Duke of
St Albans
St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...
is a title in the
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain. There are five peerages in t ...
. It was created in 1684 for
Charles Beauclerk, 1st Earl of Burford, then 14 years old.
King Charles II had accepted that Burford was his illegitimate son by
Nell Gwyn
Eleanor Gwyn (2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687; also spelled ''Gwynn'', ''Gwynne'') was a celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on the English stage ...
, an actress, and awarded him the Dukedom just as he had conferred those of
Monmouth
Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...
,
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
,
Grafton,
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
and
Richmond and Lennox on his other illegitimate sons who married.
The subsidiary titles of the Duke are: Earl of Burford, in the
County of Oxford
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
(1676), Baron Heddington, in the same (1676) and Baron Vere, of
Hanworth
Hanworth is a district of West London, England. Historically in Middlesex, it has been part of the London Borough of Hounslow since 1965. Hanworth adjoins Feltham to the northwest, Twickenham to the northeast and Hampton to the southeast, with S ...
in the
County of Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbourin ...
(1750). The Earldom and the Barony of Heddington are in the
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain. There are five peerages in t ...
, and the Barony of Vere is in the
Peerage of Great Britain
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 r ...
. The Dukes hold the hereditary title of Grand Falconer of England, and of no effect Hereditary Registrar of the Court of Chancery.
The top two of these are enjoyed
courtesy title
A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title).
In some co ...
s, as usual, by the Duke's first living son and to any son of his in turn.
Recent Dukes have not held a great estate nor stately home. Late twentieth century seats were
Bestwood Lodge
Bestwood Estate is a large council estate located to the north of the city of Nottingham, England. Based on the 2011 census, its population is 4,719. There is also a ward of the City of Nottingham called Bestwood, which at the time of the 2011 ...
in
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...
, which was originally the property of the
1st Duke's mother, the celebrated actress and mistress to
Charles II Nell Gwyn
Eleanor Gwyn (2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687; also spelled ''Gwynn'', ''Gwynne'') was a celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on the English stage ...
, and which is now a hotel, and Upper Gatton Park in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
.
The accepted pronunciation of Beauclerk is reflected in frequent early renderings Beauclaire: .
Dukes of St Albans (1684)
![Duke of St Albans coa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Duke_of_St_Albans_coa.png)
:''Other titles: Earl of Burford, in the county of Oxford, and Baron Heddington, in the county of Oxford (1676)''
*
Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans
Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, KG (8 May 167010 May 1726) was an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England by his mistress Nell Gwyn.
Biography
On 21 December 1676, a warrant was passed for "a grant to Charles Beauclerc, the ...
(1670–1726) (elder illegitimate son of
Charles II and
Nell Gwynn
Eleanor Gwyn (2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687; also spelled ''Gwynn'', ''Gwynne'') was a celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on the English stag ...
)
*
Charles Beauclerk, 2nd Duke of St Albans
Charles Beauclerk, 2nd Duke of St Albans, KG KB (6 April 1696 – 27 July 1751) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1718 until 1726 when he succeeded to a peerage as Duke of St Albans. He was an illegitimate grandson ...
(1696–1751) (eldest son of the 1st Duke)
*
George Beauclerk, 3rd Duke of St Albans
George Beauclerk, 3rd Duke of St Albans (25 June 1730 – 1 February 1786), styled Earl of Burford until 1751, was a British peer.
Early life
He was the son of Charles Beauclerk, 2nd Duke of St Albans, and his wife, Lucy Werden. His paternal ...
(1720–1786) (only son of the 2nd Duke, died without issue)
*
George Beauclerk, 4th Duke of St Albans (1758–1787) (grandson of Lord William Beauclerk, second son of the 1st Duke, died unmarried)
:''Other titles (5th Duke onwards):
Baron Vere
Duke of St Albans is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1684 for Charles Beauclerk, 1st Earl of Burford, then 14 years old. King Charles II had accepted that Burford was his illegitimate son by Nell Gwyn, an actress, and awa ...
, of Hanworth in the county of Middlesex (1750)''
*
Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans
Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans (3 June 1740 – 9 February 1802) was a British landowner, and a collector of antiquities and works of art.
Early life
Aubrey Beauclerk was born in 1740, the son of Admiral Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron V ...
(1740–1802) (fourth and youngest son of
Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere
Admiral Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere (14 July 1699 – 21 October 1781), known as Lord Vere Beauclerk until 1750, was a Royal Navy officer, British peer and politician who sat in the House of Commons for 24 years from 1726 to 1750. After s ...
