Duke of Manchester is a title 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 ...
, and the current senior title of the
House of Montagu
The House of Montagu ( ; historically Montagud, Montaigu, Montague, Montacute and Litinised as ''de Monte Acuto'' ("from the sharp mountain" (French: "mont aigu")) is an English noble family founded in Somerset after the Norman Conquest of ...
. It was created in 1719 for the politician
Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester.
Manchester Parish
The Parish of Manchester is a parish located in west-central Jamaica, in the county of Middlesex. Its capital, Mandeville, is a major business centre. Its St. Paul of the Cross Pro-Cathedral is the episcopal see of the Latin Catholic Dioces ...
in Jamaica was named after the
5th Duke, while its capital
Mandeville was named after his son and heir. The current Duke is
Alexander Montagu, 13th Duke of Manchester
Alexander Charles David Drogo Montagu, 13th Duke of Manchester (born 11 December 1962) is an Australian-born British hereditary peer, inheriting the dukedom of Manchester from his father in 2002. A British and Australian citizen, Manchester ha ...
, a controversial British and Australian citizen who lives in the United States, who succeeded to the peerage in 2002
following the death of his father
Angus Montagu, 12th Duke of Manchester
Angus Charles Drogo Montagu, 12th Duke of Manchester (Kimbolton Castle, 9 October 1938 – 25 July 2002), was a British hereditary peer. He inherited the Dukedom of Manchester in 1985 and was a member of the House of Lords until the House of Lor ...
, the last of the dukes to hold a seat in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
.
History
Their ancestor was
Richard Ladde, grandfather of the
Lord Chief Justice
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
Sir Edward, who changed his name to
Montagu around 1447. His descendants claimed a connection with the older house of Montagu or Montacute,
Barons Montagu or Montacute and
Earls of Salisbury
Earl of Salisbury is a title that has been created several times in English and British history. It has a complex history, and is now a subsidiary title to the Marquess of Salisbury, marquessate of Salisbury.
Background
The title was first cre ...
, but there is no sound evidence that the two families were related. A case has been made out for the possibility that the Ladde alias came from a division among coheirs about 1420 of the remaining small inheritance of a line of Montagus at Spratton and Little Creton, also in Northamptonshire.
The judge Sir Edward Montagu's grandson,
Edward Montagu, was raised to the peerage as 1st
Baron Montagu of Boughton
Baron Montagu of Boughton is a British title which has been created twice for members of the Noble House of Montagu. First created in 1621, in the Peerage of England, for Sir Edward Montagu, eldest son of Sir Edward Montagu of Boughton . He is the ancestor of the
Dukes of Montagu. His brother,
Sir Henry Montagu (c. 1563–1642), who served as
Lord Chief Justice
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
as well as
Lord High Treasurer
The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State in ...
and
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and abov ...
, was in 1620 raised to 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 ...
as ''Viscount Mandeville'', with the additional title ''Baron Montagu of Kimbolton'', of
Kimbolton in the
County of Huntingdon. In 1626, he was made ''Earl of Manchester'', of Manchester in the
County of Lancaster
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a Historic counties of England, historic county, Ceremonial County, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significa ...
.
It is sometimes said, erroneously, that the title refers to
Godmanchester
Godmanchester ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It is separated from Huntingdon, to the north, by the valley of the River Great Ouse. Being on the Roman road network, the town has a lo ...
in Huntingdonshire, and that the word "God" was deliberately excluded from the title on the basis that the grantee thought it would be blasphemous for him to be known as "Lord Godmanchester". However, the form of the creation makes it clear that the title refers to what is now the city of Manchester (at the time a town in Lancashire, formally known as the County of Lancaster).
His son, the
2nd Earl, was a prominent Parliamentary General during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, but later supported the restoration of
Charles II. His son, the
3rd Earl, represented
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire (; abbreviated Hunts) is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county of England. The district council is based in Huntingdon. Other towns include St Ives, Godmanchester, St Neots and Ramsey. The popul ...
in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
. His son was the 4th Earl, who in 1719 was created ''Duke of Manchester''.
Charles, 1st Duke of Manchester, was succeeded by his eldest son. The 2nd Duke notably served as
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
The Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a UK Government post usually held by the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. The present Captain is The 9th Earl of Courtown, who was appointed to the position in ...
in the administration of
Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...
. He was childless, and on his death, the titles passed to his younger brother, the 3rd Duke. He had earlier represented Huntingdonshire in Parliament. He was succeeded by his son, the 4th Duke. He was
Ambassador to France and served as
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
. His son, the 5th Duke, was
Governor of Jamaica
This is a list of viceroys in Jamaica from its initial occupation by Spain in 1509, to its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. For a list of viceroys after independence, see Governor-General of Jamaica. For context, see History of Jamai ...
between 1827 and 1830 also held office as
Postmaster General
A Postmaster General, in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters. The practice of having a government official respons ...
. He was succeeded by his son, the 6th Duke. He represented
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...
in the House of Commons as a
Tory
A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...
.
