List of marquesses in the peerages of Britain and Ireland

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This is a list of the 34 present and extant marquesses in the peerages of the Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, Kingdom of Great Britain, Kingdom of Ireland, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1922. It does not mention any Marquessates held as a subsidiary title of a Duke. For a more complete listing, which adds these "hidden" Marquessates as well as extant, extinct, dormant, abeyant, and forfeit ones, see List of marquessates in the peerages of Britain and Ireland.

Contents

They were a relatively late introduction to the British peerage, and on the evening of the Coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838, the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne explained to her why (from her journals):

"I spoke to Ld M. about the numbers of Peers present at the Coronation, & he said it was quite unprecedented. I observed that there were very few Viscounts, to which he replied "There are very few Viscounts," that they were an odd sort of title & not really English; that they came from Vice-Comites; that Dukes & Barons were the only real English titles; — that Marquises were likewise not English, & that people were mere made Marquises, when it was not wished that they should be made Dukes". [1]

Order of precedence

Heraldic representation of the Coronet of a British Marquess. Coronet of a British Marquess.svg
Heraldic representation of the Coronet of a British Marquess.

The general order of precedence among Marquesses is:

  1. Marquesses in the Peerage of England
  2. Marquesses in the Peerage of Scotland
  3. Marquesses in the Peerage of Great Britain
  4. Marquesses in the Peerage of Ireland created before 1801
  5. Marquesses in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and Marquesses in the Peerage of Ireland created after 1801

Marquesses in the Peerages of Britain and Ireland

Key
Heir apparent to the peerage
Heir presumptive to the peerage
OrderTitleDate of creationArmsCurrent holderPeerageHeir
1The Marquess of Winchester 1551 Marquess of Winchester COA.svg Christopher Paulet, 19th Marquess of Winchester EnglandMichael Paulet, Earl of Wiltshire
2The Marquess of Huntly 1599 Marquess of Huntly arms.svg Granville Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly ScotlandAlastair Gordon, Earl of Aboyne
3The Marquess of Queensberry 1682 Arms of the Marquess of Queensberry.svg David Douglas, 12th Marquess of Queensberry ScotlandSholto Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig
4The Marquess of Tweeddale 1694 Marquess of Tweeddale arms.svg Charles Hay, 14th Marquess of Tweeddale ScotlandLord Alistair Hay (brother)
5The Marquess of Lothian 1701 Ker.svg Michael Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian [2] ScotlandLord Ralph Kerr (brother)
6The Marquess of Lansdowne 1784 Marquess of Lansdowne.svg Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice, 9th Marquess of Lansdowne Great BritainSimon Petty-FitzMaurice, Earl of Kerry
7The Marquess Townshend 1787 Marquess of Townshend COA.svg Charles Townshend, 8th Marquess Townshend Great BritainThomas Townshend, Viscount Raynham
8The Marquess of Salisbury 1789 Marquess of Salisbury COA.svg Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury [3] Great BritainRobert Edward William Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne
9The Marquess of Bath 1789 Bath, marquess of.svg Ceawlin Thynn, 8th Marquess of Bath Great BritainJohn Thynn, Viscount Weymouth
10The Marquess of Hertford 1793 Marquess of Hertford.svg Henry Seymour, 9th Marquess of Hertford Great BritainWilliam Seymour, Earl of Yarmouth
11The Marquess of Bute 1796 Marquess of Bute COA.svg John Bryson Crichton-Stuart, 8th Marquess of Bute Great Britain Lord Anthony Crichton-Stuart (uncle)
12The Marquess of Waterford 1789 Marquess of Waterford COA.svg Henry Beresford, 9th Marquess of Waterford IrelandRichard de la Poer Beresford, Earl of Tyrone
13The Marquess of Downshire 1789 Arms of Hill, Marquess of Downshire.svg Nicholas Hill, 9th Marquess of Downshire IrelandEdmund Hill, Earl of Hillsborough
14The Marquess of Donegall 1791 Marquess of Donegall COA.svg Patrick Chichester, 8th Marquess of Donegall IrelandJames Chichester, Earl of Belfast
15The Marquess of Headfort 1800 Taylour-Quin arms (Headfort).svg Christopher Taylour, 7th Marquess of Headfort IrelandThomas Taylour, Earl of Bective
16The Marquess of Sligo 1800 Coat of arms of the Marquess of Sligo.svg Sebastian Browne, 12th Marquess of Sligo IrelandChristopher Browne, Earl of Altamont
17The Marquess of Ely 1800 Blason Es famille Aincoain 1 (Navarre).svg John Tottenham, 9th Marquess of Ely IrelandLord Timothy Tottenham (brother)
18The Marquess of Exeter 1801 Marquess of Exeter COA.svg Michael Cecil, 8th Marquess of Exeter United KingdomAnthony Cecil, Lord Burghley
19The Marquess of Northampton 1812 Coat of arms of the Marquess of Northampton.svg Spencer Compton, 7th Marquess of Northampton United KingdomDaniel Compton, Earl Compton
20The Marquess Camden 1812 Marquess of Camden COA.svg David Pratt, 6th Marquess Camden United KingdomJames Pratt, Earl of Brecknock
21The Marquess of Anglesey 1815 Arms of Paget.svg Charles Paget, 8th Marquess of Anglesey United KingdomBenedict Paget, Earl of Uxbridge
22The Marquess of Cholmondeley 1815 Arms of Cholmondeley, Marquess of Cholmondeley.svg David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley United KingdomAlexander Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage
23The Marquess of Londonderry 1816 [Notes 1] Arms of Stewart, Marquess of Londonderry.svg Frederick Aubrey Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 10th Marquess of Londonderry IrelandLord Reginald Vane-Tempest-Stuart (brother)
24The Marquess Conyngham 1816 [Notes 2] Coat of arms of Marquess Conyngham.svg Henry Conyngham, 8th Marquess Conyngham IrelandAlexander Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles
25The Marquess of Ailesbury 1821 Coats of Arms of the Bruce family (Marquess of Ailesbury).svg Michael Brudenell-Bruce, 8th Marquess of Ailesbury United Kingdom David Brudenell-Bruce, Earl of Cardigan
26The Marquess of Bristol 1826 Marquess of Bristol COA.svg Frederick Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol United KingdomFrederick Hervey, Earl Jermyn
27The Marquess of Ailsa 1831 Marquess of Ailsa COA.svg David Kennedy, 9th Marquess of Ailsa United KingdomArchibald Kennedy, Earl of Cassilis
28The Marquess of Normanby 1838 Marquess of Normanby COA.svg Constantine Phipps, 5th Marquess of Normanby United KingdomJohn Phipps, Earl of Mulgrave
29The Marquess of Abergavenny 1876 Arms of Neville, Marquess of Abergavenny.svg Christopher Nevill, 6th Marquess of Abergavenny United Kingdomnone; David Michael Ralph Nevill (cousin) is heir presumptive to the Earldom of Abergavenny
30The Marquess of Zetland 1892 Marquess of Zetland COA.svg Mark Dundas, 4th Marquess of Zetland United KingdomRobin Dundas, Earl of Ronaldshay
31The Marquess of Linlithgow 1902 Marquess of Linlithgow Arms.svg Adrian Hope, 4th Marquess of Linlithgow United KingdomAndrew Hope, Earl of Hopetoun
32The Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair 1916 Arms of the Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair.svg George Gordon, 8th Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair United KingdomIvo Gordon, Earl of Haddo
33The Marquess of Milford Haven 1917 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven-CoA-Shield.svg George Mountbatten, 4th Marquess of Milford Haven United KingdomHenry Mountbatten, Earl of Medina
34The Marquess of Reading 1926 Arms of Isaacs.svg Simon Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading United KingdomJulian Isaacs, Viscount Erleigh

