The Real Life Mystery Behind the SOS Series

It’s probably no surprise to readers that I’m a bit of an Anglophile. I love rummaging through antique stores for vintage English finds–especially English plates, which I collect and display in my kitchen. I was in a small antique store along the Ohio river in 2017 when I saw the spine within a stack of other books right away:  Lodge’s Peerage of the British Empire…

I thought, No way. An encyclopedic volume of the genealogy of the British nobility? And this one was circa 1839?!?

My personal copy of Lodge’s Peerage of the British Empire, 9th Edition, 1839 

I couldn’t get my wallet out fast enough.

A more thorough examination once home revealed the uniqueness of my find; throughout the entries, the original owner(s) had scribbled notes next to the names: “dead,” “married M.P., 1840.” I was running my finger over the ink splatters and tea rings of a real person’s social circle.

An owner inscription, I presume. The page has suffered an attempt at repair, overlaying what seems to be an earlier signature with the later one, seen in the next photo. What name(s) and initials do you see?
This looks to read “O. B. Paterson” to me. What do you think?
“Duke of Northumberland”
“Presumed lost” ?!?
“Created an Earl…” I believe it indicates Viscount Enfield?

To be continued…