Note 50 — MAKING THE INDEX

The British Museum enters British noblemen under the family name. The reasons for entry under the title are that British noblemen are always so spoken of, and always sign by their titles only. The reasons against it are that the founders of noble families are often as well known—sometimes even better—by their family name as by their titles (e.g., Charles Jenkinson afterwards Lord Liverpool, Sir Robert Walpole, afterwards Earl of Oxford); that the same man bears different titles in different parts of his life thus Philip Stanhope published his "History of England from the Peace of Utrecht" as Lord Mahon, and his "Reign of Queen Anne" as Earl Stanhope; that it separates members of the same family (Lord Chancellor Eldon would be under Eldon and his father and all his brothers and sisters under the family name Scott), and brings together members of different families (thus the earldom of Bath has been held by members of the families of Shaunde, Bourchier, Granville, and Pulteney, and the family name of the present Marquis of Bath is Thynne), which last argument would be more to the point in planning a family history. The same objections apply to the entry of French noblemen under their titles, about which there can be no hesitation. The strongest argument in favor of the Museum rule is that it is well-established, and that it is desirable that there should be some uniform rule.