Earl Fitzwilliam

Last updated

Earl Fitzwilliam
Coronet of a British Earl.svg
Wentworth-Fitzwilliam arms.svg
Quarterly, 1st and 4th: Lozengy argent and gules (Fitzwilliam); 2nd and 3rd: sable, a chevron between three leopards' faces, or (Wentworth) [1]
Creation date1716 (Ireland)
1746 (Great Britain)
Created by George I (Ireland)
George II (Great Britain)
Peerage Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Great Britain
First holder William Fitzwilliam, 3rd Baron Fitzwilliam
Last holder Thomas Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 10th Earl Fitzwilliam
Remainder toHeirs male of the first earl's body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titlesViscount Milton
Baron Fitzwilliam
Extinction date21 September 1979
Former seat(s) Wentworth Woodhouse
Milton Hall
MottoAppetitus rationi pareat ("Let your desires be ruled by reason") [1]

Earl Fitzwilliam (or FitzWilliam) was a title in both the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain held by the head of the Fitzwilliam family (later Wentworth-Fitzwilliam). [2]

Contents

History

The Fitzwilliams acquired extensive holdings in the south of the West Riding of Yorkshire, largely through strategic marital alliances. In 1410, Sir John Fitzwilliam of Sprotborough, who died in 1421, married Margaret Clarell, daughter of Thomas Clarell of Aldwark, the descendant of a major Norman landholding family. This is how the Fitzwilliams acquired the Clarell holdings. [3]

Sir William Fitzwilliam (c.1460–1534) was an Alderman and Sheriff of London and acquired the Milton Hall estate in Peterborough in 1502. His grandson Sir William Fitzwilliam served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1571 to 1575 and from 1588 to 1594; he supervised the execution of the death sentence on Mary, Queen of Scots.

Baron Fitzwilliam

His grandson William Fitzwilliam (d. 1643) was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Lord Fitzwilliam, Baron of Liffer, alias Lifford, in the County of Donegal, in 1620. [4] He was the first Baron FitzWilliam.

His son was William FitzWilliam, 2nd Baron FitzWilliam (c.1609 – 21 February 1658).

His son William became 3rd Baron FitzWilliam.

Earl Fitzwilliam

Arms of Fitzwilliam: Lozengy argent and gules Earl FitzWilliam coa.png
Arms of Fitzwilliam: Lozengy argent and gules

The 3rd Baron FitzWilliam succeeded his father in 1658, and in 1716 was created the first Earl Fitzwilliam, of the County of Tyrone with the subsidiary title Viscount Milton, in the County of Westmeath, also in the Peerage of Ireland. [6] The eldest son of the Earl Fitzwilliam bore the courtesy title Viscount Milton. He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl.

The second Earl, John Fitzwilliam, sat as member of parliament for Peterborough. On his death, the titles passed to his son, the third Earl.

The third Earl, William Fitzwilliam, also represented Peterborough in the House of Commons. In April 1742 he was created Lord Fitzwilliam, Baron of Milton in the County of Northampton, in the Peerage of Great Britain, [7] and in 1746 he was further honoured when he was made Earl Fitzwilliam, of Norborough with the subsidiary title Viscount Milton, both in the County of Northampton, also in the Peerage of Great Britain. [8] Lord Fitzwilliam married Lady Anne Watson-Wentworth (died 1769), daughter of Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquess of Rockingham, and sister of Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham. He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl.

The fourth Earl, William Fitzwilliam, was a prominent Whig politician and served as Lord President of the Council and as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. In 1782 he inherited the Watson-Wentworth estates (including Wentworth Woodhouse) on the death of his uncle Lord Rockingham, which made him one of the greatest landowners in the country. When he died the titles passed to his son, the fifth Earl. [9]

The fifth Earl, Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, represented several constituencies in the House of Commons and was made a Knight of the Garter in 1851. In 1856 Lord Fitzwilliam assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Wentworth. He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the sixth Earl.

The sixth Earl was William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam. He sat as member of parliament for Malton and County Wicklow and served as Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire. His eldest son William FitzWilliam, Viscount Milton, was also a member of parliament but predeceased his father. Lord Fitzwilliam was therefore succeeded by his grandson, the seventh Earl. Also, Lady Mabel Fitzwilliam, a socialist politician and "an ardent pioneer in education and social welfare", [10] was a granddaughter of the 6th Earl.

