The Earl of Courtown, in the County of Wexford, is a title in the

Peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisi ...

. It was created on 12 April 1762 for James Stopford, 1st Baron Courtown. He had previously represented

County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...

and Fethard in the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fra ...

. Stopford had already been created Baron Courtown, of

Courtown Courtown () is a village in County Wexford, Ireland. It was developed after Lord Courtown ordered the construction of a harbour during the Famine years, 1839–1846. The economic boost of the new harbour led to a small village developing with f ...

in the County of Wexford, on 19 September 1758, and was made Viscount Stopford at the same time he was given the earldom. These titles are also in the Peerage of Ireland. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He was 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 ...

politician and served under

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ire ...

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons. The current holder of the office is Ma ...

from 1784 to 1793. On 7 June 1796 he was created Baron Saltersford, of Saltersford in the

County Palatine of Chester Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county town ...

, 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 ...

. This title gave him and his descendants an automatic 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 ...

. His eldest son, the third Earl, was also a Tory politician. He succeeded his father as Treasurer of the Household and was also

Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners The Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms is a post in the Government of the United Kingdom that has been held by the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the ...

for many years. He was succeeded by his third but eldest surviving son, the fourth Earl. He represented

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. ...

as a Tory. His only son from his first marriage, the fifth Earl, served as a Deputy Lieutenant of

. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the sixth Earl. He was

Lord Lieutenant of County Wexford This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Wexford. There were lieutenants of counties in Ireland until the reign of James II of England, James II, when they were renamed governors. The office of Lord Lieutenant was recreated ...

. His eldest son, the seventh Earl, was a

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the army and served as deputy assistant adjutant-general at the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

from 1941 to 1947. the titles are held by the latter's grandson, the ninth Earl, who succeeded his father in 1975. Lord Courtown is one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords after the passing 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 ...

, and sits as a

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 ...

. Several other members of the Stopford family have also gained distinction, especially in the army and

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. The Hon. Edward Stopford (1732–1794), second son of the first Earl, was a

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

in the army. His son William Henry Stopford-Blair (1788–1868) was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. He added "Blair" to his name after receiving a substantial bequest from brother in law,

James Blair James Blair may refer to: *James Blair (Australian judge) (1870–1944), Australian judge, lawyer, and politician *James Blair (cricketer) (1900–1961), Australian-born New Zealand cricketer * James Blair (farmer) (1825–1901), Scottish-born farm ...

a prominent slave owner and

anti-abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

activist.Ryden D. (2015) The Society of West India Planters and Merchants in the Age of Emancipation, c.1816-35
Economic History Society Annual Conference, University of Wolverhampton
accessed 5 January 2016 The Hon. Sir Edward Stopford (1766–1837), second son of the second Earl, was a lieutenant-general in the army. The Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, third son of the second Earl, was an

Admiral of the Red The Admiral of the Red was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the Fleet (see order of precedence below). The rank did not exist prior to 1805, as the admiral commanding the Red ...

. His eldest son

Robert Fanshawe Stopford Admiral Robert Fanshawe Stopford (19 December 1811 – 4 January 1891) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Channel Squadron. Naval career Born the son of Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, Stopford was appointed a Lieutena ...

(1811–1891) was an

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

in the Royal Navy and was the father of 1) Robert Wilbraham Stopford (1844–1911), a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy, 2) Arthur Bouverie Stopford (1845–1902), a colonel in the Royal Artillery and 3) Frederick George Stopford (1852–1928), a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy; while his second son James John Stopford (1817–1868) was a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy. Reverend the Hon.

Richard Bruce Stopford Hon. Richard Bruce Stopford MA (1774 – 12 December 1844) was a Canon of Windsor from 1812 to 1844. Family He was the fourth son of James Stopford, 2nd Earl of Courtown. On 19 Nov 1800 he married Eleanor Powys, daughter of Thomas Powys, 1st Baro ...

(1774–1844), fourth son of the second Earl, was

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

of Windsor and

Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

to Her Majesty

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. The Hon. Sir Montagu Stopford, fifth son of the third Earl, was a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy. His youngest son Sir Lionel Stopford was a colonel and honorary major-general in the Derby Regiment and Irish Guards. His eldest son Sir Montagu Stopford was a general in the

Rifle Brigade The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

. The Hon. Sir Frederick Stopford, second son from the second marriage of the fourth Earl, was a lieutenant-general in the army. The Hon. Walter George Stopford (1855–1918), third son from the second marriage of the fourth Earl, was a rear-admiral in the Royal Navy. The Hon. Arthur Stopford (1879–1955), second son of the sixth Earl, was a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy. His son, Godfrey Vyvyan, married Marjorie Lupton in 1934. The family seat was Courtown House, near

Gorey Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the ''Gorey Guardian''. As a growi ...

Earls of Courtown (1762)

James Stopford, 1st Earl of Courtown James Stopford, 1st Earl of Courtown (1700 – 12 January 1770) was an Irish politician. Courtown was the son of James Stopford, of Courtown, County Wexford, who represented Wexford County in the Irish House of Commons, and his wife Frances (né ...

(1700–1770) *

James Stopford, 2nd Earl of Courtown James Stopford, 2nd Earl of Courtown KP, PC (Ire) (28 May 1731 – 30 March 1810), known as Viscount Stopford from 1762 to 1770, was an Anglo-Irish peer and Tory politician who sat in the British House of Commons between 1774 and 1793. Courto ...

(1731–1810) *

James George Stopford, 3rd Earl of Courtown James George Stopford, 3rd Earl of Courtown KP, PC (15 August 1765 – 15 June 1835), known as Viscount Stopford from 1770 to 1810, was an Anglo-Irish peer and Tory politician. Courtown was the eldest son of James Stopford, 2nd Earl of Courto ...

(1765–1835) *

James Thomas Stopford, 4th Earl of Courtown James Thomas Stopford, 4th Earl of Courtown (27 March 1794 – 20 November 1858), known as Viscount Stopford from 1810 to 1835, was an Anglo-Irish peer and Tory Member of Parliament. Courtown was the third but eldest surviving son of James Stopfo ...

(1794–1858) * James George Henry Stopford, 5th Earl of Courtown (1823–1914) * James Walter Milles Stopford, 6th Earl of Courtown (1853–1933) * James Richard Neville Stopford, 7th Earl of Courtown (1877–1957) * James Montagu Burgoyne Stopford, 8th Earl of Courtown (1908–1975) * James Patrick Montagu Burgoyne Winthrop Stopford, 9th Earl of Courtown (b. 1954) 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 the present holder’s only son James Richard Ian Montagu Stopford, Viscount Stopford (b. 1988)

References

Attribution

* *Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, *

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Courtown Earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland Noble titles created in 1762

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...