Rights Of Adopted Children

[DTCwordfan]

A debate that went on yesterday - not on AB and for your heraldry/history/family buffs. The question, a simple one but one that I/we do not know the answer to. If a Lord or a Duke adopts a child and has no other offspring, does that child, let's say a boy for simplicity's sake, have the right to inherit the title.

I know that certain peerages have extraneous rights to inheritance, such as with the Duke of Malborough where there are rights as to women taking the title to continue the line - could this take precedence if so decreed and if there is no automatic grant above?

It's an interesting one......

[DTCwordfan]

There are, apparently, 111 what they term 'suo jure' female titles peeresses, including Duchesses, such as Hamilton, Fife and Atholl at the moment.

[BlackadderV]

It would appear not.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110504115125AAEZJBv

[DTCwordfan]

thanks for that - though there is a comment at the end negating the previous arguments...I'm just wondering if it does come down to the letter of patent, as with the Hamilton title, and that was my reasoning yesterday.

[BlackadderV]

Some more info here @ 1.7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtesy_titles_in_the_United_Kingdom

[DTCwordfan]

Thanks Blackadder.

[Peter Pedant]

google
can an adopted child inherit a title

and it gives all sort so links to keep you out of bed.

as far as I can see there was no legal adoption before 1926
so basically the answer would be no unless allowed for by statute.