Viscount Brookeborough, of Colebrooke in the County of Fermanagh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1952 for the

Ulster Unionist The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...

politician and

Prime Minister of Northern Ireland The prime minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920; however, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, as with governo ...

, Captain The Rt. Hon. Sir Basil Brooke, 5th Bt., P.C. (N.I.), M.P.

History

The Brooke family descends from Sir Basil Brooke (born 1567), a captain in the English Army in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and Governor of

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

in West

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

, who was granted extensive lands in that county. His son, Sir Henry Brooke (died 1671), was granted the lands of and around ''Achadh Lon'' (renamed in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

as Brookeborough) in

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 ...

, also in West Ulster. He was

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of County Donegal and a Member of the Irish Parliament for Brookeborough. His son, Thomas Brooke (died c. 1696), of Colebrooke, County Fermanagh, was a Member of the Irish Parliament and supporter of William III and Mary II. The estates were forfeited by James II. Next in line, the son, Henry Brooke (1671–1761), represented

Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...

and

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of a ...

in the Irish Parliament. His younger son was Francis Brooke, of Colebrooke. His son, Henry Brooke, was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

, of Colebrooke in the County of Fermanagh, in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 7 January 1822. He was succeeded by his son, Arthur, the second Baronet. He 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 in ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

. On his death in 1854, the title passed to his eldest son, Victor, the third Baronet. He served as a Deputy Lieutenant and was

High Sheriff of County Fermanagh The High Sheriff of Fermanagh is the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Fermanagh. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides ...

in 1867. His eldest son, Arthur, the fourth Baronet, was Sheriff of County Fermanagh in 1896 and a Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for the county. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the aforementioned fifth Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage in 1952. His second but eldest surviving son, the second

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...

, was also a controversial politician. the titles are held by the latter's eldest son, the third Viscount, who succeeded in 1987. He is one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

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

cross-bencher A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...

. Numerous other members of the Brooke family have also gained distinction. Arthur Brooke, uncle of the first Baronet, was created a baronet in 1764 (see

Brooke baronets There have been six baronetcies created for persons with the surname Brooke, one in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Ireland and four in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. As of 2015 four of the creations are extant, thou ...

). Sir Arthur Brooke (died 1843), brother of the first Baronet, was a lieutenant-general in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. Richard Prittie Brooke (died 1836), younger brother of the first Baronet, 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

. George Brooke, grandson of George Frederick Brooke, brother of the first Baronet, was created a baronet in 1903 (see

, of Summerton). George Augustus Frederick Brooke, younger son of the first Baronet, was the father of 1) Arthur Thomas Brooke (died 1893), a captain in the

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 ...

, 2) Henry Francis Brooke (1836–1880), a brigadier-general in the British Army, 3) Lionel Godolphin Brooke (1849–1931), a brigadier-general in the

Connaught Rangers The Connaught Rangers ("The Devil's Own") was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army formed by the amalgamation of the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) (which formed the ''1st Battalion'') and the 94th Regiment of Foot (wh ...

, and 4) Frank Brooke (1851–1920), a businessman and public servant. The latter was the grandfather of Frank Hastings Brooke (1909–1982), a major-general in the Federation Army of Malaya, and Oliver George Brooke (born 1911), a

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...

in the Welch Regiment. Sir Harry Vesey Brooke (1845–1921), younger son of the second Baronet, was a Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace. Arthur Basil Brooke (1847–1884), younger son of the second Baronet, was the father of Sir Basil Vernon Brooke (1876–1945), a rear admiral in the

, and of Sir Bertram Norman Sergison-Brooke (1880–1967), a lieutenant-general in the

. The noted military strategist and commander Field Marshal The 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, sometime

Chief of the Imperial General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) has been the title of the professional head of the British Army since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board. Prior to 1964, the title was Chief of the Imperial G ...

