PEERAGES
Last updated 12/07/2018 (29 Jan 2024)
Date Rank Order Name Born Died Age
BRUCE
24 Jun 1295 B 1 Robert de Bruce
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Bruce 24 Jun 1295
1304
1304 2 Robert de Bruce, 4th Earl of Carrick
He was crowned King of Scotland as Robert I in 1306. On the death of his son David II of Scotland in 1371, the peerage fell into abeyance
11 Jul 1274 6 Jun 1329 54
BRUCE OF AMPTHILL
21 Dec 1663 V 1 Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin
Created Baron Bruce of Skelton, Viscount Bruce of Ampthill and Earl of Ailesbury 18 Mar 1664
See "Ailesbury" - extinct 1747
20 Oct 1685
BRUCE OF BENNACHIE
19 Oct 2015 B[L] Sir Malcolm Gray Bruce
Created Baron Bruce of Bennachie for life 19 Oct 2015
MP for Gordon 1983‑2015; PC 2006
17 Nov 1944
BRUCE OF DONINGTON
20 Jan 1975
to    
18 Apr 2005
B[L] Donald William Trevor Bruce
Created Baron Bruce of Donington for life 20 Jan 1975
MP for Portsmouth North 1945‑1950; MEP 1975‑1979
Peerage extinct on his death
3 Oct 1912 18 Apr 2005 92
BRUCE OF KINLOSS
8 Jul 1604
3 May 1608
B[S]
B[S]
1
1
Edward Bruce
Created Lord Bruce of Kinloss 8 Jul 1604 and 3 May 1608
c 1549 14 Jan 1611
14 Jan 1611 2 Edward Bruce Aug 1613
Aug 1613  
B[S]
3
1
Thomas Bruce
Created Lord Bruce of Kinloss and Earl of Elgin 21 Jun 1633, and Baron Bruce of Whorlton 30 Jul 1641
2 Dec 1599 21 Dec 1663 64
21 Dec 1663 4
2
Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin
Created Baron Bruce of Skelton, Viscount Bruce of Ampthill and Earl of Ailesbury 18 Mar 1664
20 Oct 1685
20 Oct 1685 5
3
Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury 1656 16 Dec 1741 85
16 Dec 1741 6
4
Charles Bruce, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury
On his death the creations of 1604 and 1633 passed to the Earl of Elgin and the creation of 1608 passed to the Barons of Kinloss
29 May 1682 10 Feb 1747 64
BRUCE OF MELBOURNE
18 Mar 1947
to    
25 Aug 1967
V 1 Stanley Melbourne Bruce
Created Viscount Bruce of Melbourne 18 Mar 1947
Prime Minister of Australia 1923‑1929; PC 1923; CH 1927
Peerage extinct on his death
15 Apr 1883 25 Aug 1967 84
BRUCE OF SKELTON
21 Dec 1663 B 1 Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin
Created Baron Bruce of Skelton, Viscount Bruce of Ampthill and Earl of Ailesbury 18 Mar 1664
See "Ailesbury" - extinct 1747
20 Oct 1685
BRUCE OF TORRY
26 Dec 1647 B[S] 1 Edward Bruce
Created Lord Bruce of Torry and Earl of Kincardine 26 Dec 1647
See "Kincardine"
1662
BRUCE OF TOTTENHAM
17 Apr 1746 B 1 Charles Bruce, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury
Created Baron Bruce of Tottenham 17 Apr 1746
For details of the special remainder included in this creation, see the note at the foot of this page
29 May 1682 10 Feb 1747 64
10 Feb 1747 2 Thomas Bruce Brudenell-Bruce
He was subsequently created Earl of Ailesbury in 1776
30 Apr 1729 19 Apr 1814 84

10 Jul 1838 George Brudenell-Bruce
He was summoned to Parliament by a Writ of Acceleraion as Baron Bruce of Tottenham 10 Jul 1838
He succeeded as Marquess of Ailesbury in 1856
20 Nov 1804 6 Jan 1878 73
BRUCE OF WHORLTON
30 Jul 1641 B 1 Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin
Created Baron Bruce of Whorlton 30 Jul 1641
See "Elgin" - extinct 1747
2 Dec 1599 21 Dec 1663 64

