Until its acceptance by the National Trust, Belton House was always in the ownership of the family of its builder, though the failure of three generations to produce a son and heir caused the ownership to pass sideways and sometimes through the female line.
Until its acceptance by the National Trust, Belton House was always in the ownership of the family of its builder, albeit often through tortuous descent following the failure of three generations to produce a son and heir. This caused the ownership to pass sideways and sometimes backwards through the female line.