Earl Ferrers 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 ...
. It was created in 1711 for
Robert Shirley, 14th Baron Ferrers of Chartley. The Shirley family descends from George Shirley (died 1622) of
Astwell Castle
Astwell Castle is a manor house in Northamptonshire, England about south-west of Wappenham. It is a Grade II listed building and part of the parish of Helmdon, a village west.
History
The De Wauncys were amongst the earliest possessors of th ...
, Northamptonshire. In 1611 he was created a Baronet, of Staunton Harold in the County of Leicester, in the
Baronetage of England
Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain.
Baronetage of England (1611–1705)
King James I ...
. He was succeeded by his son Henry, the second Baronet, who married Lady Dorothy Devereux, daughter of
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG, PC (; 10 November 1565 – 25 February 1601) was an English nobleman and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a ...
. On the death of her brother
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, KB, PC (; 11 January 1591 – 14 September 1646) was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the 17th century. With the start of the Civil War in 1642, he became the first Captain ...
, she became the youngest co-heir to the baronies of Ferrers of Chartley and the barony of Bourchier, which had fallen into
abeyance
Abeyance (from the Old French ''abeance'' meaning "gaping") is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. ...
on the death of the third Earl. Shirley was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Baronet. He died unmarried and was succeeded by his younger brother, the fourth Baronet. He was imprisoned in the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
by
Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
and died there in 1656. On his death the title passed to his eldest son, the fifth Baronet. He died at an early age and was succeeded at birth by his posthumous son, the sixth Baronet.
He died as an infant and was succeeded by his uncle, the seventh Baronet. In 1677
King Charles II terminated the abeyance of the barony of Ferrers of Chartley in his favour and he became the thirteenth
Baron Ferrers of Chartley
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...
. His claim to the barony of Bourchier was overlooked, however. He later served as
Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today.
(Ancient Rome)
The original Master of the Horse ( la, Magister Equitu ...
and as Lord Steward to the queen consort,
Catherine of Braganza
Catherine of Braganza ( pt, Catarina de Bragança; 25 November 1638 – 31 December 1705) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland during her marriage to Charles II of England, ...
, and was
Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire
This is a list of people who have served as lord lieutenant for Staffordshire. Since 1828, all lord lieutenants have also been custos rotulorum of Staffordshire.
Lord Lieutenants of Staffordshire
*Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford 1559
*George ...
. In 1711 he was created Viscount Tamworth, of Tamworth in the County of Stafford, and Earl Ferrers, in the Peerage of Great Britain. He was succeeded in the barony of Ferrers of Chartley by his granddaughter Elizabeth, wife of
James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton
James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton (2 May 1687 – 3 October 1754), known as Lord Compton from 1687 to 1727, was a British peer and politician.
Northampton was the eldest son of George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, and his wife Jane (nà ...
. She was the daughter of the first Earl's eldest son the Hon. Robert Shirley (1673–1698), who predeceased his father (see the Baron Ferrers of Chartley for further history of this title). Lord Ferrers was succeeded in the baronetcy, viscountcy and earldom by his second son, the second Earl. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire from 1725 to 1729. He died childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Earl. He was Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire from 1731 to 1742.
He died unmarried and was succeeded by his nephew, the fourth Earl. He was the son of the Hon. Lawrence Shirley, third surviving son of the first Earl. Lord Ferrers killed Mr Johnson, his land-steward, was tried, condemned for murder and hanged at
Tyburn
Tyburn was a manor (estate) in the county of Middlesex, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone.
The parish, probably therefore also the manor, was bounded by Roman roads to the west (modern Edgware Road) and south (modern Ox ...
on 5 May 1760. Ferrers petitioned to be beheaded at the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
as had been the case with noble lords before him.
He is the last British peer to die a felon's death. On his death the titles passed to his younger brother, the fifth Earl. He was a
vice-admiral 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 F ...
. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the sixth Earl. His eldest son, the seventh Earl, died childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the eighth Earl. When the latter died the titles passed to his grandson, the ninth Earl. He was the son of Robert William Shirley, Viscount Tamworth, eldest son of the eighth Earl. He was succeeded by his son, the tenth Earl. On his death in 1912 the line of the sixth Earl failed. The late Earl was succeeded by his third cousin, the eleventh Earl. He was the great-great-grandson of Reverend the Hon.
Walter Shirley, brother of the fourth, fifth and sixth Earls. the titles were held by his grandson, the thirteenth Earl, who succeeded his father in 1954 until death in 2012. Lord Ferrers was a prominent
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 ...
politician and held office in every Conservative administration from 1962 to 1997. He was 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 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 ...
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 ...
. As of 2014 the titles are held by his elder son, the fourteenth Earl, who succeeded in 2012.
The earldom of Ferrers is the senior earldom in the Peerage of Great Britain.
The family seat is
Ditchingham Hall
Ditchingham Hall is an English country house, near the village of Ditchingham in south Norfolk, England, which is set in about of parkland landscaped by Capability Brown.
The Hall is about northwest of Ditchingham off the B1332 road between Bu ...
, near
Ditchingham
Ditchingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located across the River Waveney from Bungay, Suffolk.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads''. .
History
Ditchingham's name is of Anglo-S ...
, Norfolk.
Shirley Baronets, of Staunton Harold (1611)
![Wenceslas Hollar - Seal of Robert, Earl Ferrers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Wenceslas_Hollar_-_Seal_of_Robert%2C_Earl_Ferrers.jpg)
*
Sir George Shirley, 1st Baronet
Sir George Shirley (1559-1622) was an English landowner and the second man to be created a baronet. He was the son of John (1535-70), eldest son of Francis Shirley (1515-71) of Staunton Harold, and Jane, only daughter and heir of Thomas Lovett of A ...