, himself third son of the 1st Duke)
*
Aubrey Beauclerk, 6th Duke of St Albans (1765–1815) (eldest son of the 5th Duke)
*Aubrey Beauclerk, 7th Duke of St Albans (1815–1816) (only son of the 6th Duke, died in infancy)
*
William Beauclerk, 8th Duke of St Albans
William Beauclerk, 8th Duke of St Albans (18 December 1766 – 17 July 1825) was an English aristocrat.
Early life and career
William was born on 18 December 1766. He was the second son of Lady Catharine Ponsonby and Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke ...
(1766–1825) (second son of the 5th Duke)
*
William Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St. Albans
William Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans (24 March 1801 – 27 May 1849) was an English aristocrat and cricketer.
Early life
William Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk was born on 24 March 1801. He was the son of William Beauclerk, 8th Duk ...
(1801–1849) (eldest son of the 8th Duke)
*
William Amelius Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans (1840–1898) (only son of the 9th Duke)
*
Charles Victor Albert Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 11th Duke of St Albans (1870–1934) (eldest son of the 10th Duke, died without issue)
*
Osborne de Vere Beauclerk, 12th Duke of St Albans (1874–1964) (second son of the 10th Duke, died without issue)
*
Charles Frederick Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 13th Duke of St Albans (1915–1988) (grandson of Lord Charles Beauclerk, fifth son of the 8th Duke)
*
Murray de Vere Beauclerk, 14th Duke of St Albans (b. 1939) (eldest son of the 13th Duke)
The
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
is
Charles Francis Topham de Vere Beauclerk, Earl of Burford (b. 1965) (only son of the 14th Duke).
The heir apparent's heir in line is his only son, James Malcolm Aubrey Edward de Vere Beauclerk, Lord Vere (b. 1995).
Barons Vere (1750)
*
Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere
Admiral Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere (14 July 1699 – 21 October 1781), known as Lord Vere Beauclerk until 1750, was a Royal Navy officer, British peer and politician who sat in the House of Commons for 24 years from 1726 to 1750. After s ...
(1699–1781) (third son of the 1st Duke)
*
Aubrey Beauclerk, 2nd Baron Vere (1740–1802) (succeeded as 5th Duke of St Albans in 1787)
''for subsequent Barons Vere see Dukes of St Albans above''
Current line of succession
#
Charles Francis Topham de Vere Beauclerk, Earl of Burford (b. 1965) (only son of the 14th Duke)
#James Malcolm Aubrey Edward de Vere Beauclerk, Lord Vere (b. 1995) (only son of Lord Burford)
#Lord Peter Charles de Vere Beauclerk (b. 1948) (second son of the 13th Duke)
#Tenzin Beauclerk (b. 2005) (younger but only surviving son of Lord Peter)
#Lord James Charles Fesq de Vere Beauclerk (b. 1949) (third son of the 13th Duke)
#Lord John William Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk (b. 1950) (youngest son of the 13th Duke)
#William Rafael Beauclerk, Marques de Valero de Urria (b. 1961) (great-great-great-great-grandson of
Lord Sidney Beauclerk
Lord Sidney Beauclerk (27 February 170323 November 1744) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1733 to 1744. He acquired a reputation as a fortune hunter.
Early life
Beauclerk was the fifth son of the 1st Duke of St ...
, fifth son of the 1st Duke)
#Alexander Charles Beauclerk (b. 1990) (elder son of the Marques de Valero de Urria)
#Cameron Beauclerk (b. 1993) (younger son of the Marques de Valero de Urria)
Issue of the fifth son of the 1st duke are not in remainder to the subsidiary Barony of Vere.
Arms
Family tree
See also
*
Duchess of St Albans {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022
Duchess of St Albans is a title given to the wife of the Duke of St Albans. Women who have held the title include:
*Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans (c.1679–1742), wife of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St A ...
Notes
References
*
*Charles Kidd & David Williamson (ed.), ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition), New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
Further reading
*
Donald Adamson
Donald Adamson (born 30 March 1939), is a British literary scholar, author and historian.
Books which he has written include ''Blaise Pascal: Mathematician, Physicist, and Thinker about God'' and '' The Curriers' Company: A Modern History''. H ...
and Peter Beauclerk Dewar, ''The House of Nell Gwyn. The Fortunes of the Beauclerk Family, 1670-1974'', London: William Kimber, 1974
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Albans
Dukedoms in the Peerage of England
1684 establishments in England
Noble titles created in 1684