fortune. She returned 
his love, and they were married. A few weeks thereafter the stranger told his wife that he must 
visit New Orleans: he did so, and the gossips of the town made the young wife unhappy by
disagreeable hints and jeers. In a few months the husband returned, but before a week had
elapsed he received a large budget of letters, and told his wife he must at once return to
England, and must go alone. He took his departure and the gossips had another glorious
opportunity to make a confiding woman wretched. To all but herself it was a clear case of
desertion. The wife became a mother, and for two years lived on in silence and hope. By the
end of that time a letter was received by the Stratford beauty from her husband, directing
her at once to go to New York with her child, taking nothing with her but the clothes she wore.
and embark in a ship for her home in England. On arrival in New York, she found a ship
splendidly furnished with every convenience and luxury for her comfort, and two servants ready 
to obey every wish she might express. The ship duly arrived in England, and the Stratford girl
became the mistress of a superb mansion, and, as the wife of a baronet, was saluted by the
aristocracy as Lady Samuel [sic] Stirling. On the death of her husband, many years ago, the
Stratford boy succeeded to the title and wealth of his father, and in the last edition of "The
Peerage and Baronetage," he is spoken of as the issue of "Miss Folsom, of Stratford, North
America." '
Early editions of Burke's Peerage state that, by his wife, Sir John had a very numerous family.
In Playfair's "Baronetage" [1811] it is said that by her he had "19 children in the first 18 years
of their marriage." [!] The timing of the marriage of Sir John and his wife, who is named as
Gloryanah in "The Complete Baronetage," is debateable - "The Complete Baronetage" has it as
"apparently before 1771" with a second ceremony taking place in Glasgow in January 1774.
Lady Stirling died 4 January 1826.
                                              *************************************
Following the death of the 9th baronet in 1949, the article below appeared in the 'Los Angeles
Times' on 5th May 1949:-
'An American undertaker today emerged as the probable heir to a 300-year-old Scottish
baronetcy. The claim of Robert Wilson Stirling, 58, of Indianapolis, was certified by none other
than Debrett's Peerage. 
'Sir George Murray Home Stirling, the 9th baronet, died Sunday [1 May 1949].
'Some of the other baronets were a bit startled by the news from Debrett's. Undertakers are 
rare in the aristocracy of this land. "Indeed, I should say that he must be our first one," said
C.F.J. Hankinson, who as editor of Debrett's is the No. 1 authority on British blue blood.
'There is very strong evidence - almost conclusive, Hankinson said - that the title will go to
Indianapolis. Sir George, who was 80, had only one son, Capt. George Archibald, and he was
killed in the war. The male closest to the title, it was established after long inquiry, is a grand-
child of the 5th baronet - the undertaker in Indianapolis.
'At Indianapolis, Stirling, 58, said he isn't going to give up his American citizenship to become
a Scottish baronet. "I've always been an undertaker," he added. "I'm happy here. I wouldn't
consider going over there to live."
This statement must have gladdened the heart of one of his relations, since, according to 
'The Washington Post' of 6 May 1949:-
Undertaker Robert W. Stirling declared today that he's "just as blue-blooded" as the Scottish
spinster who doesn't want him to have a baronetcy.
'And if she wants to fight, why, he'll fight that too, he said.
'Stirling's pride was aroused when he was told Elizabeth Stirling, daughter of the late Sir
George Stirling, 9th baronet of Glorat, had scoffed at him as an heir.
'Stirling, who has never been in Scotland, inherited the baronetcy when Sir George, his first
cousin [sic] died Sunday. The peerage [sic] goes to male heirs only.
'The Indianapolis mortician said he would forego the title if it meant giving up his citizenship.
But authorities in London said he could become Sir Robert Stirling as is.
'Elizabeth Stirling said in Scotland that her cousin will have to wait a long time before he takes
over the stately home with its 4000-acre estate. "Good heavens," she said, "we Stirlings are
one of the oldest families in this part of Scotland. Why, we've been here since 1508 in this very
house. Do you think we are going to turn the whole thing over to some undertaker from
Indianapolis, Ohio, or wherever it is?"
