Earl of Wilmington was 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 ...

. It was created in 1730 for the politician Spencer Compton, 1st Baron Wilmington, who later served as

Prime Minister of Great Britain The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern pri ...

from 1742 to 1743, during the reign of

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) * ...

. He had already been created Baron Wilmington in 1728 and was made Viscount Pevensey at the same time as he was given the earldom. Compton was the third son of

James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton FRS (19 August 1622 – 15 December 1681), was an English peer, politician and author, who fought for the Royalists during the First English Civil War. He succeeded his father Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl o ...

. The titles became extinct on his death in 1743, as he left no male heirs. The Wilmington title was revived in 1812 when his great-great-nephew Charles Compton, 9th Earl of Northampton, was made Baron Wilmington, Earl Compton and Marquess of Northampton. The

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

settlements of

Wilmington, Massachusetts Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Its population was 23,349 at the 2020 United States census. History Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Readi ...

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

;

Wilmington, Vermont Wilmington is a town in Windham County, Vermont, Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,255 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History The town was chartered in 1751 by Benning Wentworth, colonial governor of New ...

; and

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

were named for Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington.

Earls of Wilmington (1730)

Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, (2 July 1743) was a British Whig statesman who served continuously in government from 1715 until his death. He sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1698 and 1728, and was then raised ...

(c. 1674–1743)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilmington Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of Great Britain Noble titles created in 1730 Peerages created for the Speaker of the House of Commons

Earls of Wilmington (1730)

See also

References

External links