The Lamptons passed out of the Demesne of Durham a hundred years ago.

They had long before dissipated the estates.
Whatever the title, it lapsed.

The present earldom is a new creation, not the same family at all.

But, I tell you what, if you'll put up five hundred dollars I'll put up five hundred more, we'll fetch our chap across and set him in as a claimant, and, my word for it, Kenealy's fat boy won't be a marker to him!" He was so pleased with his conceit that later along he wrote a novel and called it The Claimant.

It is the only one of his books, though I never told him so, that I could not enjoy.