'Stirling said that if Miss Stirling wanted to take that attitude, he would fight for his rights. He
said he understood the estate was valued at $1,000,000, but said that much money would
"worry me to death."
As the baronetcy currently appears on the Standing Council of the Baronetage's listing of
baronetcies to which no succession has been proved, it seems that the undertaker was true
to his word and never sought to take up the title.
Sir Robert William Stirling-Hamilton, 12th baronet
Sir Robert was missing for 12 days in September 1948 after the plane in which he and four
other persons were travelling was forced to land in northern Manitoba, Canada. The first report
below appeared in "The Times" of 14 September 1948:-
'Captain Sir Robert Stirling-Hamilton, British Admiralty representative in Canada, is one of the
passengers in a United States Navy aircraft which has been missing for 24 hours on a flight
between Churchill and The Pas, Manitoba. Sir Robert Stirling-Hamilton went to Churchill during
the week-end to see the arrival there of two Canadian warships, the Nootka and Haida, on a 
training cruise.
'Four others on board the missing Beachcraft aircraft include Captain Ben Scott Custer, 
American Naval Attaché at the United States Embassy in Ottawa.
'Many R.C.A.F. Machines are taking part in the search. The missing aircraft had only enough
petrol to last until 2.30 yesterday afternoon and was meeting heavy weather.'
"The Times" 15 September 1948:-
'Seventeen Canadian and American aircraft were engaged to-day in searching the wild bush-
land territory of northern Manitoba in the hope of finding the missing United States Navy
aircraft which left Churchill on Sunday with five passengers for Ottawa. So far no trace of the
missing flyers has been reported in Ottawa.
'Among the passengers are Captain Sir Robert Stirling-Hamilton, naval adviser to the British
High Commissioner in Ottawa, and Captain B.J. Custer, naval attaché at the American Embassy
here [Ottawa], both of whom had taken their appointments in Ottawa only a few weeks ago.'
"The Times" 16 September 1948:-
'A north country trapper to-day reported having seen an aircraft on Sunday morning at Setting
Lake, 60 miles north of Lake Winnipeg, that might be the missing machine in which Sir Robert
Stirling-Hamilton and four other persons were flying to Ottawa. The report gave fresh impetus
to the search, which is now the biggest ever made in Canada. An international force of 35
aircraft is combing an area of over 60,000 square miles. About 300 airmen and ground staff
are taking part. Three Lancasters left The Pas, Manitoba, to-day to scour the country north of
Lake Winnipeg.
The London "Daily Mail" of 25 September 1948:-
'Twelve days after it vanished, a U.S. Navy plane carrying Captain Sir Robert Stirling-Hamilton,
senior British Naval officer in Canada, and four others, was found tonight in the wilds of 
northern Manitoba. The discovery was made by a Royal Canadian Air Force Lancaster search
plane.
'A white arrow printed in the sand near the plane pointed south. Following its direction, five
survivors were found about 25 miles from the plane. Rescue operations have been launched
from a flying-boat station nearby. Maps have been dropped to the survivors with instructions
telling them where a rescue craft will land.
'The plane was located on the shore of a mapped but unnamed lake 250 miles north-west of
The Pas in northern Manitoba. It disappeared on a flight from Churchill, Manitoba, to Ottawa on 
Sunday, September 12.'
Sir Walter William Strickland, 9th baronet
Sir Walter was known as the 'anarchist baronet,' due to his revolutionary ideals. As a young 
man he had lived in India, Ceylon, Java and Singapore, and had travelled extensively in Russia, 
where he appears to have acquired his anarchist beliefs. He is described as 'an extraordinary
character, a scholar, anarchist, and gypsy. For thirty years he wandered over the world,
botanizing, translating Horace and Moliere, getting into trouble with most civilized governments,
and writing violent pamphlets and verses against established things.'
