Calling George Izard a “Nepo Baby” might be laying it on a little bit thick, but it’s pretty clear he came from some privileged people.

His mother was Alice DeLancey. She was the niece of New York Governor James DeLancey and a descendant of Stephanus Van Cortlandt and Gertrude Schuyler. And if you’re paying attention as you move around New York, you’ll realize that those are some prominent names he’s got in his pedigree.

George’s father was Ralph Izard, who was a delegate to the Continental Congress in the early 1780 and was able to pledge his estate in South Carolina to help pay for war ships during the Revolution. Ralph was elected to the US Senate and served from 1789 to 1795, and served as President Pro Tem for some time during the Third Congress.

So while not quite a Nepo Baby, George Izard was certainly from a privileged background (as I said), and made good use of it.

Now, something I didn’t know until I researched this episode is that gout, which is what killed Izard, and Lumbago are essentially the same thing. In the 18th century, “gout” was the word used if it affected the feet. If it was in the back or the loins, it was “lumbago,” in the knees it’s called “gonagra”, and other joints follow an “–agra” pattern. Gout is more easily treatable nowadays than it was then, but there are concerns that it’s starting to become a common ailment again.

If you’re interested in visiting George’s remains, you can visit Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock.

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