s the most picturesque figure of his
time, and one of the most heroic and illustrious men that "this blessed
plot... this England," this mother of heroes every produced.

The Burtons, a Westmoreland family [24] who had settled in Ireland,
included among their members several men of eminence, not only in the
army, which had always powerfully attracted them, but also in the navy
and the church. [25] For long there was a baronetcy in the family, but
it fell into abeyance about 1712, and all attempts of the later Burtons
to substantiate their claim to it proved ineffectual. [26]

Burton supposed himself to be descended from Louis XIV. La Belle
Montmorency, a beauty of the French court, had, it seems, a son, of
which she rather believed Louis to be the father. In any circumstances
she called the baby Louis Le Jeune, put him in a basket of flowers
and carried him to Ireland, where he became known as Louis Drelincourt
Young. Louis Young's grand-daughter married the Rev. Edward Burton,
Richard Burton's grandfather. Thus it is possible that a runnel of the
blood of "le grand monarque" tripped through Burton's veins. But
Burton is a Romany name, and as Richard Burton had certain gipsy
characteristics, some persons have credited him with gipsy lineage.
Certainly no man could have been more given to wandering. Lastly,
through his maternal grandmother, he was descended from the famous
Scotch marauder, Rob Roy.

Burton's parents were Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Netterville Burton, a
tall, handsome man with sallow skin, dark hair, and coal-black eyes,
and Martha Beckwith, the accomplished but plain daughter of Richard
and Sarah Baker, of Barham House (now "Hillside" [27]), Elstree,
Hertfordshire.

Richard Baker was an opulent country gentleman, and the most important
personage in the parish. Judging from the size of his pew at church,
"No. 19," he must also have been a man of eminent piety, for it
contained sixteen sittings. At all events he kept the parish in
admirable order, and, as churchwarden, discountenanced unreasonable
sleeping in church. Thanks to his patronage the choir made marked
progress, and eventually there was no louder in the county. In 1813,
we find him overseer with one George Olney. He took a perfunctory [28]
interest in the village school (where, by the by, Arthur Orton, the
Tichborne claimant, received his elaborate education), and was for a
time "director." He led the breezy life of a country gentleman. With h