Here here, what Americans do not realise is they have left "their baggage of Europe" behind them generations ago. They went over twice and saved their #$%@ in WW1 and WW2 and when they go back on holidays they get kicked in the #$%^. Why buy a title? Americans are obsessed with European Castles, the British Royalty (Who were the mongrels of Europe) and its History. History should teach you only one thing, do not repeat that mistake. The greatest asset of the USA and Australia/NZ is their lack of History....... No Baggage to carry. Go out and have fun, you only come this way but once.... Peter >Hi Mike, >If you wish to learn the details about titles and how they pass, I suggest >you look at my web-site, the URL for which is below and if you click on the >item on the left hand side called Peerage, there is a long explanation with >an even longer one which you are welcome to download and print-out. > >I have often seen suggestions that titles are anachronistic, out of date >etc. If so, why are the so called republican French, Germans and Americans >totally obsessed with them. Both France and Germany ,two of the few major >European countries which haven't yet restored constitutional monarchy have >very detailed current laws on the use of titles, dignities and succession to >them. In the US, major families have elevated themselves/been elevated into >their own version of an aristocracy with the Kennedys as their own "royal >family". Why else would they insist in naming themselves William J. >Moneybags III, or IV etc etc. At this very moment two of Americas "princes" >are slogging it out. Al Gore is the Vice President, son of a Senator who >wished to be President and George Bush is the son of the immediate past >President, hoping to follow his father, with his nephew, yet another George >Bush now coming into the limelight as well. At the beginning of the last >century it was standard practice for impoverished European royals and nobles >to sell themselves to American millionaires. The Dukes of Marlborough were >short of a few pounds until the 9th Duke married Consuela Vanderbilt and >then her son married Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston, >another American millionaire's daughter. Most of the remains of the Imperial >Russian royal family survived exile by marrying American millionaires, let >alone members of the French, German, Austrian, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, >Rumanian, Bulgarian, Polish, Yugoslav and Hungarian royal and aristocratic >families. Even within the past decade Mr Miller, the British born but >American resident "duty-free" billionaire has seen one daughter become Crown >Princess of Greece, another an Austro-Hungarian Princess and the third has >married almost equally well. If titles are so redundant, why do American >millionaires spend tens of thousands of pounds to buy ruined Scottish >castles and the few acres around them, so that they can acquire the Baronial >titles which accompany the ruins? >All good fun and I have yet to meet anyone who has refused the offer of a >title or honour, except the Labour politician Anthony Wedgewood-Benn and >after all he had one to start with, 2nd Viscount Stansgate. >Regards, >Mark Sutherland-Fisher >Genealogist: Clan Sutherland >Co-Genealogist: Clan Mackenzie >Professional Genealogist specialising in the Highlands and 18th century >see my web-site: http://www.highland-family-heritage.co.uk >----- Original Message ----- >From: <esi@geotec.net> >To: <SCT-INVERNESS-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2000 11:24 PM >Subject: [SCT-INV-L] How Do Titles Operate? > > > > > > Dear Dave, > > > > How do titles like Earl or Sir work? Do they extinguish with death or > > are they hereditary? > > > > Thank You. > > > > Regards, > > > > > > Mike > > > > > > ---------------------------- > > > > Subject: > > Re: [SCT-INV-L] Re: New Campbell Chief????. > > Resent-Date: > > Tue, 3 Oct 2000 14:57:50 -0700 > > Resent-From: > > SCT-INVERNESS-L@rootsweb.com > > Date: > > Tue, 3 Oct 2000 17:57:39 EDT > > From: > > ScotHeritage@aol.com > > To: > > SCT-INVERNESS-L@rootsweb.com > > > > > > > > > > I just got this off of Rueters. Thought all might be interested. > > > > LONDON (Reuters) - A Hungarian former taxi driver living in Budapest > > has > > emerged as the heir to a Scottish earldom, according to the genealogist > > who > > unearthed his claim. > > > > Huba Andras Campbell, 55 -- who grew up in poverty in rural communist > > Hungary and is now a trucker and car importer -- is next in line to the > > earldom of Breadalbane and Holland, genealogist Robert Noble told the > > Daily > > Telegraph Tuesday. > > > > The Hungarian's noble lineage stems from his great grandfather's > > marriage > > to > > a descendant of the Marquess of Huntly in 1873 while he was building > > bridges > > across the Danube, the genealogist said. > > > > "The family knew of the Scottish connection, but had no idea that they > > were > > now the most senior line," he said. > > > > But even if it is successful, Campbell's claim, being prepared by a > > Scottish > > peerage lawyer, will yield only the title of the earldom, which dates > > back > > to > > 1681. > > > > The Campbell clan were once one of the biggest landowners in Scotland, > > but > > their wealth and lands declined over the years and the last of the > > clan's > > estate was sold off in the 1980s > > > > Dave > > > > > > > >