Earl Sondes

Last updated

Earl Sondes, of Lees Court in the County of Kent, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1880 for the former Conservative Member of Parliament for East Kent, George Milles, 5th Baron Sondes. He was made Viscount Throwley, of the County of Kent, at the same time, which title was used as a courtesy title by the eldest son and heir apparent of the Earl. The titles became extinct on the death of his great-grandson, the fifth Earl, in 1996.

Contents

Memorial to Lewis Thomas Watson, 2nd Baron Sondes, in St. Leonard's Church, Rockingham Memorial to Lewis Watson, 2nd Baron Sondes.jpg
Memorial to Lewis Thomas Watson, 2nd Baron Sondes, in St. Leonard's Church, Rockingham

The title of Baron Sondes, of Lees Court in the County of Kent, was created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1760 for Lewis Watson. Born the Hon. Lewis Monson, he was the second son of John Monson, 1st Baron Monson, and his wife Lady Margaret Watson, youngest daughter of Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham (see these titles for earlier history of the families). In 1746 he assumed the surname of Watson on succeeding to the estates of his cousin, Thomas Watson, 3rd Earl of Rockingham (who was also Viscount Sondes). His son, the second Baron, represented Hedon in the House of Commons. His younger son, the fourth Baron, who succeeded his brother in 1836, assumed in 1820 by Royal licence the surname of Milles only. On his death the title passed to his son, the aforementioned fifth Baron, who was created Earl Sondes in 1880.

The sister of the 4th Earl Sondes, Lady Isobel Milles-Lade (d.1990), was married to the 18th Earl of Derby, of Knowsley Hall, Lancashire.

The family seat of the Earls Sondes was Lees Court, in the village of Sheldwich, three miles south of Faversham. The Lees Court Estate is today owned by the Countess Sondes, widow of the 5th and last Earl Sondes. Lees Court itself was entirely destroyed by fire in November 1910, but was carefully rebuilt and is now subdivided into private apartments. The Estate during the early 1900s was 85,000 acres. Today the Estate is 7,000 acres which includes the Swale Estuary and the Faversham and Oare Creeks.

Barons Sondes (1760)

Earls Sondes (1880)

Arms

Coat of arms of Earl Sondes
Coronet
A Coronet of an Earl
Crest
1st: A Leopard's Head affrontée erased Sable bezantée charged on the neck with two Cross Crosslets fitchée in saltire Or (Lade); 2nd: A Lion rampant Erminois holding between the paws a Fer-de-moulin Sable (Milles)
Escutcheon
Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Argent on a Fess wavy between three Escallops Sable two Cross Crosslets fitchée in saltire Or (Lade); 2nd and 3rd, Ermine a Fer-de-moulin between two Martlets in pale Sable on a Chief engrailed Azure two Marlion's Wings conjoined Or (Milles)
Supporters
Dexter: A Griffin Argent gorged with a Marquess's Coronet Or; Sinister: A Bear proper gorged with a Belt Argent thereon two Crescents Buckle and Pendant Or
Motto
Esto Quod Esse Videris (Be what you seem to be)

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Earl of Winchilsea is a title in the Peerage of England. It has been held by the Finch-Hatton family of Kent, and united with the title of Earl of Nottingham under a single holder since 1729.

<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">Earl of Romney</span> Earldom in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Earl of Romney is a title that has been created twice.

<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 Fitzwilliam</span> Earldom in the Peerage of Great Britain

Earl Fitzwilliam was a title in both the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain held by the head of the Fitzwilliam family.

The Master of the Buckhounds was an officer in the Master of the Horse's department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot. The role was to oversee a hunting pack; a buckhound is smaller than a staghound and used for coursing the smaller breeds of deer, especially fallow deer. The position was abolished by the Civil List Act 1901.

Thomas Watson, 3rd Earl of Rockingham, styled Hon. Thomas Watson until 1745, was an English nobleman and politician. He represented Canterbury in the House of Commons and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Kent after succeeding to the earldom, but died shortly thereafter.

Henry George Herbert Milles-Lade, 5th Earl Sondes, styled Viscount Throwley between 1941 and 1970, was a British peer. He inherited the title upon the death of his father in 1970 and the peerage became extinct when he died without an heir.

John Monson, 1st Baron Monson, known as Sir John Monson, 5th Baronet, from 1727 to 1728, was a British politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham</span> English peer and politician

Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham was an English peer and politician. He was the eldest son of Edward Watson, 2nd Baron Rockingham and Anne Wentworth, daughter of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford.

George Watson Milles, 1st Earl Sondes, was a British peer and Conservative politician. Sondes was the son of George Milles, 4th Baron Sondes by his wife Eleanor Knatchbull, 5th daughter of Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Baronet.

George Sondes, 1st Earl of Feversham KB was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1626 and 1676 and was then created a peer and member of the House of Lords.

Lewis Watson, 2nd Earl of Rockingham was a British peer, styled Viscount Sondes from 1722 to 1724.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Milles</span> English landowner, horticulturalist and Tory politician

Richard Milles was an English landowner, horticulturalist and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1780.

Edward Watson, Viscount Sondes of Lees Court, Sheldwich, Kent, and Park Place, London, was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1708 and 1722.

Lewis Watson, 1st Baron Sondes, called Hon. Lewis Monson before 1746 and Hon. Lewis Watson from 1746 to 1760, was a British Whig politician and peer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Watson, 2nd Baron Sondes</span> British Whig politician and peer

Lewis Thomas Watson, 2nd Baron Sondes, was a British Whig politician and peer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Milles, 4th Baron Sondes</span> English peer

George John Milles, 4th Baron Sondes, styled Hon. George Watson until 1820 and Hon. George Milles from 1820 to 1836, was an English peer.

George Edward Milles-Lade, 2nd Earl Sondes, styled Viscount Throwley from 1880 to 1894, was an English aristocrat and amateur cricketer. He was the eldest son of George Milles, 1st Earl Sondes, and succeeded as the 2nd Earl in September 1894. He was born at Lees Court at Sheldwich south of Faversham in Kent in 1861.

Henry Augustus Milles was an English cricketer who played in four first-class cricket matches towards the end of the 19th century. Milles a member of the Sondes family and was styled The Honourable Henry Augustus Milles from 1880 when the title was created for his father. In early 1900 he changed his surname to Henry Augustus Milles-Lade.

References