29 Dec 1711 Charles Bruce
He was summoned to Parliament by a Writ of Acceleration as Baron Bruce of Whorlton 29 Dec 1711
He succeeded as 4th Earl of Elgin in 1741
1682 10 Feb 1747 64
BRUCE-GARDYNE
7 Oct 1983
to    
15 Apr 1990
B[L] John ["Jock"] Bruce-Gardyne
Created Baron Bruce-Gardyne for life 7 Oct 1983
MP for Angus South 1964‑1974 and Knutsford 1979‑1983
Peerage extinct on his death
12 Apr 1930 15 Apr 1990 60
BRUCE-LOCKHART
9 Jun 2006
to    
14 Aug 2008
B[L] Sir Alexander John Bruce-Lockhart
Created Baron Bruce-Lockhart for life 9 Jun 2006
Peerage extinct on his death
4 May 1942 14 Aug 2008 66
BRUDENELL OF DEENE
17 Oct 1780
to    
24 Feb 1811
B 1 James Brudenell
Created Baron Brudenell of Deene 17 Oct 1780
He subsequently succeeded to the Earldom of Cardigan in 1790
Peerage extinct on his death
20 Apr 1725 24 Feb 1811 85
BRUDENELL OF STONTON
25 Feb 1628 B 1 Sir Thomas Brudenell, 1st baronet
Created Baron Brudenell of Stonton 25 Feb 1628
He was subsequently created Earl of Cardigan in 1661
16 Sep 1663
BRUN
8 Jan 1313 B 1 Maurice le Brun
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Brun 8 Jan 1313
c 1280 17 Mar 1355
17 Mar 1355 2 William le Brun c 1362
c 1362 3 Ingelram le Brun c 1400
c 1400
to    
c 1462
4 Maurice le Brun
On his death the peerage fell into abeyance
c 1462
BRUNTISFIELD
9 Mar 1942 B 1 Sir Victor Alexander George Anthony Warrender, 8th baronet
Created Baron Bruntisfield 9 Mar 1942
MP for Grantham 1923‑1942
23 Jun 1899 14 Jan 1993 93
14 Jan 1993 2 John Robert Warrender 7 Feb 1921 14 Jul 2007 86
14 Jul 2007 3 Michael John Victor Warrender 9 Jan 1949
BRYAN
25 Nov 1350
to    
17 Aug 1390
B 1 Guy Bryan
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Bryan 25 Nov 1350
KG c 1370
On his death the peerage fell into abeyance
before 1319 17 Aug 1390
BRYAN OF PARTICK
20 Jun 2018 B[L] Pauline Christina Bryan
Created Baroness Bryan of Partick for life 20 Jun 2018
3 Jan 1950
BRYCE
28 Jan 1914
to    
22 Jan 1922
V 1 James Bryce
Created Viscount Bryce 28 Jan 1914
MP for Tower Hamlets 1880‑1885 and Aberdeen South 1885‑1907; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1892‑1894; President of the Board of Trade 1894‑1895; PC 1892; PC [I] 1905; OM 1907
Peerage extinct on his death
10 May 1838 22 Jan 1922 83
BUCCLEUCH
16 Mar 1619 E[S] 1 Walter Scott, 2nd Lord Scott of Buccleuch
Created Baron Scott of Whitchester & Eskdale and Earl of Buccleuch 16 Mar 1619
20 Nov 1633
20 Nov 1633 2 Francis Scott 21 Dec 1626 25 Nov 1651 24
25 Nov 1651 3 Mary Scott 31 Aug 1647 12 Mar 1661 13
12 Mar 1661
20 Apr 1663
 
D[S]
4
1
Anne Scott
Created Lady Scott of Whitchester, Countess of Dalkeith and Duchess of Buccleuch 20 Apr 1663
She married James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son of Charles II. He was created Lord Scott of Whitchester, Earl of Dalkeith and Duke of Buccleuch 20 Apr 1663. He was attainted and his honours forfeited in 1685
11 Feb 1651 6 Feb 1732 80
6 Feb 1732 2 Francis Scott
Restored to the peerages of Baron Scott of Tyndale and Earl of Doncaster 21 Mar 1743 - see "Monmouth"
KT 1725
11 Jan 1695 22 Apr 1751 56
22 Apr 1751 3 Henry Scott
Lord Lieutenant Midlothian 1794‑1812 and Roxburgh 1804‑1812; KT 1767; KG 1794
He succeeded as 5th Duke of Queensberry in 1810
2 Sep 1746 11 Jan 1812 65
11 Jan 1812 4 Charles William Henry Montagu-Scott (also 6th Duke of Queensberry)
MP for Marlborough 1793‑1796, Ludgershall 1796‑1804, St. Michaels 1805‑1806, Marlborough 1806‑1807; Lord Lieutenant Selkirk 1794‑1797, Dumfries 1810‑1819 and Midlothian 1812‑1819; KT 1812
He was summoned to Parliament by a Writ of Acceleration as Baron Scott of Tyndale 11 Apr 1807
24 May 1772 20 Apr 1819 46
20 Apr 1819 5 Walter Francis Montagu-Douglas-Scott (also 7th Duke of Queensberry)
Lord Privy Seal 1842‑1846; Lord President of the Council 1846; Lord Lieutenant Midlothian 1828‑1884 and Roxburgh 1841‑1884; KT 1830; KG 1835; PC 1842
25 Nov 1806 16 Apr 1884 77
16 Apr 1884 6 William Henry Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott (also 8th Duke of Queensberry)
MP for Midlothian 1853‑1868 and 1874‑1880; Lord Lieutenant Dumfries 1858‑1914; KT 1875; KG 1897; PC 1901
9 Sep 1831 5 Nov 1914 83
5 Nov 1914 7 John Charles Montagu-Douglas-Scott (also 9th Duke of Queensberry)
MP for Roxburghshire 1895‑1906; Lord Lieutenant Dumfries 1915‑1935; KT 1917
30 Mar 1864 19 Oct 1935 71
19 Oct 1935 8 Walter John Montagu-Douglas-Scott (also 10th Duke of Queensberry)
MP for Roxburgh & Selkirk 1923‑1935; Lord Lieutenant Roxburgh 1932‑1973; PC 1937; KT 1949
30 Dec 1894 4 Oct 1973 78
4 Oct 1973 9 Walter Francis John Montagu-Douglas-Scott [later Scott] (also 11th Duke of Queensberry)
MP for MP for Edinburgh North 1960‑1973; Lord Lieutenant Roxburgh 1974‑1975, Selkirk 1975 and Roxburgh, Ettrick & Lauderdale 1975‑2007; KT 1978
28 Sep 1923 4 Sep 2007 83
4 Sep 2007 10 Richard John Walter Montagu Douglas Scott (also 12th Duke of Queensberry)
KT 2017
14 Feb 1954
BUCHAN
1115 E[S] 1 Gartnach
Witness to the Charter of Scone in 1115 as Earl of Buchan
after 1132
after 1132 2 Eva
she married Colban who became Earl of Buchan in her right
c 1150
c 1150 3 Roger c 1170
c 1170 4 Fergus before 1199
before 1199 5 Margaret
she married William Comyn who became Earl of Buchan in her right
c 1237
ca 1237 6 Alexander Comyn 1289
1289
to    
1308
7 John Comyn
Peerage extinct on his death
For information on his wife, see the note at the foot of this page
before 1259 1308