His name was often in the newspapers by reason of his constant disappearances. It was said 
that during his whole life, he spent only one week in London. He once declared that he had
hidden himself on the Continent because he had received a warning from 'an absolutely reliable
source' that powerful officials were plotting his assassination. In a letter to a London newspaper
Sir Walter declared that 'the vulgar, ungentlemanly, and, indeed, murderous persecution to
which I have been subjected is exclusively British.'
Once, in Vienna, he was mistakenly arrested in the belief that he was a wanted murderer. Sir
Walter commented that 'this was a great compliment, since the wanted man was described as
extremely handsome and aristocratic looking.' A series of newspaper reports just prior to WW1
comment on his disappearance, only to be followed a short time later by further reports that
he had been located - at various points he was in the south of France, Spain (where he refused
to disclose his address for 'political reasons') and Geneva.
In January 1923, Sir Walter announced that he had become a citizen of Czechoslovakia, and
that he had dropped the use of his title. In 1931, he moved to Java where he died in 1938. His
will was typically eccentric. It stated that, for the first 21 years after his death, his estate was
to be used in publishing various manuscripts left by him. After the completion of the 21 years,
'the income is to be paid to a Buddhist society to found a chair or laboratory of physics on
Buddhist lines at such university or place not in the British Islands; to found a chair or 
laboratory of practical psychology on similar conditions; any surplus income to be used for
propaganda purposes in the spread of Buddhism.'
Sir Charles Norman Lockhart Stronge, 8th baronet
Sir Charles sat in the Northern Ireland Parliament between 1938 and 1969 and was Speaker
the Northern Ireland Parliament between 1945 and 1969. He, together with his son and heir,
was assassinated by the IRA in 1981.
The following report appeared in 'The Times' on 23 January 1981:-
'The Provisional IRA announced yesterday that it killed Sir Norman Stronge, former Speaker of 
the Northern Ireland Parliament, and his son James on Wednesday night in reprisal for killings by
"loyalist" gangs,
'Sir Norman, aged 86, and his son, a bachelor aged 48, were shot at point-blank range in the
library of the family home, Tynan Abbey, a mile from the border in South Armagh. Most of the
home was left in ruins after the killers set off at least two incendiary bombs.
'An intensive search on both sides of the border continued throughout yesterday without 
success.
'The IRA said in a statement in Belfast: "This deliberate attack on the symbols of hated
Unionism was a direct reprisal for a whole series of loyalist assassinations and murder attacks
on nationalist people and nationalist activities.
'That was a reference to the attempt to murder Mrs. Bernadette McAliskey, the former MP, 
and her husband Michael at their remote home in co. Tyrone on Friday, as well as the murder
of four leading republican activists since last May: Mrs, Miriam Daly, Mr. John Turnly, Mr. Noel
Lyttle and Mr. Ronald Bunting.
'Sir Norman and his son let off flares from the house after the killers had burst open the door
with an explosive device, and the bright light alerted the police.
'At least ten terrorists were involved in the operation, which began when two families were
held captive in the village of Tynan. Other terrorists used their cars to drive to the abbey,
built in 1790 and set in 900 acres of farm and woodland.
'The police arrived as the killers were escaping in the stolen cars. One vehicle was rammed
by a police car and a 10-minute gun battle followed. There would have been police casualties
but for the armour plate and bullet-resistant glass in their vehicles.
'Some of the police returned fire, using high-powered Armalite rifles and hand guns. The 
killers ran across the fields in the pitch darkness towards the border.
'The terrorists were wearing black berets and combat gear, typical of the IRA. They did not
wear masks and their age was estimated at around 23.
'Helicopters with searchlights were brought in by the Army, when reports of the attack came
through. Police in the Irish Republic set up roadblocks and within a short time hundreds of men
were involved in the search.
