A Co Tyrone title is available if a suitable family member can be found to fill it. It must be a man and the name has to be Staples - the search for a baronet has been extended to Canada.
The Co Tyrone Baronetcy of Lissan is up for grabs if the rightful Mr Staples can be located to take on the title of 18th baronet. Otherwise, according to Mr Beir Briers, co-editor of De Bretts Peerage, "the title becomes extinct".
The current baronet, Sir Richard Staples (89), is living in Waterford and has no children. The ancestral home, 28-bedroom Lissan House and 300 acres, just outside Cookstown, is occupied by his cousin, Mrs Hazel Radclyffe Dolling (80). She was left the house by her father, the 13th baronet.
He died in 1970 and, as he had no sons, the title passed to his cousin, a brother of the current baronet. Ms Radclyffe Dolling has one sister who has two girls and a boy, but as the title can only pass through males, her children have no claim.
It is thought, said Ms Radclyffe Dolling yesterday, that there may be an unaware successor in Canada or the United States.
"One of the Staples in Canada is trying to see if there is any link between the Canadian Staples and us." Baronet Richard Staples had, she said, sent a sample of DNA to Canada.
However, Mr Briers said a simple DNA test would not suffice. A complex study of the genealogy would have to be undertaken to establish rightful succession before anyone could assume the title.
He said it was known that a Rev Alexander Staples, Rector of Gowan, who was a junior successor, died in 1864 leaving five sons.
"But nobody knows what became of them. They may have emigrated to Canada, Australia, the United States. And then they may have all left plenty of descendents or may have all died without issue."
Ms Radclyffe Dolling stressed yesterday that any successor would have no claim on Lissan House upon her death.
"They will just get the title, the right to call themselves 'Sir'." On her death the 400-year-old house will be handed over to the Friends of Lissan House Trust, which she established five years ago.
Having lived in the house all her life she is determined that it should be restored and used for the benefit of the community.
It currently features as one of the three Northern Irish finalists in BBC architectural history programme Restoration. Viewers can vote on which big house they want the programme to restore. The winning house will have an estimated £4 million spent on restoring it.
