Sassoon baronets

Two Sassoon baronetcies were created, in 1890 and 1909 respectively, for members of the Anglo-Indo-Iraqi and Indo-Iraqi branches of the Sassoon family of Baghdadi Jewish descent.

The Sassoon baronetcy of Kensington-gore and of Eastern-terrace was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 22 March 1890 for the Anglo-Iraqi businessman Albert (formerly Abdullah) Sassoon, whose family hailed from Baghdad.^[1] The second Baronet, Sir Edward Sassoon, represented Hythe as a Liberal Unionist Party Member of Parliament from May 1899 until his death in 1912.

The third Baronet, Sir Philip Sassoon, was a Conservative British politician, art collector and social host, who represented Hythe in the House of Commons from 1912. He served as Under-Secretary of State for Air from 1924 to 1929 and again from 1931 to 1937, and First Commissioner of Public Works in 1937. He was appointed Privy Councillor in 1929. On his death in 1939, the baronetcy became extinct.

The Sassoon baronetcy of Bombay was created on 9 February 1909 for Sir Albert's nephew, Jacob Elias Sassoon.^[2] He had no children, so a special remainder enabled his younger brother to inherit. The third Baronet was also childless, thus the title became extinct upon his death in 1961.

The special remainder is as follows: The special remainder to the baronetcy of Sassoon created in 1909 From the "London Gazette" of 2 February 1909 (issue 28220, page 826):- 'The King has been pleased to give directions for the preparation of a Warrant for His Majesty's Royal Sign Manual, authorizing Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, conferring the dignity of a Baronet of the said United Kingdom upon Jacob Elias Sassoon, of the City of Bombay, in the Empire of India, Esquire, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, with remainder to Edward Elias Sassoon, of Grosvenor-place, in the City of Westminster, Esquire, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten.'

On this basis, the line failed on the death of the third Baronet. The title could not have been transferred by adoption and is therefore extinct.