The Wentworth Genealogy - English and American #270881

In the year 1871, the author published, for private distribution among persons bearing the name of Wentworth and the descend ants of such persons, only, an edition of one thousand copies of the Wentworth Genealogy in two volumes of the size of two of those of the present or first public edition. That earlier edition will be hereafter known as the private or first edition. Copies were distributed gratuitously into all parts of the world where persons thus named, or their descendants, resided, as a means of procuring additional facts and of correcting errors. Each copy was numbered, and the name of each person receiving it was registered, and thereby a list of invaluable correspondents was secured. Four hundred of the copies, however, were destroyed by the Chicago fire of the 8th and 9th of October, 1871; but the other six hundred were placed where they would best promote the object of the author. How well this experiment succeeded can best be ascertained by comparing this edition with the private edition. It will be difficult to mention any branch of the British nobility or of eminent British commoners bearing the name of Wentworth or claiming descent from Wentworth ancestors, or in fact any persons claiming such descent having any record in English history, who will not be found in this edition traced to the same ancestry as William Wentworth, the emigrant settler of America.<br><br>Although many new families, and many new members of the same family, are introduced in this work, it was thought best not to change the numbers given to persons in the private edition; and so the original plan has been continued by giving to the new persons introduced numbers supplemental to those which they followed.