, was the sixth son of the third Baronet (see the

Viscount Alanbrooke Viscount Alanbrooke, of Brookeborough in the County of Fermanagh, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 29 January 1946 for Field Marshal Alan Brooke, 1st Baron Alanbrooke. He had already been created Baron Alan ...

for further history of this branch of the family). The

family seat A family seat or sometimes just called seat is the principal residence of the landed gentry and aristocracy. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families ...

is Colebrooke Park, near

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,823 a ...

Brooke baronets, of Colebrooke (1822)

* Sir Henry Brooke, 1st Baronet (1770–1834) * Sir Arthur Brinsley Brooke, 2nd Baronet (1797–1854) * Sir Victor Alexander Brooke, 3rd Baronet (1843–1891) *

Sir Arthur Douglas Brooke, 4th Baronet ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...

(1865–1907) * Sir Basil Stanlake Brooke, 5th Baronet (1888–1973) (created Viscount Brookeborough in 1952)

Viscounts Brookeborough (1952)

* Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough (1888–1973) * John Warden Brooke, 2nd Viscount Brookeborough (1922–1987) * Alan Henry Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough (b. 1952) The

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

is the present holder's brother, the Hon. Christopher Arthur Brooke (b. 1954).
The heir presumptive's

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 his son, Archie Alan John Brooke (b. 1991).

Line of succession to the titles

''Sir Henry Brooke, 1st Baronet, of Colebrooke (1770–1834)'' ** Ulster

'' Sir Arthur Brinsley Brooke, 2nd Baronet (1797–1854)'' *** Ulster

'' Sir Victor Alexander Brooke, 3rd Baronet (1843–1891)'' **** Ulster

''Sir Arthur Douglas Brooke, 4th Baronet (1865–1907)'' ***** Coronet of a British Viscount

'' Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough (1888–1973)'' ****** Coronet of a British Viscount

'' John Warden Brooke, 2nd Viscount Brookeborough (1922–1987)'' ******* Coronet of a British Viscount

Lt-Col Alan Henry Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough (born 1952) ''Elected to remain in

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

.'' ******* (1) ''Hon.'' Christopher Arthur Clarke Brooke (b. 1954) ******** (2) Archie Alan John Brooke (b. 1991) ******** (3) Henry Arthur Oliver Brooke (b. 1993) ******** (4) Mathew Victor Francis Brooke (b. 1995) ******** (5) Arthur George Basil Brooke (b. 2000) *** ''Arthur Basil Brooke (1847–1884)'' **** ''Lt-Gen Sir Bertram Norman Sergison-Brooke (1880–1967)'' ***** ''Timothy Mark Sergison-Brooke (1924–2005)'' ****** (6) Nicholas Mark Sergison-Brooke (b. 1966) ** ''George Augustus Frederick Brooke (1805–1874)'' *** ''Brig-Gen Henry Francis Brooke (1836–1880)'' **** ''Major George Cecil Brooke (1870–1915)'' ***** ''Commander Henry John Allen Brooke (1913–2003)'' ****** (7) Colonel Michael Henry Hastings Brooke (b. 1948) ******* (8) Simon Mark Hastings Brooke (b. 1974) ******* (9) James Matthew Crowdy Brooke (b. 1976) ****** (10) Dr. George John Brooke (b. 1952) ******* (11) Peter George Brooke (b. 1979) ******* (12) David John Brooke (b. 1981) *** ''Rt. Hon. Francis Theophilius Brooke (1851–1920)'' **** ''Lt-Col George Frank Brooke (1878–1966)'' ***** ''Maj-Gen Frank Hastings Brooke (1909–1982)'' ****** (13) Major George Hugo Hastings Brooke (b. 1936) ******* (14) Andrew Robert Hastings Brooke (b. 1969) ****** (15) Nigel Francis Brooke (b. 1937) Only those numbered (1) – (5) are in line to succeed to the Viscountcy, all others are only in line to succeed to the Baronetcy.

Notes

References

* Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (eds.) ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (106th edition) (New York 2002). * *

External links

Cracroft's Peerage page

Website of Colebrooke Park, the Brookeborough ancestral home

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brookeborough Viscountcies in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Noble titles created in 1952