22 Jan 1334
to    
1340
E[S] 1 Henry Beaumont
Summoned to Parliament as Earl of Buchan 22 Jan 1334
Peerage extinct on his death
1340

c 1382 E[S] 1 Sir Alexander Stewart
Created Earl of Buchan c 1382
4th son of Robert II of Scotland
24 Jul 1394
24 Jul 1394 2 Robert Stewart
He was created Duke of Albany 1398
He resigned the peerage 1406 in favour of -
c 1340 3 Sep 1420
1406 3 John Stewart c 1380 17 Aug 1424
17 Aug 1424
to    
1431
4 Robert Stewart
Peerage extinct on his death
1431

1469 E[S] 1 Sir James Stewart
Created Lord Auchterhouse and Earl of Buchan 1469
c 1495
c 1495 2 Alexander Stewart 1505
1505 3 John Stewart c 1555
c 1555 4 Christian Stewart
She married Robert Douglas who became Earl of Buchan in her right
c 1580
c 1580 5 James Douglas 26 Aug 1601
26 Aug 1601 6 Mary Douglas
She married James Erskine who became Earl of Buchan in her right
Jan 1640
Jan 1640 7 James Erskine Oct 1664
Oct 1664 8 William Erskine 1695
1695 9 David Erskine, 4th Lord Cardross
Lord Lieutenant Stirling and Clackmannan; PC 1697
1672 14 Oct 1745 73
14 Oct 1745 10 Henry David Erskine 17 Apr 1710 1 Dec 1767 57
1 Dec 1767 11 David Steuart Erskine 1 Jun 1742 19 Apr 1829 86
19 Apr 1829 12 Henry David Erskine Jul 1783 13 Sep 1857 74
13 Sep 1857 13 David Stuart Erskine
For further information on this peer, see the note at the foot of this page
6 Nov 1815 3 Dec 1898 83
3 Dec 1898 14 Shipley Gordon Stuart Erskine 27 Feb 1850 16 Apr 1934 84
16 Apr 1934 15 Ronald Douglas Stuart Mar Erskine 6 Apr 1878 18 Dec 1960 82
18 Dec 1960 16 Donald Cardross Flower Erskine, 7th Baron Erskine of Restormel Castle 3 Jun 1899 26 Jul 1984 85
26 Jul 1984 17 Malcolm Harry Erskine 4 Jul 1930 11 Sep 2022 92
11 Sep 2022 18 Henry Thomas Alexander Erskine 31 May 1960
BUCKHURST
8 Jun 1567 B 1 Thomas Sackville
Created Baron Buckhurst 8 Jun 1567
He was subsequently created Earl of Dorset in 1604
1527 19 Apr 1608 80

27 Apr 1864 B 1 Elizabeth Sackville-West
Created Baroness Buckhurst 27 Apr 1864
For further information about the unusual remainder to this peerage, see the note at the foot of this page
11 Aug 1795 9 Jan 1870 74
9 Jan 1870 2 Reginald Windsor Sackville
He succeeded as 7th Earl de la Warr in 1873 when the peerages were merged and still remain so
21 Feb 1817 5 Jan 1896 78
BUCKINGHAM
c 1097 E 1 Walter Giffard
Created Earl of Buckingham c 1097
15 Jul 1102
15 Jul 1102
to    
1164
2 Walter Giffard
Peerage extinct on his death
1164

c 1164
to    
1176
E 1 Richard de Clare ("Strongbow")
Generally considered to have been Earl of Buckingham
Peerage, if such ever existed, extinct on his death
1176

15 Jul 1377 E 1 Thomas Plantagenet
Created Earl of Buckingham 15 Jul 1377
Youngest son of Edward III
Created Duke of Gloucester 1385
8 Sep 1397
8 Sep 1397
to    
1399
2 Humphrey Plantagenet
Peerage extinct on his death
1399

14 Sep 1444 D 1 Humphrey Stafford, 6th Earl of Stafford
Created Duke of Buckingham 14 Sep 1444
KG 1429
15 Aug 1402 10 Jul 1460 57
10 Jul 1460
to    
2 Nov 1483
2 Henry Stafford
KG c 1474
He was attainted and executed 1483 when the peerage was forfeited
4 Sep 1454 2 Nov 1483 29
1486
to    
17 May 1521
3 Edward Stafford
Restored to the peerage 1486
KG 1495
He was attainted and executed 1521 when the peerage was forfeited
3 Feb 1478 17 May 1521 43

1 Jul 1618
to    
19 Apr 1632
E[L] Dame Mary Compton
Created Countess of Buckingham for life 1 Jul 1618
Peerage extinct on her death
1570 19 Apr 1632 61

5 Jan 1617
18 May 1623
E
D
1
1
George Villiers
Created Baron Whaddon and Viscount Villiers 27 Aug 1616, Earl of Buckingham 5 Jan 1617, Marquess of Buckingham 1 Jan 1618 and Earl of Coventry and Duke of Buckingham 18 May 1623
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1618; Lord Lieutenant Kent 1620 and Middlesex 1622; KG 1616
28 Aug 1592 23 Aug 1628 35
23 Aug 1628
to    
16 Apr 1687
2 George Villiers
Lord Lieutenant West Riding Yorkshire 1661‑Mar 1667 and Nov 1667‑1674; KG 1649
He had by 1663 succeeded to the Barony of de Ros. On his death that barony fell into abeyance. All of his other peerages became extinct on his death
30 Jan 1628 16 Apr 1687 59
BUCKINGHAM AND CHANDOS
4 Dec 1784 M 1 George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 3rd Earl Temple
Created Marquess of Buckingham 4 Dec 1784
He succeeded as 2nd Earl Nugent in 1788
MP for Buckinghamshire 1774‑1779; Lord Lieutenant Buckinghamshire 1782‑1813; Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1782‑1783 and 1787‑1789; Secretary of State 1783; PC 1782; KG 1786
17 Jun 1753 11 Feb 1813 59
11 Feb 1813
4 Feb 1822
 
