Earl of Londonderry is a title that has been created three times in the

Peerage of Ireland The peerage of Ireland consists of those Peerage, titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lordship of Ireland, Lord or Monarchy of Ireland, King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

. The first creation came in 1622 in favour of Thomas Ridgeway, 1st Baron Ridgeway, who served as

Treasurer of Ireland The Lord High Treasurer of Ireland was the head of the Exchequer of Ireland, and chief financial officer of the Kingdom of Ireland. The designation ''High'' was added in 1695. After the Acts of Union 1800 created the United Kingdom of Great Brit ...

and was involved in the colonisation of

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

. He had already been created a Baronet, of Torrington in the County of Devon, in 1611,George Edward Cokayne ''Complete Baronetage Volume 1'' 1900
/ref> Lord Ridgeway, Baron of Gallen-Ridgeway, in the Peerage of Ireland, in 1616, and was made Viscount Gallen-Ridgeway at the same time as he was granted the earldom, also in the Peerage of Ireland. The titles became extinct on the death of his great-grandson, the fourth Earl, in 1714. The second creation came in 1726 in favour of the soldier and politician Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Londonderry. He had already been created Baron Londonderry in 1719 and was made Viscount Gallen-Ridgeway at the same time as he was granted the earldom, also in the Peerage of Ireland. He was the husband of Lady Frances Ridgeway, daughter and heiress of the fourth Earl of the first creation. A member of the prominent

Pitt family The Pitt family were an English aristocratic family whose members included the Earl of Chatham, Earls of Chatham, the Earl of Londonderry, Earls of Londonderry and the Baron Camelford, Barons Camelford. The family produced two British Prime Minis ...

, he was the uncle of

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British people, British British Whig Party, Whig politician, statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him "Chatham" or "Pit ...

. His younger son, the third Earl (who succeeded his elder brother), represented

Camelford Camelford () is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately north of Bodmin and is governed by Camelford Town Council. The ward pop ...

in Parliament. The titles became extinct on his death in 1765. The third creation came in 1796 in favour of Robert Stewart, 1st Viscount Castlereagh, already created Baron Londonderry in 1789. He was created

Marquess of Londonderry Marquess of Londonderry, of the County of Londonderry ( ), is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. History The title was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry. He had earlier represented County Down in the Irish House of ...

in 1816. See the latter title for more information on this creation.

Earls of Londonderry; First creation (1622)

Thomas Ridgeway, 1st Earl of Londonderry Thomas Ridgeway, 1st Earl of Londonderry (1550 – 1631) was an English administrator active in Ireland, in particular in the Ulster Plantation. Origins He was born in about 1550 either at Torwood House in his father's manor of Tor Mohun, Devo ...

(–1631) *Robert Ridgeway, 2nd Earl of Londonderry (died 1641) *Weston Ridgeway, 3rd Earl of Londonderry (1620–1672) * Robert Ridgeway, 4th Earl of Londonderry (died 1714)

Earls of Londonderry; Second creation (1726)

Thomas Pitt, 1st Earl of Londonderry Thomas Innes Pitt, 1st Earl of Londonderry ( 1688 – 12 September 1729) was a British Army officer, speculator and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons, House of Commons from 1713 to 1728. He served as Governor of the Leeward ...

(c.1688-1729) *Thomas Pitt, 2nd Earl of Londonderry (1717-1734) (son) * Ridgeway Pitt, 3rd Earl of Londonderry (1722–1765) (brother)

Earls of Londonderry; Third creation (1796)

*see

References

* *The Complete Peerage, Vol. VIII, article "Londonderry" * {{DEFAULTSORT:Londonderry Earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland Londonderry 1622 establishments in Ireland Noble titles created in 1622 Noble titles created in 1726 Noble titles created in 1796

Earls of Londonderry; First creation (1622)

Earls of Londonderry; Second creation (1726)

Earls of Londonderry; Third creation (1796)

See also

References