The Peerage Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that permits women peeresses and all Scottish hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords and allows newly inherited hereditary peerages to be disclaimed.
Viscount Hailsham, of Hailsham in the County of Sussex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1929 for the lawyer and Conservative politician Douglas Hogg, 1st Baron Hailsham, who twice served as Lord High Chancellor of the Great Britain. He had already been created Baron Hailsham, of Hailsham in the County of Sussex, in 1928, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Hogg was the son of the merchant and philanthropist Quintin Hogg, seventh son of Sir James Hogg, 1st Baronet, whose eldest son James McGarel-Hogg, 2nd Baronet was created Baron Magheramorne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1887.
Viscount Hood, of Whitley in the County of Warwick, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for the famous naval commander Admiral Samuel Hood, 1st Baron Hood. He had already been created a Baronet, of Catherington, in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 20 May 1778, and Baron Hood, of Catherington in the County of Southampton, in the Peerage of Ireland in 1782.
Earl of Donoughmore is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It is associated with the Hely-Hutchinson family. Paternally of Gaelic Irish descent with the original name of Ó hÉalaighthe, their ancestors had long lived in the County Cork area as allies of the Mac Cárthaigh clan; they lost out during the times of Oliver Cromwell. One branch of the family converted to the Anglican Church and after inheriting territories through his mother and adding "Hutchinson" to Hely, became the Earl of Donoughmore.
Viscount Gort is the title of two peerages in British and Irish history. Gort is a small town in County Galway in the West of Ireland. The original title was in the Peerage of Ireland and is extant. A viscountcy with the same title as the Irish peerage was then conferred in the Peerage of the United Kingdom to a later Lord Gort. This gave the distinguished descendant a subtle personal change of status, whilst preserving the heritage of the older title. The United Kingdom title, however, became extinct on the death of the original recipient, who remains perhaps the most illustrious bearer of the older title to date. A post-World War II unqualified reference to "Lord Gort" will almost always be to the sixth viscount.
Viscount Hampden is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of Great Britain when the diplomat and politician Robert Hampden, 4th Baron Trevor, was created Viscount Hampden, of Great and Little Hampden in the County of Bedford on 14 June 1776. The title of Baron Trevor, of Bromham, had been created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1712 for his father, the lawyer Sir Thomas Trevor. Both titles became extinct in 1824 on the death of the first Viscount's second son, the third Viscount.
Viscount Alanbrooke, of Brookeborough in the County of Fermanagh, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Baron Churchill, of Wychwood in the County of Oxford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and held by a branch of the Spencer family. It was created in 1815 for Lord Francis Spencer, younger son of the 4th Duke of Marlborough. He had previously represented Oxfordshire in Parliament.
Viscount Simon, of Stackpole Elidor in the County of Pembroke, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 20 May 1940 for the Liberal politician Sir John Simon. He was Home Secretary from 1915 to 1916 and 1935 to 1937, Foreign Secretary from 1931 to 1935, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1937 to 1940 and Lord Chancellor from 1940 to 1945. His second wife Kathleen was a noted campaigner against slavery and other forms of involuntary servitude worldwide, and against racial discrimination. From 1994 to 2021, the title was held by his grandson, the third Viscount, who succeeded his father in 1993. He was one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remained in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, and sat on the Labour benches. He was married to Mary Elizabeth Burns from 1969 until her death in 2020. He died on 15 August 2021 and was survived by his daughter, Fiona, but he had no male heir and the viscountcy became extinct upon his death.
Baron Sandhurst, of Sandhurst in the County of Berkshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 28 March 1871 for the soldier Sir William Mansfield, Commander-in-Chief of India between 1865 and 1870 and Commander-in-Chief of Ireland between 1870 and 1875. He was the grandson of Sir James Mansfield, Solicitor-General and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Lord Sandhurst's eldest son, the second Baron, was a Liberal politician and also served as Governor of Bombay. On 1 January 1917 he was created Viscount Sandhurst, of Sandhurst in the County of Berkshire, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. However, he had no surviving male issue and on his death in 1921 the viscountcy became extinct. He was succeeded in the barony by his younger brother, the third Baron. As of 2021 the title is held by the latter's great-grandson, the sixth Baron, who succeeded his father in 2002. He is a barrister and judge and was elected to a hereditary-peers' seat in the House of Lords in 2021.
