Sharp-eyed Britons, poring over copies of Burke's Peerage and Debrett's, noted an odd contradiction in the listing for Sir Robert Dillon, 44, eighth Baronet, of Lismullen in Ireland. Burke's indicated that Sir Robert was heirless, and his nearest blood relative was a spinster sister, Laura Maude Dillon, 43. Debrett's took a rosier view and bold-faced the name of a younger brother, Dr. Laurence Michael Dillon, to signify that he was the heir to the baronetcy.
Debrett's knew a secret. Its editor, C. F. Hankinson, had discovered an amended birth certificate that transformed...
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