In a message dated 24/08/2005 05:38:32 GMT Standard Time, [email protected] writes: The question of the ownership of the land is perhaps interesting-unless there was a long lease given to the Government they would have extinguished ownership by possessory right, if they had not bought it. It would be good for all of us who are descended from Emanuel if there had been a lease of some hundreds of years! Sadly I do not think that this is the case. According to the Government website: "King George II presented both the house on Downing Street, and the house overlooking Horse Guards, to _Sir Robert Walpole_ (http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page174.asp) , who held the title First Lord of the Treasury and effectively served as the first prime minister. Walpole refused the property in Downing Street as a personal gift. Instead he asked the King to make it available to him, and future First Lords of the Treasury, in their official capacity. To this day prime ministers occupy Number 10 in the role of First Lord of the Treasury. The brass letter box on the black front door is still engraved with this title. Walpole took up residence in 1735, but only after having the two houses - the one on Downing Street and the one overlooking Horse Guards - joined together and completely refurbished to match his status." And just to emphasise the unlikelihood of Sir George being sent to Australia, he died in Cambridgeshire, England, in 1684. Captain Cook claimed the East Coast of Australia for Britain in 1770. Adrian