'Almost every section of opinion in Ireland yesterday condemned the murders, but the IRA said:
"For us, the decision to take such reprisals represents a real departure, no matter how sections
of the media and the politicians have attempted to misconstrue, with a sectarian label, IRA
attacks on the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Ulster Defence Regiment. Our operations against
these targets have been based on their involvement in the Crown forces, But our decision to
take reprisals for the activities of loyalist paramilitaries is being taken on a political basis. The
responsibility for reprisals rests four square on their shoulders."
Although Sir Norman and his son were killed in the same attack, the law assumed that Sir
Norman, being the older party, had died first, with the result that James Stronge was assumed
to have succeeded to the baronetcy, even if only for a few seconds. For a discussion on such
circumstances, see the note under the Barons Stamp in the peerage pages.
The Swale baronetcy
This baronetcy was assumed in 1877, such assumption being announced in 'The Times' of
10 March 1877, when the following notice appeared in the classified advertising section:-
'Whereas King Charles II, by his letters patent bearing date the 21st day of June 1660, 
conferred the rank, style and title of a Baronet upon SOLOMON SWALE, of Swale Hall and
South Stainley, in the county of York, Esq., M.P. (in consideration for his great sufferings for
his loyalty to King Charles I, and having in his place in Parliament proposed the Restoration of
the said King Charles II), to hold to the said Solomon Swale and his heirs male lawfully begotten
of his body for ever. And Whereas the said Solomon Swale, Baronet, had, amongst other 
children lawfully begotten of his body, two sons namely HENRY SWALE and ROBERT SWALE.
And Whereas upon the death of SIR SEBASTIAN SWALE, the 4th Baronet, all the issue male
lawfully begotten of the body of the said Henry Swale, eldest son of the late Sir Solomon 
Swale, Baronet, aforesaid, became and was entirely extinct and ended. And whereas I, who
have hitherto been known as the Reverend JOHN SWALE, O.S.B. [Order of Saint Benedict], of
Birtley in the county of Durham, am the son and heir male of WILLIAM SWALE, son and heir of
WILLIAM SWALE, son and heir of WILLIAM SWALE, son and heir of the said ROBERT SWALE,
second (surviving) son of the said Sir Solomon Swale, Baronet, as aforesaid; and by virtue
of my said lineage as aforesaid I am the heir male lawfully begotten of the body of the said
Sir Solomon Swale, so created a Baronet as aforesaid, and as such I am lawfully entitled to
the said rank style and title of a Baronet under the said limitations of the same letters patent
by which the said title was created as aforesaid, and which is fully set forth in a pedigree
compiled by the celebrated genealogist, James Philippe, and enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court
of Chancery on the 2nd day of March 1877. And Whereas I consider it a sacred duty which I 
owe to the memory of my ancestors, and for the future benefit and welfare of my family to
assume and take unto myself and the heirs male of the body of the said Sir Solomon Swale,
Baronet, lawfully begotten of his body, the title of a Baronet. Now be it known to all whom 
these presents may concern that I the said John Swale, have assumed the said Baronetcy and
will hereafter be known only as the Reverend Sir John Swale, Baronet, O.S.B., at present of
Birtley aforesaid. Dated this 8th day of March 1877. [Signed] JOHN SWALE. WITNESS, John
Johnson, Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, Agent. Vouched by me, G.H. De S. N. Plantagenet 
Harrison.'
The baronetcy appears to have been recognised by Dod's Peerage, appearing in various editions
until at least 1899. The "Sir" John Swale who placed the notice in 'The Times' died in July 1888
and was "succeeded" by his younger brother, Benjamin. When he died in October 1889, the
baronetcy "passed" to the next brother, James, who died in October 1901, to be succeeded by
his son, James Bishop Swale. This "baronet" appeared in Who's Who, with the note "claims as
11th baronet," until at least 1911, but disappears shortly thereafter, presumably because he 
was unable to substantiate his claim following the establishment of the Official Roll of the
Baronetage.
Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, 3rd Baronet of Sledmere, Yorkshire [created 1783]
Sir Mark was involved in an interesting legal case in 1812 which was reported in 'The Weekly
Entertainer and West of England Miscellany' on 6 April 1812:-
'A curious trial, in which the Rev. R. Gilbert was plaintiff and Sir M.M. Sykes, Bart., M.P.,
defendant, came on at the York Assizes, for the recovery of a bet on the life on Buonaparte;
the condition of which was, that the plaintiff, on paying 100 guineas, should receive one
guinea per day so long as Buonaparte should live. The contract had been performed on the
part of the plaintiff, and for a considerable period, nearly three years, the defendant 
continued to pay the stipulated sum.
'It was contended on the part of the defendant, that the offer made by Sir M. Sykes, "to 
receive 100 guineas to pay one guinea per day during the life of Buonaparte," was a hasty
expression in a moment of conviviality. Mr. Gilbert did, indeed, when he found the feeling
of the company against the bet, say, "If you will submit, Sir Mark, to ask it as a favour you
may be off." Mr. Topping said, he should contend that the proposal of Sir Mark was not meant
as a serious bet; and if this should be the opinion of the jury, he would be entitled to a verdict;
but if it should be thought a real wager, he should even then submit some observations on the
law of the case and contend, that in the event of an invasion an interest might be revealed
in this wager totally inconsistent with the public safety.
"Putting the case," said Mr. Topping, "that Buonaparte should, at the head of an immense army,
succeed in effecting a descent upon this country, it is clear that the plaintiff would have an
interest in protecting that life, which every true subject and friend of his country would be
interested in destroying; he would have an annuity of 365 guineas per annum depending upon
the personal safety of this inveterate enemy of our country. I know not whether the Rev.
Clergyman frequently attends the church, where we are commanded to pray for our enemies,
but the plaintiff has a most cogent motive for being devout in this part of the service - an
interest of 365 guineas a year."
'The judge then proceeded to state the evidence to the jury, with his observations upon it,
leaving them to decide on the fact - whether there was an intention of betting on the part of
Sir Mark Sykes, and reserving the point of law. The jury returned a verdict for the defendant.'
The Rev. Gilbert, having lost his action, then appealed to the Court of King's Bench, where the
appeal was heard on 12 June 1812. Gilbert again lost as the jury found "the wager to be
contrary to law, contrary to morality and contrary to Christianity."
Sir Tatton Sykes, 5th Baronet of Sledmere, Yorkshire [created 1783]
The following is extracted from "The Emperor of the United States of America and Other
Magnificent British Eccentrics" by Catherine Caufield (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London 1981)
Sir Tatton Sykes believed that the human body should be kept at a constant temperature. In
order to achieve this he had a sequence of overcoats, each a different colour, made to fit
over one another. Every morning he set out wearing several or all of them; as the day
progressed, he shed them one by one. Rather than carrying his unwanted layers about with 
him, he just left them wherever they dropped and made a standing offer to the local children,
a reward of one shilling for each coat returned to the house. He often wore two pairs of
trousers for the same reason and was once seen in a railway carriage taking off his shoes and
socks and sticking his feet out of the window in an effort to maintain the correct body
temperature.
The tenants on the estate at Sledmere, in Yorkshire, got used to his appearance fairly quickly,
but it must have taken them somewhat longer to come to terms with his views on the 
landscape. One of Sir Tatton's first acts on inheriting the property in 1863 was to plough up
all the gardens and lawns on his property and to forbid the growing of flowers - "nasty, untidy
things" - in the village. He used his walking stick to knock down any offending blossoms which
caught his eye and he advised one of his tenants "if you wish to grow flowers, grow
cauliflowers!"
Sir Tatton also disliked people using their front doors and he forbade his tenants to do so. Their
doors had be barred or bolted and he had a number of houses built with trompe-l'oeil front
doors and entrance possible only through the back. He also objected to gravestones, as a
result of which the graves of members of Sykes' family who died during his 'reign' and were
buried at Sledmere are unmarked and impossible to distinguish.