D
2
1
Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos‑Grenville
Created Earl Temple of Stowe, Marquess of Chandos and Duke of Buckingham & Chandos 4 Feb 1822
MP for Buckinghamshire 1797‑1813; Vice President of the Board of Trade 1806‑1807; Lord Lieutenant Buckinghamshire 1813‑1839; PC 1806; KG 1820
20 Mar 1776 17 Jan 1839 62
17 Jan 1839 2 Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville
MP for Buckinghamshire 1818‑1839; Lord Privy Seal 1841‑1842; PC 1841; KG 1842
11 Feb 1797 29 Jul 1861 64
29 Jul 1861
to    
26 Mar 1889
3 Richard Plantagenet Campbell Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville
MP for Buckinghamshire 1846‑1857; Lord President of the Council 1866‑1867; Secretary of State for Colonies 1867‑1868; Lord Lieutenant Buckinghamshire 1868‑1889; Governor of Madras 1875‑1880; PC 1866
On his death all of the above peerages (except the Earldom of Temple of Stowe created in 1822) became extinct. The Earldom of Temple of Stowe descended to his nephew - see that title
10 Sep 1823 26 Mar 1889 65
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
23 Mar 1703 D 1 John Sheffield, 1st Marquess of Normanby
Created Duke of the County of Buckingham and of Normanby 23 Mar 1703
Lord Lieutenant East Riding Yorkshire 1679‑1682 and 1687‑1688; Lord Privy Seal 1702‑1705; Lord Lieutenant North Riding of Yorkshire 1702‑1705 and 1711‑1714 and Middlesex 1711‑1714; KG 1674; PC 1685
8 Sep 1647 24 Feb 1721 73
24 Feb 1721
to    
30 Oct 1735
2 Edmund Sheffield
Peerages extinct on his death
3 Jan 1716 30 Oct 1735 19

5 Sep 1746 E 1 Sir John Hobart, 5th baronet
Created Baron Hobart 28 May 1728 and Earl of Buckinghamshire 5 Sep 1746
MP for St. Ives 1715‑1727 and Norfolk 1727‑1728; Lord Lieutenant Norfolk 1739‑1756; PC 1745
11 Oct 1693 22 Sep 1756 62
22 Sep 1756 2 John Hobart
MP for Norwich 1747‑1756; Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1776‑1780; PC 1756
1 Aug 1723 3 Aug 1793 70
3 Aug 1793 3 George Hobart
MP for St. Ives 1754‑1761 and Bere Alston 1761‑1780
Oct 1731 14 Oct 1804 73
14 Oct 1804 4 Robert Hobart
MP [I] for Portarlington 1784‑1790 and Armagh Borough 1790‑1797; MP for Bramber 1788‑1790 and Lincoln 1790‑1796; Governor of Madras 1793‑1797; Secretary of State for War 1801‑1804; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1805 and 1812; Postmaster General 1806‑1807; PC [I] 1789; PC 1793
He was summoned to Parliament by a Writ of Acceleration as Baron Hobart 30 Nov 1798
6 May 1760 4 Feb 1816 55
4 Feb 1816 5 George Robert Hobart-Hampden
MP for St. Michaels 1812‑1813
1 May 1789 1 Feb 1849 59
1 Feb 1849 6 Augustus Edward Hobart‑Hampden
For information on his third son, Augustus Charles Hobart ["Hobart Pasha"], see the note at the foot of this page
1 Nov 1793 29 Oct 1885 91
29 Oct 1885 7 Sidney Carr Hobart‑Hampden 14 Mar 1860 15 Jan 1930 69
15 Jan 1930 8 John Hampden Mercer‑Henderson 16 Apr 1906 2 Jan 1963 56
2 Jan 1963 9 Vere Frederick Cecil Hobart‑Hampden 17 May 1901 19 Apr 1983 81
19 Apr 1983 10 George Miles Hobart‑Hampden 15 Dec 1944
BUCKLAND
16 Jul 1926
to    
23 May 1928
B 1 Henry Seymour Berry
Created Baron Buckland 16 Jul 1926
Peerage extinct on his death
For information on the death of this peer, see the note at the foot of this page
17 Sep 1877 23 May 1928 50
BUCKMASTER
14 Jun 1915
24 Feb 1933
B
V
1
1
Sir Stanley Owen Buckmaster
Created Baron Buckmaster 14 Jun 1915 and Viscount Buckmaster 24 Feb 1933
MP for Cambridge 1906‑1910 and Keighley 1911‑1915; Solicitor General 1913‑1915; Lord Chancellor 1915‑1916; PC 1915
9 Jan 1861 5 Dec 1934 73
5 Dec 1934 2 Owen Stanley Buckmaster 24 Sep 1890 25 Nov 1974 84
25 Nov 1974 3 Martin Stanley Buckmaster 11 Apr 1921 8 Jun 2007 86
8 Jun 2007 4 Adrian Charles Buckmaster 2 Feb 1949
BUCKTON
16 Jun 1966
to    
17 Jan 1978
B[L] Sir Samuel Storey, 1st baronet
Created Baron Buckton for life 16 Jun 1966
MP for Sunderland 1931‑1945 and Stretford 1950‑1966
Peerage extinct on his death
18 Jan 1896 17 Jan 1978 81
BULKELEY
19 Jan 1644 V[I] 1 Thomas Bulkeley
Created Viscount Bulkeley 19 Jan 1644
c 1659
c 1659 2 Robert Bulkeley
MP for Anglesey 1660‑1661 and 1685‑1689, and Caernarvonshire 1675‑1679
c 1630 18 Oct 1688
18 Oct 1688 3 Richard Bulkeley
MP for Beaumaris 1679 and Anglesey 1680‑1704
c 1658 9 Aug 1704
9 Aug 1704 4 Richard Bulkeley
MP for Anglesey 1704‑1715 and 1722‑1724
19 Sep 1682 4 Jun 1724 41
4 Jun 1724 5 Richard Bulkeley
MP for Beaumaris 1730‑1739
8 Apr 1707 15 Mar 1739 31
15 Mar 1739 6 James Bulkeley
MP for Beaumaris 1739‑1753
17 Feb 1717 23 Apr 1752 35
12 Dec 1752
14 May 1784
to    
3 Jun 1822
 
