Gents Mag 1848 part 2 p.136

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	Gentleman's Magazine 1848 part 2 p.136 MR. URBAN, IT is strange that families cannot content themselves with probable antiquity; for by doing so, they might gain some credit for the claims they put forth - whereas by aiming at too much, their vaulting ambition oftentimes "overleaps itself and falls on the other side." However, most noble families in England are satisfied to trace their descent to the time of the Norman conquest; a period which has long been considered the satisfactory goal of a pedigree in this country; - while a few, more adventurous, push their pretensions somewhet further into the regions of romance, and the era of dragons, relying on fictions which may be classed with Jack the Giant-Killer, or the Arabian Nights' Entertainments: the French stock of Levi Mirepoix is said to claim their descent from the Virgin Mary! But enough of this; our business at present is ostensibly with MR. GEORGE SHAW, of St. Chad's Upper Mill, Saddleworth, Manchester, who has written a most elaborate letter about Brougham Hall, occupying nearly eight pages in your valuable Magazine, and which epistle, when the architectural, the historical, and genealogical subjects which it contains are considered, would give ample employment to a philosopher for one month properly to indite; but which Mr. George Shaw would fain persuade us he executed off hand, and "compiled from memeory to amuse a friend." - Well, this letter gravely informs us that Lord Brougham's family have been "located at Brougham Hall from the time of the Heptarchy," and makes many other startling announcements which we confess are quite new to us; and because we dared to doubt the truth of these statements, Mr. George Shaw accuses us of making an "extraordinary attack" - of "acrimony of criticism" - "carelessness of research" - and "indifference as to statement," - reproaches which certainly come with a bad grace from one who tells us his description was "compiled from memory," but does not say it was not for publication. Now, Sir, we assure Mr. George Shaw and all whom it may concern, that we entertain no ill feelings in this matter. We have no selfish vanity to gratify - no personal animosity to indulge - our sole object is the maintenance of historical truth: and if we have expressed ourselves strongly here and there, it merely arose from the feeling that the cheat was attempted to be put upon us along with the rest of the community. In this free country men may build and alter houses as they please - they may erect castle composed of all the known orders of architecture, and garnish them with every accompani-
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