Sir Tatton travelled a great deal - to Japan, Mexico, Russia, China and America, as well as on 
the Continent. On these trips he took his cook with him, not so that he could indulge in
spectacular meals but to ensure a continuous supply of milk puddings, the only really fit food for
a delicate stomach.
One morning in 1911 Sledmere caught fire. Sir Tatton, warned to get out, stayed at table 
saying with his characteristic nervous stammer "First I must finish my pudding, finish my
pudding." Finally he emerged, settled into a chair on the front lawn and watched for eighteen 
hours as the old house was utterly destroyed. Rebuilding began at once, but when he died two 
years later, Sir Tatton was staying in London at the Metropole Hotel. The manager, fearful of 
the effect that this news might have on his other guests, wanted to smuggle the body out in a 
specially designed hollow sofa. Tatton's son Mark Sykes protested "however my father leaves 
this hotel, he will leave it like a gentleman," and his mortal remains were eventually carried out
in a more conventional manner - though one suspects that the hotel manager's idea might have 
pleased the old man who left instructions that he was to be conveyed to his grave in a farm-
cart.
                                           ****************
In January 1898, Sir Tatton was one of the central figures in a sensational court case which
involved himself, his wife, and a moneylender. The following summary of the case appeared
in the Christchurch, New Zealand 'Star' of 5 March 1898:-
'The action of Jay v. Sykes came to an end in London in January, after a trial of five days. The
case revealed something more than the ordinary story of moneylender and needy client. It
disclosed, on the part of a lady of society, a career of reckless extravagance which resulted in
financial embarrassments, from which the lady gambler sought to free herself by a series of
audacious forgeries, backed up by ingenious and unblushing perjury. The facts of the case lay
in a nutshell. Mr. Daniel Jay, a bill discounter, claimed from Sir Tatton and Lady Sykes a sum of
nearly £16,000 (including interest at the exorbitant rate of 60 per cent) upon five promissory
notes bearing the signatures of both defendants. Lady Sykes admitted liability, but Sir Tatton
bluntly affirmed that the signatures purporting to be his to the promissory notes and to the
letters authorising Mr. Jay to pay the money to Lady Sykes were forgeries. Forgery or no 
forgery was, therefore, the question for the jury, for Lady Sykes swore positively that Sir
Tatton had signed all the documents in her presence.
'The case was a remarkable one, both from the character of the dramatis personae and from
the diametrically opposed tales they told. Sir Tatton is a man of seventy-two, the eldest son
of the eccentric Sir Tatton Sykes, well-known for his sporting proclivities. The son seems to
have inherited both his father's eccentricity and love of the turf. He divides his time between
breeding yearlings and building churches. He avoids society, never going out, except to race
meetings. He has a large rent-roll, a handsome income, a country seat at Sledmere, in 
Yorkshire, with some 34,000 acres, a house in Grosvenor street, and a cottage at Newmarket.
His wife, Lady Jessica, who is much younger, married him twenty-four years ago, and is well-
descended, being the eldest daughter of the Right Hon. George Cavendish-Bentinck, and
great granddaughter of the third Duke of Portland. Coming fresh from her governess's hands,
the young girl, introduced into no society but that met with on the racecourse, took to betting
on a system and gambling on the Stock Exchange, with the inevitable result - the accumulation
of a large number of private debts. It was her struggle to extricate herself from these that led 
to litigation. Sir Tatton at the end of 1896 was in communication with his solicitors about the
heavy liabilities contracted by his wife, and in December of that year he advertised in the
papers his repudiation of liability for her debts, and took from her a promise in writing that (in
consideration of his paying £12,000 to discharge her liabilities, and guaranteeing her £5,000 a
year) she would not speculate any more on the Stock Exchange or bet for credit on the turf.
At this time, apparently nothing was said by Lady Sykes about the debts to jay. More and more
claims followed, and at last in May, 1897, Sir Tatton heard for the first time of Jay's existence.