B
7
1
Thomas James Bulkeley
Created Baron Bulkeley 14 May 1784
MP for Anglesey 1774‑1784; Lord Lieutenant Caernarvon 1781‑1822
Peerages extinct on his death
12 Dec 1752 3 Jun 1822 69
BULL
11 Jul 2018 B[L] Deborah Clare Bull
Created Baroness Bull for life 11 Jul 2018
22 Mar 1963
BULLOCK
30 Jan 1976
to    
2 Feb 2004
B[L] Sir Alan Louis Charles Bullock
Created Baron Bullock for life 30 Jan 1976
Peerage extinct on his death
13 Dec 1914 2 Feb 2004 89
BULMER
25 Feb 1342
to    
1357
B 1 Ralph de Bulmer
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Bulmer 25 Feb 1342
Peerage became dormant on his death
1357
BURDEN
1 Feb 1950 B 1 Thomas William Burden
Created Baron Burden 1 Feb 1950
MP for Park 1942‑1950
29 Jan 1885 27 May 1970 85
27 May 1970 2 Philip William Burden 21 Jun 1916 25 Jun 1995 79
25 Jun 1995 3 Andrew Philip Burden 20 Jul 1959 23 Apr 2000 40
23 Apr 2000 4 Fraser William Elsworth Burden 6 Nov 1964
BURDETT-COUTTS
9 Jun 1871
to    
30 Dec 1906
B 1 Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts
Created Baroness Burdett-Coutts 9 Jun 1871
Peerage extinct on her death
For further information on this peeress, and in particular her battle against her stalker, Richard Dunn, see the note at the foot of this page
25 Apr 1814 30 Dec 1906 92
BURFORD
27 Dec 1676 E 1 Charles Beauclerk
Created Baron Hedington and Earl of Burford 27 Dec 1676, and Duke of St. Albans 10 Jan 1684
See "St. Albans"
8 May 1670 10 May 1726 56
BURGH
10 Dec 1327 B 1 William de Burgh
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Burgh 10 Dec 1327
Nothing further is known of this peerage

1 Sep 1487 B 1 Thomas Burgh
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Burgh 1 Sep 1487
KG 1483
18 Mar 1496
18 Mar 1496 2 Edward Burgh 20 Aug 1528
20 Aug 1528 3 Thomas Burgh
Admitted to Parliament 2 Dec 1529
28 Feb 1550
28 Feb 1550 2 William Burgh 1522 10 Sep 1584 62
10 Sep 1584 3 Thomas Burgh
KG 1593
c 1555 14 Oct 1597
14 Oct 1597
to    
26 Feb 1602
4 Robert Burgh
On his death the peerage fell into abeyance
1594 26 Feb 1602 7
5 May 1916 5 Alexander Henry Leith
Abeyance terminated in his favour 5 May 1916
27 Jul 1866 19 Aug 1926 60
19 Aug 1926 6 Alexander Leigh Henry Leith 16 May 1906 26 May 1959 53
26 May 1959 7 Alexander Peter Willoughby Leith 20 Mar 1935 14 Jul 2001 66
14 Jul 2001 8 Alexander Gregory Disney Leith 16 Mar 1958

24 May 1784
to    
24 May 1802
B 1 James Lowther
Created Baron Lowther, Baron of the Barony of Kendal, Baron of the Barony of Burgh, Viscount of Lonsdale, Viscount of Lowther and Earl of Lonsdale 24 May 1784
Peerages extinct on his death
5 Aug 1736 24 May 1802 65
BURGHCLERE
3 Aug 1895
to    
6 May 1921
B 1 Herbert Coulston Gardner
Created Baron Burghclere 3 Aug 1895
MP for Saffron Walden 1885‑1895; President of the Board of Agriculture 1892‑1895; PC 1892
Peerage extinct on his death
9 Jun 1846 6 May 1921 74
BURGHERSH
12 Nov 1303
to    
1306
B 1 Robert de Burghersh
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Burghersh 12 Nov 1303
Peerage extinct on his death
1306

25 Jan 1330 B 1 Bartholomew de Burghersh
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Burghersh 25 Jan 1330
before 1304 Aug 1355
Aug 1355 2 Bartholomew de Burghersh
KG 1348
before 1329 5 Apr 1369
5 Apr 1369 3 Elizabeth Despencer 1342 Aug 1409 47
Aug 1409 4 Richard Despencer 1400 7 Oct 1414 14
7 Oct 1414 5 Isabel Beauchamp 26 Jul 1400 Jan 1440 39
Jan 1440 6 Henry Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick c 1423 11 Jun 1445
11 Jun 1445
to    
3 Jun 1449
7 Ann Beauchamp
On her death the peerage fell into abeyance
3 Jun 1449

