Wodehouse is an English surname and barony. The

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 ...

cy was created in 1611, the barony in 1797. Since 1866 it has been held by the

Earl of Kimberley Earl of Kimberley, of Kimberley in the County of Norfolk, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1866 for the prominent Liberal politician John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron Wodehouse. During his long political career, he n ...

, the current Baron Wodehouse being John Wodehouse, 5th Earl of Kimberley (born 1951).

History

The name "de Wodehouse" is attested as early as in the 11th century, of one Bertram, of Wodehouse-tower, Yorkshire, who lived at the time of the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...

. An elaborate pedigree of the Wodehouse family of Norfolk is on record beginning with Sir David Wodehouse (b.1053) Father of Sir Constantine de Wodehouse (b.1080) -who was married to Lady Isobel Botetourt (b.1085). John Wodehouse (died 1431) Member of Parliament for Norfolk and Suffolk, is the first of the family to be ~historically attested~ in Norfolk and arrived there as an outside administrator for the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of a portfolio of lands, properti ...

. The augmented coat of arms of Wodehouse from this time has been blazoned '' sable a chevron or, gutte de sang, between three cinquefoils ermine'' with the crest ''on a wreath, an arm erect, holding a club in the hand'' and on a scroll the motto ''frappe forte^'', i. e. "strike strong", and at the bottom ''Agincourt'', supported by two wild men. The native English term for "

wild man The wild man, wild man of the woods, or woodwose/wodewose is a mythical figure that appears in the art and literature of medieval Europe, comparable to the satyr or faun type in classical mythology and to '' Silvanus'', the Roman god of the woodl ...

", ''woodwose'' (from a putative Old English ''*wude-wāsa'' "wood-being"), has been transformed to ''woodhouse'' by popular etymology due to their appearance as supporters in the Woodhouse coat of arms. Baronets Wodehouse: * The baronetcy was created in 1611, for

Sir Philip Wodehouse, 1st Baronet Sir Philip Wodehouse, 1st Baronet (died 30 October 1623) was an English baronet, soldier and Member of Parliament. Wodehouse was the son of Roger Wodehouse, Sir Roger Wodehouse, of Kimberley, Norfolk, and Mary, daughter of John Corbet and was ...

(died 1623), MP *

Sir Thomas Wodehouse, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Wodehouse, 2nd Baronet (c. 1585 – 18 March 1658), was an English baronet and Member of Parliament. Wodehouse was the son of Sir Philip Wodehouse, 1st Baronet, of Kimberley, Norfolk, and Grizell, daughter of William Yelverto ...

(c. 1585 – 1658), MP * Sir Philip Wodehouse, 3rd Baronet (1608–1681), MP *

Sir John Wodehouse, 4th Baronet Sir John Wodehouse, 4th Baronet (23 March 1669 – 6 August 1754), was a British Tory Member of Parliament. A member of an old Norfolk family, Wodehouse succeeded his grandfather Sir Philip Wodehouse, 3rd Baronet, in the baronetcy on 6 May 1681. ...

(1669–1754), British MP *

Sir Armine Wodehouse, 5th Baronet Sir Armine Wodehouse, 5th Baronet (c. 1714 – 21 May 1777), was a British Tory Member of Parliament. Wodehouse was the son of Sir John Wodehouse, 4th Baronet, and Mary Fermor. His unusual first name reflects his connection with the Armine Baro ...

(c. 1714 – 1777), MP for Norfolk Barons Wodehouse: * John Wodehouse, 6th Baronet (1741–1834), was created

Baron Wodehouse 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 ...

in 1797. *

John Wodehouse, 2nd Baron Wodehouse John Wodehouse, 2nd Baron Wodehouse (11 January 1771 – 31 May 1846), styled The Honourable John Wodehouse from 1797 to 1834, was a British peer and Member of Parliament. Background Wodehouse was the eldest son of John Wodehouse, 1st Baron Wod ...

(1771–1846), British MP and then peer Earls of Kimberley: *in 1866, John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron (1826–1902) was created

John Wodehouse, 2nd Earl of Kimberley John Wodehouse, 2nd Earl of Kimberley (10 December 1848 - 7 January 1932), known as Lord Wodehouse from 1866 to 1902, was a British peer and landowner, who was the first member of the Labour Party in the House of Lords. Wodehouse was born at the ...