'Mr. Jay did not go into the box, but Lady Sykes came up smiling with a strange but plausible
story. According to her, Sir Tatton was a wealthy, parsimonious "old hunks," who never paid
for anything. She had to keep both his establishments going, and to do so had to borrow 
money. The debts, once started, kept growing like a snowball. She was always trying to get
Sir Tatton to settle, but he would never do so. He always wanted to postpone the evil day,
and as he was singularly ignorant of business, he made an arrangement with his wife that,
instead of supplying money from time to time, he should lend his signature on the understanding
that she should in some way manage to provide the money periodically and involve him in no 
responsibility. In this way he became a party to various securities, and by means of renewals 
  a very large liability was kept floating without his being driven, except in cases of necessity,
to make provision for it. When financial crises came she had to persuade him to come down
with the cash. In spite of his parsimony she knew how to manage him.  It was easier to get a
large sum out of him than a small one, and although he was like a naughty child with regard to
money matters, often throwing dividend warrants into the waste-paper basket, he would sign
anything she put before him. Unfortunately, having a lack of memory in business matters that
amounted almost to imbecility, he had a habit afterwards of repudiating his signatures to
cheques and bills. Hence his professed ignorance of Mr. Jay and Mr. Jay's securities. To support
her assertion of her husband's imbecility Lady Syke's produced her son's tutor, who considered
that Sir Tatton was suffering from incipient insanity, because he wore seven or eight coats
at once.
'Lady Sykes's story was told with a cool assurance and a quick wit that had a retort ready
for every question, however disconcerting. Her tale, however, was just a little "too artistic."
She struck several heavy snags. The first of these was the position of Sir Tatton's bank 
account. His bank at Leeds allowed him to overdraw his account to a far larger extent than
the whole amount of Jay's promissory notes, and charged him only 5 per cent on the overdraft.
Why then should Sir Tatton, if he wanted money, borrow at 60 per cent from a money lender?
'Then when the account of Sir Tatton's payments for household expenses was put in evidence,
it showed that for the last six years Sir Tatton had made payments for household expenses 
amounting to a yearly average of £7,665. During the time Lady Sykes had accused him of
parsimony he had, in addition to many other sums of money, paid her for her private use one
lump sum of £10,000 and another of £16,000.
'The dissimilarity of handwriting between the signatures on Jay's securities and those admitted 
to be Sir Tatton's was another awkward point to get over. The usual number of graphologists
were called, but the testimony of Sir Tatton's banker, who would never have passed the bills,
and the evidence of the jury's own eyes, clinched the matter. Unfortunately, too, for herself,
Lady Sykes had chosen some unfortunate dates on which to obtain Sir Tatton's signature to 
incriminating documents. On Oct. 2, 1895, when she declared she saw him sign one of them in
England, he seems, as a matter of fact, to have been staying in Brussels with his nephew. And
on Jan. 2, 1897, the date of one of the bills which Lady Sykes swore he signed in London, he
was shown by greatly preponderating evidence to have been at Sledmere, whither he went on
New Year's Day.
'Sir Tatton, in the witness-box, certainly showed that he possessed no very reliable memory,
but he gave his evidence intelligibly, and exhibited none of that softening of the brain with
which he must undoubtedly have been afflicted if the whole of the Jay transactions had faded
from his mind. His story, indeed, although largely corroborated, was scarcely less incredible
than his wife's. He suggested that two or three years after his marriage, Lady Sykes, in her
hurry to get possession of the house in Grosvenor Street, had forged his signature to the lease
of it, and that ever since, although she had been living on friendly terms with him and
accompanying him on his travels, she had - in her career of prodigality - been forging his name
time after time. Each time he hushed the scandal up and paid like a saint until at last he could 
pay no longer. He put his foot down by running away to get up his pluck for the final expose;
told his wife to go to Patagonia, and finally made his appearance  in Court to testify to the 
very wicked and criminal proceedings on the part of his wife.
'The two characters might well have been the creation of some imaginative novelist's brain. The
Judge directed the documents to be impounded.'
The jury found that Sir Tatton had not signed the promissory notes in question, and, as a 
result, gave its verdict in his favour.
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