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114 HISTORY' OF StAFFORD. the heir~ male of their bodies. The said Sir Wm. Wa!! created Viscoun( Sta:fford, in the same year, but he was beheaderl on Tow-er-Hill~ in 1678, for being concerned in the Popish Plot, and being attainted, all his honours were forfeited, but his widow was created a Countess for life, in 1688, and died irr 1693. Her son, Hertry Stajf&rd Hmvard, was created EARL STAFFOIW, in 1688, with remainder, failing his issue male, to John and Francis his brothers, and their issue male. He was succeeded by his nephew, William, in 171!t, and the latter by his son, William Mathias, in 1715, but he dying without issue, in 175!, his uncle, John Paul Stafford Howard, became the 4th and last Earl of Stafford under the new creation, and died without issue, in 1762, when the earldom became extinct. The reversal of the attainder of Sir Wm. Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, being passed by an act of the crown, in 1824, Sm GEoRGE JERNINGITAM succeeded to the Barony of Stafford as heir-general of the bodies of the said Viscount and Mary his wife ; though both be, and his son ·and successor, George William Stafford-Jerningltam, the present Baron Stafford,* have, during the last nine years, been greatly annoyed by the CLAIMS OF MR. RICHARD STAFFORD "COOKE, who, in his expensive but fruitless litigations, declares t"bat be is heir-general of Dorotby, daughter of Henry, who was created Baron Stafford, in 1547, which Dorothy married Sir Wil­ liam Stafford, of Grafton. Admitting this descent, it is difficult to find any real claim which it affords to the Barony of Stafford. The ancient barony undoubtedly became FORFEITED on the at­ tainder of Edward, Duke of Buckingham, in 1521, and which attainder has never been teversed. Henry Stafford, his san and heir, was created Baron Sta:fford de navo with an express limita­ tion to " the heirs male of his body coming,, by an act of Pari. 1 Edward VI. 1547, and which dignity became EXtiNCT on the termination of the male descendants of the said Henry, about the year 1640. It_ is thus ~lear, that after the attainder o! Edward, Duke of Bnckmgham, 11'1. 1521, a Barony of Stafford m fee, and as su'Ch descendible to heirs general, never existed, until that ereated to Sir William Stafford, and Mary his wife, in 1640; when, in default of issue male, the' barony was limited to the HEIRS OF THIEK BODIES. The attainder of William Viscount Stafford, prevented his issue from inheriting his dignities ; and thdUgh it did not affect his wife's honours during her life, it in effect produced their extinction on her demise, as it prevented h'er descenda:uts from succeeding to them until the reversal of the said attainder m 1824; but as 1\fr. Cooke does not descend from the first Visco'Unt and Viscountess Stafford, he, of course, can d~tive no benefit from the said creation ; not coll.ld the at­ ttrinder, which impeded the descent of their dignities, in any • Grnnville Levesort Gower, who was created MARQuts OP STAFFORD, in 1786,. derived his title not from the town, but from the county of Stafford; and it is now held by his grandson, the Duke of Sutherland. (Vide Trentham.) .

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