This is more of a brick wall than a beginner's query, but I need some fresh eyes and ears. My 4x-great-grandfather Jobe Henry West, Esquire (born April 1802 in Chatham, died July 1880 in Croydon) was certainly wealthy, leaving behind £2.4 million in today's money in his will, but what was £21,000 then seemed a bit much for a simple brewer, so it made me pause for thought. According to other researchers, Jobe's family always maintained that he had aristocratic lineage. The story goes that Jobe's father John West (died 1834 in Hoxton) was the son of a peer but he never claimed his title, inheritance and estates in Middlesex that he was entitled to. Instead he chose to take over the building business to which he was an apprentice, and later on was a ship's carpenter in Chatham dockyard. This aural folklore was handed down and the specific connection was written down by Jobe's sister Sarah. Unfortunately Sarah's proof was stolen. Through my own research I have discovered that John West did indeed die in Hoxton in 1834, but I can't get any further back. I have an idea as to what title John's dad might have had, as Jobe and Sarah's nephew James claimed a connection to the Sackville-West family, but I can't seem to solidify the claim of noble blood, nor have I found a way to contact Burke's Peerage to have them hear my story. Any advice on e-mailing Burke's correctly or seeing if my West family are indeed noble would be most appreciated.