The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in 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 th ...

, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a

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 con ...

for the eldest son of the marquess. The

earldom 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", particula ...

was first created for Harvey of Léon, who married Sybilla, an illegitimate daughter of King Stephen. The title lapsed after Harvey lost his English lands during the Anarchy, since at that time one could not be an earl without the territory to support the dignity.

Patrick of Salisbury Patrick of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Salisbury ( 11221168) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, and the uncle of the famous William Marshal. His parents were Walter of Salisbury and Sibyl de Chaworth. Before 1141, Patrick was constable of Salisbury, a ...

was created Earl of Wiltshire by the

Empress Matilda Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...

, probably after July 1143, but he was usually styled Earl of Salisbury. He was the second but eldest surviving son of William of Salisbury and the grandson of Walter of Salisbury, the founder of Bradenstoke Priory, in Wiltshire. He was

Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the Sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) High Sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Gov ...

in October 1152, when he was addressed as "Earl Patrick, sheriff" in a writ of Stephen. Patrick of Salisbury, Earl of Wiltshire, passed the title to his great-granddaughter Margaret Longespée. She married

Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln (c. 1251February 1311), Baron of Pontefract, Lord of Bowland, Baron of Halton and hereditary Constable of Chester, was an English nobleman and confidant of King Edward I. He served Edward in Wales, France, and S ...

, they had a daughter who became ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

'' Countess of Lincoln and Wiltshire on her mother's death. She married three times, but the earldom of Wilshire seems to have reverted to the crown with her death in October 1348.''Cokayne's Complete Peerage'', Vol XII (Wiltshire), pages 727–730.) William le Scrope was created Earl of Wiltshire in 1397. He was executed during the events leading to the deposition of

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father ...

by Henry IV. The charter which granted his earldom limited its inheritance to ''heirs male'', but did not contain the usual additional limitation ''of his body''. Thus in 1859 a collateral descendant attempted to claim the earldom, but the claim was rejected by 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 Westminst ...

. The next creation was for James Butler, eldest son of the 4th Earl of Ormond. He fought on the Lancastrian side at the

Battle of Towton The Battle of Towton took place on 29 March 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, near Towton in North Yorkshire, and "has the dubious distinction of being probably the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil". Fought for ten hours between a ...

, and afterwards was executed and posthumously attainted. The earldom was next held by three members of the Stafford family, beginning with John, a younger son of the 1st Duke of Buckingham.

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key f ...

's father Thomas was the recipient of the next creation, but after outliving his son and with no other male heirs upon his death the title became vacant. He was the great-nephew of James Butler, the earl of the 1449 creation. Finally, in 1550 William Paulet was created Earl of Wiltshire. He was made Marquess of Winchester the next year, and his descendants continue to hold both titles.

Earl of Wiltshire, First Creation (1139)

Hervey le Breton, Earl of Wiltshire Hervey is both an English surname and a masculine given name, probably derived from French Hervé. Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Lord Alfred Hervey (1816–1875), English politician * Lord Arthur Hervey (1808–1894), English bi ...

(forfeit 1141)

Earl of Wiltshire, creation by the Empress Matilda (c. 1145)

* Patrick of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Salisbury (c. 1122–1168) * William of Salisbury, 2nd Earl of Salisbury (d. 1196) *

William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury (born in or before 11677 March 1226) ("Long Sword", Latinised to ''de Longa Spatha'') was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, primarily remembered for his command of the English forces at the Battle of Damme an ...

(c. 1176–1226), ''jure uxoris''

Ela, Countess of Salisbury Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury (118724 August 1261) was an English peeress. She succeeded to the title in her own right in 1196 upon the death of her father, William FitzPatrick, 2nd Earl of Salisbury.Charles Cawley, ''Medieval La ...

(1187–1261) * Margaret Longespée, Countess of Salisbury (c. 1261 – c. 1311), granddaughter of the 3rd Earl by his son William III Longespée. She married

. * Alice de Lacy, 4th Countess of Lincoln (1281–1348)

Earl of Wiltshire, Second Creation (1397)

* William le Scrope, 1st Earl of Wiltshire (1350–1399) (executed 1399)

Earl of Wiltshire, Third Creation (1449)

* James Butler, Earl of Wiltshire and 5th Earl of Ormond (1420–1461) (forfeit 1461)

Earl of Wiltshire, Fourth Creation (1470)

John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire KG, KB (24 November 1427 – 8 May 1473) was an English nobleman, the youngest son of Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham. In 1461 he was appointed Knight of the Order of the Bath. Career He fought ...

(d. 1473) *

Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire KB (7 April 1470 – 24 March 1499) was an English nobleman. Origins Edward Stafford, born 7 April 1470, was the only child of John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire (d. 8 May 1473), third son of Humphrey ...

(1469–1499) (extinct)

Earl of Wiltshire, Fifth Creation (1510)

Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire (c. 1479 – 6 April 1523) was an English peer. Family Henry Stafford, born c.1479, was the younger of two sons of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Lady Catherine Woodville, the daughter of ...

(1479–1523) (extinct)

Earl of Wiltshire, Sixth Creation (1529)

* Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and 1st Earl of Ormond (1477–1539) (extinct)

Earl of Wiltshire, Seventh Creation (1550)

*''see Marquess of Winchester'' The title 'Earl of Wiltshire' is now used as the

of Lord Winchester's eldest son and heir.

Family tree

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiltshire Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of England

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", particu ...

Earldoms in the Peerage of England Forfeited earldoms in the Peerage of England Noble titles created in 1139 Noble titles created in 1397 Noble titles created in 1449 Noble titles created in 1470 Noble titles created in 1510 Noble titles created in 1529 Noble titles created in 1550