Southwark, Sept. 24, 1851.
The accompanying extract is from the History of the borough of Stafford,
in White's _Directory and Gazetteer of Staffordshire_, which is just
published:--
"The ancient custom of _Borough-English_ formerly prevailed here,
by which the youngest son succeeded to property, as heir-at-law,
in preference to the elder children. The origin of this part of
our common law is not very well ascertained, but it is generally
supposed to have arisen from the ancient system of _vassalage_,
which gave the lord of the manor certain rights over his _vassal's
bride_, and thus rendered the legitimacy of the eldest born
uncertain; or perhaps it may have originated in the natural
presumption, that the youngest child was least capable of
providing for itself."