Baron Burnham, of Hall Barn in the Parish of Beaconsfield in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 31 July 1903 for the influential newspaper magnate Sir Edward Levy-Lawson, 1st Baronet, owner of The Daily Telegraph. He had already been created a Baronet, of Hall Barn in The Parish of Beaconsfield in the County of Buckingham and of Peterborough Court in the City of London, in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 13 October 1892. Levy-Lawson was the son of Joseph Moses Levy, who acquired The Daily Telegraph only months after its founding.
Baron Hunsdon is a title that has been created three times.
Viscount Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt in the County of Oxford, was a title created twice for members of the Harcourt family, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Earl of Birkenhead was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1922 for the noted lawyer and Conservative politician F. E. Smith, 1st Viscount Birkenhead. He was Solicitor-General in 1915, Attorney-General from 1915 to 1919 and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain from 1919 to 1922. Smith had already been created a Baronet in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1918, Baron Birkenhead, of Birkenhead in the County of Chester, in 1919, Viscount Birkenhead, of Birkenhead in the County of Chester, in 1921, and was made Viscount Furneaux, of Charlton in the County of Northampton, at the same time as he was given the earldom. The three peerages, like the earldom, were in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Viscount Furneaux was used as the courtesy title by the heir apparent to the earldom; the title of this viscountcy derived from the maiden name of Lord Birkenhead's wife.
Viscount Finlay, of Nairn in the County of Nairn, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 27 March 1919 for the lawyer and politician Robert Finlay, 1st Baron Finlay. He had already been created Baron Finlay, of Nairn in the County of Nairn, on his appointment as Lord Chancellor in 1916. He was succeeded by his only son, the second Viscount, who was a Lord Justice of Appeal. Both titles became extinct on his death in 1945.
Frederic Herbert Maugham, 1st Viscount Maugham, was a British barrister and judge who was Lord Chancellor from March 1938 until September 1939.
Baron Mount Temple was a title that was created twice in British history, both times in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came on 25 May 1880 when the Liberal politician the Honourable William Cowper-Temple was made Baron Mount Temple, of Mount Temple in the County of Sligo. He was born William Cowper, the second son of Peter Clavering-Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper by his wife the Honourable Emily, sister of the 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Emily married as her second husband the 3rd Viscount Palmerston, a man who would serve as British prime minister. Lord Palmerston, an Anglo-Irish peer, died in 1865 when the viscountcy and his junior title of Baron Temple, of Mount Temple, became extinct. Emily died 11 September 1869, leaving her second husband's estates, including Broadlands in Hampshire, to her second son, William, who thereupon adopted by royal licence the surname Cowper-Temple, in whose favour the Mount Temple title was revived in 1880. William was married to Georgina Tollemache.
Robert Cecil Romer Maugham, 2nd Viscount Maugham, known as Robin Maugham, was a British author.
Viscount Ranelagh was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 25 August 1628 for Sir Roger Jones, son of Thomas Jones, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He was made Baron Jones of Navan, in the County of Meath, at the same time also in the Peerage of Ireland. Thomas Jones's father was Henry Jones, of Middleton in Lancashire. The first Viscount was succeeded by his eldest son, Arthur, the second Viscount, who represented Weobly in the English Parliament. Arthur was succeeded by his son, Richard, the third Viscount, who was created Earl of Ranelagh in the Peerage of Ireland in 1677. On Richard's death in 1712 the earldom became extinct while the barony and viscountcy became dormant.
Baron Ponsonby, of Imokilly in County Cork, also referred to as Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly, in the County of Cork, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1806 for the William Ponsonby, who had previously represented Cork City, Bandonbridge and Kilkenny in the Irish House of Commons and Kilkenny in the British House of Commons. A member of the influential Ponsonby family, he was the eldest son of the Honourable John Ponsonby, second son of Brabazon Ponsonby, 1st Earl of Bessborough. His son, the second Baron, was a prominent diplomat and notably served as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and Austria. In 1839 he was created Viscount Ponsonby, of Imokilly in the County of Cork, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He was childless and the viscountcy became extinct on his death in 1855. He was succeeded in the barony by his nephew, the third Baron. He was the posthumous son of the Honourable Sir William Ponsonby, second son of the first Baron. Lord Ponsonby died childless and was succeeded by his first cousin, the fourth Baron. He was the son of the Right Reverend the Honourable Richard Ponsonby, third son of the first Baron. He died unmarried in 1866 when the barony became extinct.