29 Dec 1624 B 1 Sir Francis Fane
Created Baron of Burghersh and Earl of Westmorland 29 Dec 1624
See "Westmorland"
Feb 1580 23 Mar 1629 49
BURGHLEY
25 Feb 1571 B 1 Sir William Cecil
Created Baron Burghley 25 Feb 1571
Secretary of State 1548‑1549, 1551 and 1558‑1598; Lord Treasurer 1572‑1598; KG 1572
13 Sep 1521 4 Aug 1598 76
4 Aug 1598 2 Thomas Cecil
He was created Earl of Exeter in 1605 into which title this peerage then merged
5 May 1542 8 Feb 1623 80
BURLINGTON
20 Mar 1664 E 1 Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Cork
Created Baron Clifford of Lanesborough 4 Nov 1644 and Earl of Burlington 20 Mar 1664
MP for Appleby 1640‑1644; Lord Lieutenant West Riding Yorkshire 1667 and 1679‑1688
20 Oct 1612 15 Jan 1698 85
15 Jan 1698 2 Charles Boyle
He was summoned to Parliament as Baron Clifford of Lanesborough 20 Nov 1694
MP for Appleby 1690‑1694; Lord Lieutenant West Riding Yorkshire 1699‑1704; PC [I] 1695; PC 1702
30 Oct 1660 9 Feb 1704 43
9 Feb 1704
to    
3 Dec 1753
3 Richard Boyle
Lord Lieutenant West Riding Yorkshire 1715‑1733; PC [I] 1715; PC 1729; KG 1730
Peerage extinct on his death
25 Apr 1694 15 Dec 1753 59

10 Sep 1831 E 1 George Augustus Henry Cavendish
Created Baron Cavendish of Keighley and Earl of Burlington 10 Sep 1831
MP for Knaresborough 1775‑1780, Derby 1780‑1796 and Derbyshire 1797‑1831
21 Mar 1754 4 May 1834 80
4 May 1834 2 William Cavendish
MP for Cambridge University 1829‑1831 and Malton 1831
He subsequently succeeded as 7th Duke of Devonshire in 1858 when the peerages were merged and still remain so
27 Apr 1808 21 Dec 1891 83
BURLISON
21 Oct 1997
to    
20 May 2008
B[L] Thomas Burlison
Created Baron Burlison for life 21 Oct 1997
Peerage extinct on his death
23 May 1936 20 May 2008 71
BURNELL
19 Dec 1311
to    
1315
B 1 Edward Burnell
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Burnell 19 Dec 1311
Peerage extinct on his death
1315

25 Nov 1350 B 1 Nicholas Burnell
Summoned to Parliament as Lord Burnell 25 Nov 1350
19 Jan 1383
19 Jan 1383
to    
27 Nov 1420
2 Hugh Burnell
KG 1406
Peerage extinct on his death
1347 27 Nov 1420 73
BURNETT
31 May 2006 B[L] John Patrick Aubone Burnett
Created Baron Burnett for life 31 May 2006
MP for Devon West & Torridge 1997‑2005
19 Sep 1945
BURNETT OF MALDON
30 Oct 2017 B[L] Ian Duncan Burnett
Created Baron Burnett of Maldon for life 30 Oct 2017
Lord Justice of Appeal 2014‑2017; Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales 2017-; PC 2014
28 Feb 1958
BURNHAM
31 Jul 1903 B 1 Sir Edward Levy-Lawson, 1st baronet
Created Baron Burnham 31 Jul 1903
28 Dec 1833 9 Jan 1916 82
9 Jan 1916
16 May 1919
to    
20 Jul 1933
 
V
2
1
Harry Lawson Webster Lawson
Created Viscount Burnham 16 May 1919
MP for St. Pancras West 1885‑1892, Cirencester 1893‑1895 and Mile End 1905‑1906 and 1910‑1916; CH 1917
On his death the Viscountcy became extinct but the Barony passed to -
18 Dec 1862 20 Jul 1933 70
20 Jul 1933 3 William Arnold Webster Levy Lawson 19 Mar 1864 14 Jun 1943 79
14 Jun 1943 4 Edward Frederick Lawson 16 Jun 1890 4 Jul 1963 73
4 Jul 1963 5 William Edward Harry Lawson 20 Oct 1920 18 Jun 1993 72
18 Jun 1993 6 Hugh John Frederick Lawson
[Elected hereditary peer 1999-2005]
15 Aug 1931 1 Jan 2005 73
1 Jan 2005 7 Harry Frederick Alan Lawson 22 Feb 1968
BURNS
20 Jul 1998 B[L] Sir Terence Burns
Created Baron Burns for life 20 Jul 1998
13 Mar 1944
BURNTISLAND
15 Apr 1672
to    
Dec 1685
B[S][L] Sir James Wemyss
Created Lord Burntisland for life 15 Apr 1672
Peerage extinct on his death
Dec 1685
BURNTWOOD
21 Sep 1970
to    
24 Jan 1982
B[L] Julian Ward Snow
Created Baron Burntwood for life 21 Sep 1970
MP for Portsmouth Central 1945‑1950 and Lichfield & Tamworth 1950‑1970
Peerage extinct on his death
24 Feb 1910 24 Jan 1982 71
BURT OF SOLIHULL
9 Oct 2015 B[L] Lorely Jane Burt
Created Baroness Burt of Solihull for life 9 Oct 2015
MP for Solihull 2005-2015
10 Sep 1954
BURTON
1 Jan 1712 B 1 Henry Paget
Created Baron Burton 1 Jan 1712
He subsequently succeeded as 7th Lord Paget de Beaudesert in 1713 and was created Earl of Uxbridge in 1714. The Barony became extinct in 1769
c 1665 30 Aug 1743