(1559–1622)
*
Sir Henry Shirley, 2nd Baronet
Sir Henry Shirley (1589–1633), landowner and local politician, was born in January 1589 at Somerton, Oxfordshire, the eldest child of Sir George Shirley. According to the memoir of his younger brother Sir Thomas Shirley he attended Oxford unive ...
(c. 1588–1633)
*Sir Charles Shirley, 3rd Baronet (1623–1646)
*
Sir Robert Shirley, 4th Baronet
Sir Robert Shirley (1629–1656), royalist conspirator, was the second son of Sir Henry Shirley, 2nd Baronet. Despite the Catholicism of his family, he was raised within the Church of England by his mother. He was admitted to Corpus Christi Coll ...
(1629-1656)
*
Sir Seymour Shirley, 5th Baronet (1647–1667)
*
Sir Robert Shirley, 6th 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 ...
(1668–1669)
*
Sir Robert Shirley, 7th Baronet (1650–1717) (confirmed as Baron Ferrers of Chartley in 1677 and created Earl Ferrers in 1711)
Earls Ferrers (1711)
*
Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers
Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers PC (20 October 1650 – 25 December 1717)—known as Sir Robert Shirley, 7th Baronet, from 1669 to 1677 and Robert Shirley, 14th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, from 1677 to 1711—was an English peer and courtier.
S ...
(1650–1717)
*
Washington Shirley, 2nd Earl Ferrers
Washington Shirley, 2nd Earl Ferrers (22 June 1677 – 14 April 1729), styled Hon. Washington Shirley until 1714 and Viscount Tamworth from 1714 to 1717, was a British nobleman and soldier.
The second but first surviving son of Robert Shirley, 1s ...
(1677–1729)
*
Henry Shirley, 3rd Earl Ferrers
Henry Shirley, 3rd Earl Ferrers (14 November 1691– 6 August 1745), known as Hon. Henry Shirley until 1729, was an English nobleman and lunatic.
Shirley was the ninth, but second surviving, son of Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers. His mental diso ...
(1691–1745)
*
Laurence Shirley, 4th Earl Ferrers
Laurence Shirley, 4th Earl Ferrers (18 August 1720 – 5 May 1760) was an English nobleman, notable for being the last peer to be hanged, following his conviction for murdering his steward.
Biography
Shirley was the eldest son of Laurenc ...
(1720–1760)
*
Washington Shirley, 5th Earl Ferrers
Vice Admiral Washington Shirley, 5th Earl Ferrers, FRS (26 May 1722 – 1 October 1778) was a British Royal Navy officer, peer, freemason and amateur astronomer.
Biography
Shirley was the second son of Hon. Laurence Shirley (himself the fourt ...
(1722–1778)
*
Robert Shirley, 6th Earl Ferrers
Robert Shirley, 6th Earl Ferrers (20 July 1723 – 18 April 1787) was a British nobleman.
He was born in 1723 in St James, Westminster, the third son of Laurence Shirley.
On 26 December 1754, he married Catherine Cotton (d. 26 March 1786), by ...
(1723–1787)
*
Robert Shirley, 7th Earl Ferrers
Robert Shirley, 7th Earl Ferrers FSA DL (21 September 1756 – 2 May 1827), styled Viscount Tamworth from 1778 to 1787, was a British nobleman.
Early life
The eldest son of Robert Shirley, he became a courtesy viscount after his father succeed ...
(1756–1827)
*
Washington Shirley, 8th Earl Ferrers
Washington Shirley, 8th Earl Ferrers (13 November 1760 – 2 October 1842), styled Hon. Washington Shirley from 1778 to 1827, was a British nobleman.
The third son of Robert Shirley, 6th Earl Ferrers, he was educated at Westminster School. On 19 ...
(1760–1842)
*
Washington Sewallis Shirley, 9th Earl Ferrers
Washington Sewallis Shirley, 9th Earl Ferrers (3 January 1822 – 13 March 1859), styled Hon. Washington Shirley from 1827 to 1830 and Viscount Tamworth from 1830 to 1842, was a British nobleman.
The elder son of Robert William Shirley, Viscount ...
(1822–1859)
*
Sewallis Edward Shirley, 10th Earl Ferrers
Sewallis Edward Shirley, 10th Earl Ferrers KStJ (24 January 1847 – 26 July 1912), styled Viscount Tamworth until 1859, was a British peer. He was the son of Washington Sewallis Shirley, 9th Earl Ferrers and Lady Augusta Annabella Chichester.
Fer ...
(1847–1912)
*
Walter Shirley, 11th Earl Ferrers
Walter Knight Shirley, 11th Earl Ferrers FRIBA (5 June 1864 – 2 February 1937) was a British architect and nobleman.
Born at Christ Church, Oxford, where his father was a professor and canon, Shirley was the second but only surviving son of Rev. ...
(1864–1937)
*
Robert Walter Shirley, 12th Earl Ferrers (1894–1954)
*
Robert Washington Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers
Robert Washington Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers, (8 June 1929 – 13 November 2012), styled Viscount Tamworth between 1937 and 1954, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords as one of the rema ...
(1929–2012)
*Robert William Saswalo Shirley, 14th Earl Ferrers (b. 1952)
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 son William Robert Charles Shirley, Viscount Tamworth (b. 1984).
Notes
References
*
*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
*
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferrers
Earldoms in the Peerage of Great Britain
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 ...
Noble titles created in 1711
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 ...