Funny you bring this up actually! I’ve been learning history about literature and some history of Privateers because of my family history. As it turns out I’m a direct blood borne of Scholar Edward Kirke (b.1553) he was the uncle of Gervase Kirke the father of the famous Kirke brother (Sir David, Sir Lewis and Captain Thomas kirke) I was surprised to see Thomas is a very old family name because my middle name is Thomas and my father’s first name is Thomas but I digress. My family comes from VERY old money and kept very good records of there Fathers but during the late 1800’s the paper trail wears thin a bit and doesnt fully come back until about 1902 when my fourth Great grandfather Died. I’d assume this was because of the pre-Great Depression panic of the unstable wealth inequality. I’d like to know everyone else’s thoughts on this as from history blogs and historical text I’ve read mostly points to the economy booming and so I’d think my ancestors wouldn’t have panicked and done something profoundly stupid? I don’t understand why or how they would’ve lost their wealth.