When the second Marquis Cornwallis died sonless, the marquisate became extinct.

Though mid-sized by global standards, they have entered the consciousness of foreigners too, with takeovers abroad, from Novelis, an aluminium outfit, to Corus, a steel company.

Greatly helped by the French Navy, American and French troops closed in on the British forces in Yorktown, Virginia, commanded by General Cornwallis.