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Marquess of Londonderry was created after the Acts of Union 1800. It takes precedence after earlier Marquessates of the United Kingdom.
  2. ↑ The Marquess of Conyngham was created after the Acts of Union 1800. It takes precedence after earlier Marquessates of the United Kingdom.

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Peerages in the United Kingdom form a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles, composed of various ranks, and within the framework of the Constitution of the United Kingdom form a constituent part of the legislative process and the British honours system. The British monarch is considered the fount of honour and is notionally the only person who can grant peerages, though there are many conventions about how this power is used, especially at the request of the British government. The term peerage can be used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titled nobility, and individually to refer to a specific title. British peerage title holders are termed peers of the Realm.

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The order of precedence in the United Kingdom is the sequential hierarchy for Peers of the Realm, officers of state, senior members of the clergy, holders of the various Orders of Chivalry, and is mostly determined, but not limited to, birth order, place in the line of succession, or distance from the reigning monarch. The order of precedence can also be applied to other persons in the three legal jurisdictions within the United Kingdom:

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The title Duke of Queensberry was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 3 February 1684 along with the subsidiary title Marquess of Dumfriesshire for the 1st Marquess of Queensberry. The Dukedom was held along with the Marquessate of Queensberry until the death of the 4th Duke in 1810, when the Marquessate was inherited by Sir Charles Douglas of Kelhead, 5th Baronet, while the Dukedom was inherited by the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch. Since then the title of Duke of Queensberry has been held by the Dukes of Buccleuch.

The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, but was itself replaced by the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1801.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry</span> 19th-century Irish marquess

Frederick William Robert Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry (1805–1872), styled Viscount Castlereagh from 1822 to 1854, was a British nobleman and Tory politician. He was briefly Vice-Chamberlain of the Household under Sir Robert Peel between December 1834 and April 1835.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquesses in the United Kingdom</span> Rank of nobility in the peerages of the United Kingdom

Marquess is a rank of nobility in the peerages of the United Kingdom.

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References

  1. ↑ Queen Victoria's Journals, Thursday 28th June 1838, Buckingham Palace, Princess Beatrice's copies, Volume:4 (1st June 1838-1st October 1838) p. 84, online, accessed May 25, 2013
  2. ↑ Current Marquess has life peerage Baron Kerr of Monteviot
  3. ↑ Current Marquess has life peerage Baron Gascoyne-Cecil
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