The seventh Earl was William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (25 July 1872 – 15 February 1943), the eldest son of Viscount Milton (William Wentworth Fitzwilliam). He represented Wakefield in Parliament as a Liberal Unionist. When he died the titles passed to his son, the eighth Earl.

The eighth Earl was Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (31 December 1910 – 13 May 1948). He was killed in an air crash in France. On his early death the line of the eldest son of the sixth Earl failed and titles passed to the late Earl's first cousin once removed, the ninth Earl.

The ninth Earl was Eric Spencer Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (4 December 1883 – 3 April 1952). He was the son of Captain the Hon. Sir William Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, fourth son of the sixth Earl. When he died in 1952 this line of the family also failed and the titles were inherited by his second cousin, the tenth Earl.

The tenth Earl was William Thomas George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (28 May 1904 – 21 September 1979). He was the son of George Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, son of the Hon. George Wentworth-FitzWilliam, MP, third son of the fifth Earl. He and his wife had no children.

After extinction

On the death of the tenth Earl, all the titles became extinct. The family seat of Wentworth Woodhouse was sold while the more than 80,000-acre (320 km2) estate including much of the town of Malton, North Yorkshire, was retained. The other family seat, Milton Hall, and its considerable estate of over 50,000 acres (200 km2) together with valuable properties in Peterborough and the surrounding area continue by descent in the family.

Bourne Park House and Estate, near Canterbury, Kent, England, remains in the ownership of Lady Juliet Tadgell, née Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, the only child of the 8th Earl by his wife the former Olive Dorothea Plunket. Much of the Fitzwilliam art collection is still housed here.

Baron Fitzwilliam (1620)

Earl Fitzwilliam (1716; 1746)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Leinster</span> Highest-ranking noble title in the Peerage of Ireland

Duke of Leinster is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in the County of Buckingham (1747), Baron of Offaly, Baron Offaly (1620) and Baron Kildare, of Kildare in the County of Kildare (1870). The viscounty of Leinster is in the Peerage of Great Britain, the barony of Kildare in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, and all other titles in the Peerage of Ireland. The courtesy title of the eldest son and heir of the Duke of Leinster is Marquess of Kildare. The Duke of Leinster is the head of the House of Kildare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquess of Rockingham</span> Marquessate in the Peerage of Great Britain

Marquess of Rockingham, in the County of Northampton, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1746 for Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Earl of Malton. The Watson family descended from Lewis Watson, Member of Parliament for Lincoln. He was created a Baronet, of Rockingham Castle in the County of Northampton, in the Baronetage of England in 1621. In 1645 he was further honoured when he was raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Rockingham. The third Baron served as Lord-Lieutenant of Kent. In 1714 he was created Baron Throwley, Viscount Sondes and Earl of Rockingham in the Peerage of Great Britain. His eldest son Edward Watson, Viscount Sondes, predeceased him and he was succeeded by his grandson, the second Earl. The second Earl was Lord-Lieutenant of Kent before his early death in 1745. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, Thomas. He had previously represented Canterbury in Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Grafton</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for Henry FitzRoy, his second illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland. The most notable duke of Grafton was Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, who served as Prime Minister from 1768–1770.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Carlisle</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Earl of Carlisle is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquess of Lansdowne</span> Title in the Peerage of Great Britain

Marquess of Lansdowne is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain created in 1784, and held by the head of the Petty-Fitzmaurice family. The first Marquess served as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Strafford</span> Earldom in the Peerage of Great Britain

Earl of Strafford is a title that has been created three times in English and British history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Monson</span> Barony in the Peerage of Great Britain

Baron Monson, of Burton in the County of Lincoln, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 18th century for Sir John Monson, 5th Baronet. The Monson family descends from Thomas Monson, of Carleton, Lincolnshire. He sat as Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire, Castle Rising and Cricklade. On 29 June 1611 he was created a Baronet, of Carleton in the County of Lincoln, in the Baronetage of England. His eldest son, the second Baronet, fought as a Royalist during the Civil War and also represented Lincoln in the House of Commons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Peterborough</span>

Earl of Peterborough was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for John Mordaunt, 5th Baron Mordaunt. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry, the second Earl. He was a soldier and courtier. Lord Peterborough had two daughters but no sons. He was succeeded in the barony of Mordaunt by his daughter, Mary, 7th Baroness. The earldom was passed on to his nephew, Charles Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Monmouth, who became the third Earl. He was a prominent soldier and politician. In 1705 he also succeeded his cousin Mary in the barony of Mordaunt. His eldest son John Mordaunt, Viscount Mordaunt, predeceased him, and Lord Peterborough was consequently succeeded by his grandson, Charles, the fourth Earl. The barony of Mordaunt, the viscountcy of Mordaunt and the earldoms of Peterborough and Monmouth, became extinct on the death of the latter's son, the fifth Earl, in 1814. The barony of Mordaunt was passed on to his half-sister, Lady Mary Anastasia Grace Mordaunt.