13 Aug 1886
29 Nov 1897
to    
1 Feb 1909
B
B
1
1
Sir Michael Arthur Bass, 1st baronet
Created Baron Burton 13 Aug 1886 and again 29 Nov 1897
For details of the special remainder included in the creation of the Barony of 1897, see the note at the foot of this page
MP for Stafford 1865‑1868, Staffordshire East 1868‑1885 and Burton 1885‑1886
On his death the creation of 1886 became extinct whilst the creation of 1897 passed to -
12 Nov 1837 1 Feb 1909 71
1 Feb 1909 2 Nellie Lisa Melles 27 Dec 1873 28 May 1962 88
28 May 1962 3 Michael Evan Victor Baillie 27 Jun 1924 30 May 2013 88
30 May 2013 4 Evan Michael Ronald Baillie 19 Mar 1949
BURTON OF COVENTRY
12 Apr 1962
to    
6 Oct 1991
B[L] Elaine Frances Burton
Created Baroness Burton of Coventry for life 12 Apr 1962
MP for Coventry South 1950‑1959
Peerage extinct on her death
2 Mar 1904 6 Oct 1991 87
BURY
10 Feb 1697 V 1 Arnold Joost van Keppel
Created Baron Ashford, Viscount Bury and Earl of Albemarle 10 Feb 1697
See "Albemarle"
1670 30 May 1718 47
BUSCOMBE
23 Jul 1998 B[L] Peta Jane Buscombe
Created Baroness Buscombe for life 23 Jul 1998
12 Mar 1954
BUTE
14 Apr 1703 E[S] 1 Sir James Stuart, 4th baronet
Created Lord Mount Stuart, Cumra and Inchmarnock, Viscount of Kingarth and Earl of Bute 14 Apr 1703
4 Jun 1710
4 Jun 1710 2 James Stuart 1689 28 Jan 1723 33
28 Jan 1723 3 John Stuart
Secretary of State 1761‑1762; Prime Minister 1762‑1763; KT 1738; KG 1762
25 May 1713 10 Mar 1792 78
10 Mar 1792
21 Mar 1796
 
M
4
1
John Stuart
Created Baron Cardiff of Cardiff Castle 20 May 1776, and Viscount Mountjoy, Earl of Windsor and Marquess of the County of Bute 21 Mar 1796
He also succeeded as 2nd Baron Mount Stewart in 1794
MP for Bossiney 1766‑1776; Lord Lieutenant Glamorgan 1772‑1793 and 1794‑1814; Lord Lieutenant Bute 1794‑1814; PC 1779
30 Jun 1744 16 Nov 1814 70
16 Nov 1814 2 John Crichton-Stuart
He had previously [1803] succeeded as 7th Earl of Dumfries
Lord Lieutenant Bute and Glamorgan 1815‑1848; KT 1843
10 Aug 1793 18 Mar 1848 54
18 Mar 1848 3 John Patrick Crichton-Stuart
Lord Lieutenant Bute 1892‑1900; KT 1875
12 Sep 1847 9 Oct 1900 53
9 Oct 1900 4 John Crichton-Stuart
Lord Lieutenant Bute 1905‑1920; KT 1922
20 Jun 1881 25 Apr 1947 65
25 Apr 1947 5 John Crichton-Stuart 4 Aug 1907 16 Aug 1956 49
16 Aug 1956 6 John Crichton-Stuart
Lord Lieutenant Bute 1967‑1974 and Argyll & Bute 1990‑1993
27 Feb 1933 21 Jul 1993 60
21 Jul 1993 7 John Colum Crichton-Stuart 26 Apr 1958 22 Mar 2021 62
22 Mar 2021 8 John Bryson Crichton-Stuart 21 Dec 1989
BUTLER
c 1192 B 1 Theobald Fitz-Walter
Created Baron Butler c 1192
1206
1206 2 Theobald Butler 1200 1248
1248 3 Theobald Butler 1242 c 1265
c 1265 4 Theobald Butler 26 Sep 1285
26 Sep 1285 5 Theobald Butler 14 May 1290
14 May 1290 6 Edmund Butler 13 Sep 1321
13 Sep 1321 7 James Butler
He was created Earl of Ormonde in 1328 when the peerages merged

8 Jul 1912 B 1 Charles Ernest Alfred French Somerset Butler, 7th Earl of Carrick
Created Baron Butler 8 Jul 1912
See "Carrick"
15 Nov 1873 2 Nov 1931 57
BUTLER OF BROCKWELL
12 Feb 1998 B[L] Sir Frederick Edward Robin Butler
Created Baron Butler of Brockwell for life 12 Feb 1998
PC 2004
3 Jan 1938
BUTLER OF CLOUGHGRENAN
13 May 1662
to    
25 Jan 1686
B[I] 1 Lord Richard Butler
Created Baron Butler of Cloughgrenan, Viscount Tullogh and Earl of Arran 13 May 1662
Peerage extinct on his death
15 Jun 1639 25 Jan 1686 46
BUTLER OF LANTHONY
20 Jul 1660 B 1 James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde
Created Baron Butler of Lanthony and Earl of Brecknock 20 Jul 1660
See "Ormonde" - peerage forfeited 1715
19 Oct 1610 21 Jul 1688 77

20 Jan 1801
to    
10 Aug 1820
B 1 Walter Butler, 11th Earl of Ormonde
Created Baron Butler of Lanthony 20 Jan 1801 and Marquess of Ormonde Jan 1816
Peerage extinct on his death
4 Feb 1770 10 Aug 1820 50
BUTLER OF MOORE PARK
17 Sep 1666 B 1 Thomas Butler
Summoned to Parliament as Baron Butler of Moore Park 17 Sep 1666
30 Jul 1680
30 Jul 1680
to    
20 Aug 1715
2 James Butler
He succeeded as 3rd Lord Dingwall in 1684 and as 2nd Duke of Ormonde in 1688. He was attainted in 1715 and all peerages forfeited
29 Apr 1665 16 Nov 1745 80
31 Jul 1871
to    
18 Jul 1905
3 Francis Thomas de Grey Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper
He obtained a reversal of the attainder 31 Jul 1871. The peerage fell into abeyance on his death
11 Jun 1834 18 Jul 1905 71
BUTLER OF SAFFRON WALDEN
19 Feb 1965
to    
8 Mar 1982
B[L] Richard Austen Butler
Created Baron Butler of Saffron Walden for life 19 Feb 1965
MP for Saffron Walden 1929‑1965; Minister for Education 1941‑1945; Minister for Labour 1945; Chancellor of the Exchequer 1951‑1955; Lord Privy Seal 1955‑1959; Home Secretary 1957‑1962; First Secretary of State 1962‑1963; Foreign Secretary 1963‑1964; PC 1939; CH 1954; KG 1971
Peerage extinct on his death
9 Dec 1902 8 Mar 1982 79
BUTLER OF TULLEOPHELIM
4 Aug 1603
to    
Jan 1613
V[I] 1 Theobald Butler
Created Viscount Butler of Tulleophelim 4 Aug 1603
Peerage extinct on his death
Jan 1613
BUTLER OF WESTON
27 Aug 1673
to    
25 Jan 1686
B 1 Lord Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Arran
Created Baron Butler of Weston 27 Aug 1673
Peerage extinct on his death
15 Jun 1639 25 Jan 1686 46