His eldest son, the 7th Duke, was
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Member of Parliament for
Bewdley
Bewdley ( pronunciation) is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District in Worcestershire, England on the banks of the River Severn. It is in the Severn Valley west of Kidderminster and southwest of Birmingham. It lies on the River Sev ...
and Huntingdonshire. His son, the 8th Duke, briefly represented Huntingdonshire in Parliament. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the 9th Duke. He sat on the
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
benches in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
and served as
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
The Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a UK Government post usually held by the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. The present Captain is The 9th Earl of Courtown, who was appointed to the position in ...
in the
Liberal administration of
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman ( né Campbell; 7 September 183622 April 1908) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. He served as the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 19 ...
. In the twentieth century, mismanagement and profligacy resulted in the wholesale depletion of the Dukedom's estates. Generational instability caused further damage to the family's honour: the 11th, 12th and 13th Dukes all had a criminal record.
Angus Montagu, 12th Duke of Manchester
Angus Charles Drogo Montagu, 12th Duke of Manchester (Kimbolton Castle, 9 October 1938 – 25 July 2002), was a British hereditary peer. He inherited the Dukedom of Manchester in 1985 and was a member of the House of Lords until the House of Lor ...
was the last of the dukes to serve in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
, until the adoption of the
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...
.
Alexander Montagu, the oldest son of the 12th Duke, succeeded his father as the 13th Duke in July 2002; a British and Australian citizen who lives in the United States, he had been known by the courtesy title of the heir apparent, Viscount Mandeville, since his father's succession to the peerage in 1985.
He has not taken the required action to be included on the
Roll of the Peerage
The Roll of the Peerage is a public record registering British peerage, peers in the peerages of Peerage of England, England, Peerage of Scotland, Scotland, Peerage of Ireland, Ireland, Peerage of Great Britain, Great Britain and the Peerage of th ...
, which was created two years after his succession in 2004; while this doesn't change his status as a duke itself, which is legally established by the
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
, inclusion in the roll is since 2004 a requirement to have his title included in his passport. Under the provisions of the 2004 royal warrant he may register with the roll at any time.
Seats
The principal estate of the Dukes of Manchester was
Kimbolton Castle
Kimbolton Castle is a country house in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, England. It was the final home of King Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Originally a medieval castle but converted into a stately palace, it was the family seat of t ...
. It was leased, together with of parkland, by the 10th Duke in 1951, and is now a private school. A remaining of the estate were sold by his eldest son and heir in 1975. The other family seat was
Tandragee Castle
Tandragee Castle, Tandragee, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, was built in 1837 by The 6th Duke of Manchester as the family's Irish home. The Duke of Manchester acquired the estate through his marriage to Millicent Sparrow (1798–1848).
Histo ...
, in
County Armagh
County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and ha ...
, Northern Ireland. It was sold in 1955, and the remaining estate in 1975, and is now the headquarters of
Tayto (NI) Ltd.
Arms
The arms of the Duke of Manchester have the following
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
: ''Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Argent, 3 fusils conjoined in fess gules'' (Montagu)''; 2nd & 3rd: Or an eagle displayed vert beaked and membered gules'' (Monthermer). The ''fusils'' or diamond shapes in the Montagu arms were originally intended to represent a range of mountains, as the name comes from the old French ''mont agu'' meaning "pointed hill". The arms represent a claim to be a cadet of the medieval Montagu (Montacute) family,
earls of Salisbury
Earl of Salisbury is a title that has been created several times in English and British history. It has a complex history, and is now a subsidiary title to the Marquess of Salisbury, marquessate of Salisbury.
Background
The title was first cre ...
, for which there is no proof (see above
origins
Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Comics and manga
* ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002
* ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
).
Titles
The Duke of Manchester holds the subsidiary titles ''Earl of Manchester'', ''Viscount Mandeville'', and ''Baron Montagu of Kimbolton''.
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 ...
to the Dukedom takes the
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 ...
''Viscount Mandeville'', and the heir apparent's eldest son is styled ''Lord Kimbolton''.
Burial place
Many members of the Montagu family (Earls and Dukes of Manchester and their Family Members) are buried at St Andrew's Church,
Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire
Kimbolton is a town and civil parish in England. Kimbolton is about west of Huntingdon and north of Bedford. Kimbolton is administered as part of Cambridgeshire; however it is situated within Huntingdonshire, which is an historic county of Eng ...
(historically in
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire (; abbreviated Hunts) is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county of England. The district council is based in Huntingdon. Other towns include St Ives, Godmanchester, St Neots and Ramsey. The popul ...
). Several Montagu monuments still exist in the South Chapel, while the Montagu vault (extended in 1853) is located beneath the North Chapel.
Guided Tour of St Andrew's Church, Kimbolton
access date 27 July 2015 The 12th Duke of Manchester was cremated at Bedford Crematorium in 2002 and then placed in the Montagu Vault.
Viscount Mandeville (1620)
Earls of Manchester (1626)
Dukes of Manchester (1719)
Family tree
References
Further reading
* Kidd, Charles, and Williamson, David (editors): ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' 1990 edition. New York, St Martin's Press, 1990,
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manchester, Duke of
*
*
Dukedoms in the Peerage of Great Britain
Noble titles created in 1719