(1848–1932), first member of the Labour Party in the House of Lords * John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley (1883–1941) *

John Wodehouse, 4th Earl of Kimberley John Wodehouse, 4th Earl of Kimberley (12 May 1924 – 26 May 2002), styled Lord Wodehouse between 1932 and 1941, was an active British peer, and also a bobsled racer and Cresta member. Background and education Wodehouse was the son of John Wo ...

(1924–2002) * John Wodehouse, 5th Earl of Kimberley (born 1951)

had an older brother,

William Wodehouse William Wodehouse (c. 1706 - 13 May 1737), of Kimberley, Norfolk, was a British Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1734 to 1737. Wodehouse was the eldest son of Sir John Wodehouse, 4th Baronet and his wife Mary Fermor, daughter ...

(possibly 1706–1737), who died of smallpox. Other descendants of Sir Armine Wodehouse include:The Marquis of Ruvigny and Ranieval, ''

The Plantagenet Roll of the Blood Royal Melville Amadeus Henry Douglas Heddle de La Caillemotte de Massue de Ruvigné, "9th Marquis of Ruvigny and 15th of Raineval" (25 April 1868 – 6 October 1921) was a British genealogist and author, who was twice president of the Legitimist Jacobit ...

: The Mortimer-Percy''
402ff.
/ref> *Reverend Philip Wodehouse (1745–1811), son of Sir Armine Wodehouse, 5th Baronet ** Lt.-Col. Philip Wodehouse (1788–1846), 15th The King's Hussars (

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

) *** Colonel Edwin Wodehouse (1817–1870), son of Philip Wodehouse (1773–1838) **** Sir Edwin Frederick Wodehouse (c. 1850 – 1934), senior British police officer, son of Edwin Wodehouse ***Reverend Frederick Armine Wodehouse (1842 – c. 1921), son of Philip Wodehouse (1788–1846) ****

Norman Wodehouse Vice Admiral Norman Atherton Wodehouse (18 May 1887 – 4 July 1941) was a Royal Navy officer killed in the Second World War. He had gained 14 caps for England at rugby union, including six as captain between 1910 and 1913. Wodehouse was actin ...

(1887–1941), Royal Navy vice-admiral, son of Reverend Frederick Armine Wodehouse (1842 – c. 1921) ***Henry Ernest Wodehouse (1845–1929), son of Philip Wodehouse (1788–1846) ****

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

(1881–1975), English humor writer, son of Henry Ernest Wodehouse ****

Richard Wodehouse Richard Lancelot Deane Wodehouse (30 May 1892 – 20 May 1940) was an English cricketer. Born in Chippenham, Wiltshire, his entire recorded cricket career took place in Asia. He was one of three brothers of the author P. G. Wodehouse. Wodehous ...

(1892–1940), cricketer, son of Henry Ernest Wodehouse (brother of P. G. Wodehouse) *

Edmond Wodehouse (1784–1855) Edmund Wodehouse (26 July 1784 – 21 August 1855), was a British politician. Background Wodehouse was the son of Thomas Wodehouse, younger son of Sir Armine Wodehouse, 5th Baronet and brother of John Wodehouse, 1st Baron Wodehouse. His mot ...

, MP for Norfolk, and later, Norfolk East, son of Thomas Wodehouse, younger son of Sir Armine Wodehouse, 5th Baronet **

Philip Edmond Wodehouse Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse (27 February 1811 – 25 October 1887) was a British colonial administrator. Biography Wodehouse was the eldest child of Edmond Wodehouse and his wife and first cousin Lucy Wodehouse. His paternal grandfather Th ...

(1811–1887), British colonial administrator, eldest son of Edmond Wodehouse ***

Edmond Robert Wodehouse Edmond Robert Wodehouse (3 June 1835 – 14 December 1914) was an English Liberal and Liberal Unionist politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1906. Biography Wodehouse was the only child of Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse, Gov ...

(1835–1914), British Unionist politician, only child of Philip Edmond Wodehouse * Armine Wodehouse (MP) (1860–1941), MP for Saffron Walden, a younger son of John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley

Notes

References

* Lord Wodehouse, ''The Wodehouses of Kimberley'', London (1887). {{Authority control Noble families of the United Kingdom English toponymic surnames History of Norfolk