Fitton Gerard, 3rd Earl of Macclesfield (15 October 1663 – 26 December 1702) was a British peer, styled Hon. Fitton Gerard until 1701. [1]
He was the younger son of Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, and represented several constituencies, mostly in Lancashire, in the House of Commons of England, before succeeding his brother Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield to the earldom in 1701. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Lancashire that year, but died in the following year, the earldom becoming extinct.
After his death, there was a long legal dispute between the Duke of Hamilton, and Lord Mohun over who should succeed to Gawsworth Hall and Macclesfield's estates. Hamilton's claim was through his wife, Elizabeth Gerard, a granddaughter of Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, while Mohun's was as the named heir of his friend Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield. On 15 November 1712, the two men fought a famous duel in Hyde Park, Westminster, described in Thackeray's The History of Henry Esmond and in Bernard Burke's Anecdotes of the Aristocracy. [2]
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279. Most of the Ferrers property and the Derby title were then held by the family of Henry III. The title merged in the Crown upon Henry IV's accession to the throne in 1399.
The title Duke of Abercorn is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1868 and bestowed upon James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn. Although the Dukedom is in the Peerage of Ireland, it refers to Abercorn, West Lothian, and the Duke also bears four titles in Peerage of Scotland and two in the Peerage of Great Britain, and is one of only three peers who have titles in those three peerages. The Duke of Abercorn also claims the French title of Duke of Châtellerault, created in 1548.
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that Peerage, and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas. The title, the town of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, and many places around the world are named after members of the Hamilton family. The ducal family's surname, originally "Hamilton", is now "Douglas-Hamilton". Since 1711, the Dukedom has been held together with the Dukedom of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the Dukes since that time have been styled Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, along with several other subsidiary titles.
Lieutenant General James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton and 1st Duke of Brandon was a Scottish nobleman, the Premier Peer of Scotland, and Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. He was a Master of the Great Wardrobe, Master-General of the Ordnance, Ambassador, and Colonel-in-Chief of his regiment. Hamilton was a major investor in the failed Darien Scheme, which cost many of Scotland's ruling class their fortunes, and he played a leading role in the events leading up to the Act of Union in 1707. He died on 15 November 1712 as the result of a celebrated duel in Hyde Park, Westminster, with Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun, over a disputed inheritance.
Earl of Balcarres is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1651 for Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Lord Balcarres. Since 1848, the title has been held jointly with the Earldom of Crawford, and the holder is also the hereditary clan chief of Clan Lindsay.
Earl of Macclesfield is a title that has been created twice. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1679 in favour of the soldier and politician Charles Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard. He had already been created Baron Gerard, of Brandon in the County of Suffolk, in 1645, and was made Viscount Brandon, of Brandon in the County of Suffolk, at the same time as he was given the earldom. These titles are also in the Peerage of England. Lord Macclesfield was the great-grandson of the distinguished judge Sir Gilbert Gerard, Master of the Rolls from 1581 to 1594. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He was involved in the Rye House Plot of 1683, was sentenced to death but later pardoned by the King. On his death without legitimate issue in 1701 the titles passed to his younger brother, the third Earl. He had earlier represented Yarmouth, Lancaster and Lancashire in the House of Commons. When he died in 1702 the titles became extinct.
There have been three baronies created for the Gerard family who lived historically at Bryn, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire and Kingsley, Cheshire, in the 13th century. The third and current barony was created in 1876.
Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers PC was the second son of Thomas, 3rd Earl and his first wife Elizabeth Scrope. After the death about 1680 of his elder brother Thomas, styled Viscount Colchester, he was designated by that title until he succeeded to the peerage.
Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield was an English peer, soldier and MP.
Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, PC was an English aristocrat, soldier and courtier.
Earl of Norwich was a title that was created four times in British history, three times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1626 in favour of the courtier and politician Edward Denny, 1st Baron Denny. He had already been created Baron Denny, of Waltham in the County of Essex, in 1604, also in the Peerage of England. Lord Norwich was the grandson of Sir Anthony Denny, confidant of Henry VIII, and the nephew of Sir Edward Denny. He had no sons and the titles became extinct on his death in 1630.
Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun was an English politician best known for his frequent participation in duels and for his reputation as a rake. He was killed in the celebrated Hamilton–Mohun Duel in Hyde Park.
James Hamilton, 7th Earl of AbercornPC (Ire) (1686–1744), styled Lord Paisley from 1701 to 1734, was a Scottish and Irish nobleman and peer. An amateur scientist and musician, he published a book on magnetism in 1729 and a treatise on musical harmony in 1730, which was subsequently emended and re-issued by his teacher, Dr. Pepusch.
William Richard George Stanley, 9th Earl of Derby, styled Lord Strange from 1655 to 1672, was an English peer and politician.
Sir Gilbert Gerard was a prominent lawyer, politician, and landowner of the Tudor period. He was returned six times as a member of the English parliament for four different constituencies. He was Attorney-General for more than twenty years during the reign of Elizabeth I, as well as vice-chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and later served as Master of the Rolls. He acquired large estates, mainly in Lancashire and Staffordshire.
Sandon Hall is a 19th-century country mansion, the seat of the Earl of Harrowby, at Sandon, Staffordshire, 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Stafford. It is a Grade II* listed building set in 400 acres (1.6 km2) of parkland.
The Fitton Baronetcy, of Gawsworth in the County of Chester, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 2 October 1617 by James I for Edward Fitton, of Gawsworth Hall, Gawsworth, Cheshire. The Fitton family were settled in Gawsworth from about the 13th century. The first Baronet's ancestors included Sir Edward Fitton (1500–1553), High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1544 and Sir Edward Fitton (1527–1579), Treasurer of Ireland and President of Connaught. His father Sir Edward Fitton (1548–1606) was an unsuccessful colonist of Munster. His sister, Mary Fitton, was Maid of Honour to Elizabeth I.
Richard Butler of Kilcash (1615–1701) was an Irish landowner, the third son of Thomas Butler, Viscount Thurles and brother of James, 1st Duke of Ormonde. He sided with the Irish Confederacy at the Irish Rebellion of 1641. He scouted the enemy on the morning of the Battle of Cloughleagh. His descendants would succeed to the earldom of Ormond following the failure in 1658 of the senior branch of the family.
William Keith, 2nd Earl of Kintore, was a Scottish nobleman.
Parliament of England | ||
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Preceded by Thomas Wyndham William Hewer | Member of Parliament for Yarmouth 1689–1690 With: Sir Robert Holmes | Succeeded by Sir John Trevor Charles Duncombe |
Preceded by Anthony Parker Roger Kenyon | Member of Parliament for Clitheroe 1693–1695 With: Roger Kenyon | Succeeded by Christopher Lister Ambrose Pudsay |
Preceded by Thomas Preston Roger Kirkby | Member of Parliament for Lancaster 1697–1698 With: Roger Kirkby | Succeeded by Roger Kirkby Robert Heysham |
Preceded by Hon. James Stanley Sir Ralph Assheton, Bt | Member of Parliament for Lancashire 1698 – February 1701 With: Hon. James Stanley | Succeeded by Hon. James Stanley Richard Bold |
Peerage of England | ||
Preceded by Charles Gerard | Earl of Macclesfield 1701–1702 | Extinct |