William FitzWilliam or Fitzwilliam may refer to:

Sir William FitzWilliam (1526–1599) was an English Lord Justice of Ireland and afterwards Lord Deputy of Ireland. In 1587, as Governor of Fotheringhay Castle, he supervised the execution of the death sentence on Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the Member of Parliament for Peterborough and represented County Carlow in the Irish House of Commons. He lived at Gainspark, Essex, and Milton Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam</span> British nobleman and politician

Charles William Wentworth Fitzwilliam, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam in the peerage of Ireland, and 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam in the peerage of Great Britain, was a British nobleman and politician. He was president three times of the Royal Statistical Society in 1838–1840, 1847–1849, and 1853–1855; and president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in its inaugural year (1831–2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, Viscount Milton</span> British nobleman, explorer and Liberal Party politician

William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, Viscount Milton MP was a British nobleman, explorer, and Liberal Party politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houghton Hall, East Riding of Yorkshire</span> Listed mansion in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Houghton Hall, Sancton, near Market Weighton, is a Grade I listed Georgian country mansion in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, set in an estate of 7,800 acres (32 km2). Located on the estate is the village of Sancton and the vestigial remains of the ancient hamlet of Houghton. It was built c. 1765–8 by Philip Langdale to the designs of Thomas Atkinson and underwent minor remodelling in 1960 by Francis Johnson. It is built in pink brick with stone dressing and slate roof, with a three-storey, 5-bay main block.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquess of Rockingham</span> British Whig politician

Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquess of Rockingham, KB, PC (I) of Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1715 until 1728 when he was raised to the Peerage as Baron Malton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 6th Earl Fitzwilliam</span> British peer, nobleman and Liberal Party politician

William Thomas Spencer Wentworth-FitzWilliam, 6th Earl FitzWilliam,, styled Hon. William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam 1815–1835, and Viscount Milton 1835–1857, was a British peer, nobleman, and Liberal Party politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Hall</span> Historical Cambridgeshire home of the Fitzwilliam family

Milton Hall near Peterborough, is the largest private house in Cambridgeshire, England. As part of the Soke of Peterborough, it was formerly in Northamptonshire. It dates from 1594, being the historical home of the Fitzwilliam family, and is situated in an extensive park in which some original oak trees from an earlier Tudor deer park survive. The house is a Grade I listed building; the garden is Grade II*.

William FitzWilliam, 3rd Earl FitzWilliam was a British peer, nobleman, and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 10th Earl Fitzwilliam</span> British peer

William Thomas George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 10th Earl Fitzwilliam JP, known as Tom, of Wentworth Woodhouse, near Rotherham, Yorkshire and of Milton Hall, Peterborough, was a British peer. He was the patron of 33 livings. When he died without issue the earldom became extinct.

William Fitzwilliam, 1st Earl Fitzwilliam MP was an English nobleman, Whig politician, and peer.

William Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam, Viscount Milton, was an English nobleman and politician. He served in Parliament from 1832 to his death in 1835, and was one of the youngest people to serve in Parliament in the modern era.

References

  1. 1 2 Debrett's Peerage. 1862. p. 156. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  2. Brydges, Egerton Collins's Peerage of England; Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Vol. VIII (pp. 374–400) London: F.C. and J. Rivington, 1812.
  3. Marriage of Fitzwilliam and Clarell, Earls of Fitzwilliam, rotherhamweb
  4. By letters patent bearing the date at Westminster, 1 December 18 Jac. I.
  5. Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p. 453.
  6. By letters patent bearing the date at Westminster, 21 July 2 Geo. I.
  7. By letters patent bearing the date at Westminster, 19 April 15 Geo. II.
  8. By letters patent bearing the date at Westminster, 6 September 20 Geo. II.
  9. The Annual Biography and Obituary Vol. XVIII (pp. 93–106) London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, 1834.
  10. "Maltbyonline.co.uk". Archived from the original on 29 November 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2007.

Sources