8 Mar 1693
to    
17 Dec 1758
E[I] 1 Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran
Created Baron Butler of Weston 23 Jan 1694
Peerages extinct on his death
4 Sep 1671 17 Dec 1758 87
BUTLER-SLOSS
13 Jun 2006 B[L] Dame Ann Elizabeth Oldfield Butler‑Sloss
Created Baroness Butler-Sloss for life 13 Jun 2006
Justice of the Court of Appeal 1988‑1999; President of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice 1999‑2005; PC 1988
10 Aug 1933
BUTTERFIELD
10 Aug 1988
to    
22 Jul 2000
B[L] William John Hughes Butterfield
Created Baron Butterfield for life 10 Aug 1988
Peerage extinct on his death
28 Mar 1920 22 Jul 2000 80
BUTTERWORTH
15 May 1985
to    
19 Jun 200
B[L] John Blackstock Butterworth
Created Baron Butterworth for life 15 May 1985
Peerage extinct on his death
13 Mar 1918 19 Jun 2003 85
BUXTON
11 May 1914
8 Nov 1920
to    
15 Oct 1934
V
E
1
1
Sydney Charles Buxton
Created Viscount Buxton 11 May 1914 and Earl Buxton 8 Nov 1920
MP for Peterborough 1883‑1885 and Poplar 1886‑1914; Postmaster General 1905‑1910; President of the Board of Trade 1910‑1914; Governor General of South Africa 1914‑1920; PC 1905
Peerages extinct on his death
25 Oct 1853 15 Oct 1934 80
BUXTON OF ALSA
11 May 1978
to    
1 Sep 2009
B[L] Aubrey Leland Oakes Buxton
Created Baron Buxton of Alsa for life 11 May 1978
Peerages extinct on his death
15 Jul 1918 1 Sep 2009 91
BYERS
22 Dec 1964
to    
6 Feb 1984
B[L] Charles Frank Byers
Created Baron Byers for life 22 Dec 1964
MP for Dorset North 1945‑1950; PC 1972
Peerage extinct on his death
24 Jul 1915 6 Feb 1984 68
BYFORD
15 Oct 1996 B[L] Dame Hazel Byford
Created Baroness Byford for life 15 Oct 1996
14 Jan 1941
BYNG OF SOUTHILL
21 Sep 1721 B 1 Sir George Byng
Created Baron Byng of Southill and Viscount Torrington 21 Sep 1721
See "Torrington"
27 Jan 1664 17 Jan 1733 68
BYNG OF VIMY
7 Oct 1919
12 Jan 1928
to    
6 Jun 1935
B
V
1
1
Sir Julian Hedworth George Byng
Created Baron Byng of Vimy 7 Oct 1919 and Viscount Byng of Vimy 12 Jan 1928
Governor General of Canada 1921‑1926; Field Marshal 1932
Peerages extinct on his death
11 Sep 1862 6 Jun 1935 72
BYRON
24 Oct 1643 B 1 John Byron
Created Baron Byron 24 Oct 1643
The creation included a special remainder (probably the first ever), failing heirs male of his body, to Sir Richard Byron, William Byron, Thomas Byron, Robert Byron, Gilbert Byron and Philip Byron, his six surviving brothers and their heirs male
MP for Nottingham 1623‑1625 and 1627
1599 Aug 1652 53
Aug 1652 2 Richard Byron 1606 4 Oct 1679 73
4 Oct 1679 3 William Byron 1636 13 Nov 1695 59
13 Nov 1695 4 William Byron 4 Jan 1669 8 Aug 1736 67
8 Aug 1736 5 William Byron
For further information on this peer, see the note at the foot of this page
5 Nov 1722 19 May 1798 75
19 May 1798 6 George Gordon Byron 22 Jan 1788 19 Apr 1824 36
19 Apr 1824 7 George Anson Byron 8 Mar 1789 1 Mar 1868 78
1 Mar 1868 8 George Anson Byron 30 Jun 1818 28 Nov 1870 52
28 Nov 1870 9 George Frederick William Byron 27 Dec 1855 30 Mar 1917 61
30 Mar 1917 10 Frederick Ernest Charles Byron 26 Mar 1861 6 Jun 1949 88
6 Jun 1949 11 Rupert Frederick George Byron 13 Aug 1903 1 Nov 1983 80
1 Nov 1983 12 Richard Geoffrey Gordon Byron 3 Nov 1899 15 Jun 1989 89
15 Jun 1989 13 Robert James Byron 5 Apr 1950
 

The special remainder to the Barony of Bruce of Tottenham created in 1746
From the London Gazette of 15 April 1746 (issue 8528, page 6):-
The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baron of the Kingdom of Great Britain unto Charles Earl of Aylesbury and Elgin, by the Name, Stile and Title of Baron Bruce, of Tottenham in the County of Wilts, to him and the Heirs Male of his Body; and in Default of such Issue, to Bruce Brudenell, Esq; Brother to George Earl of Cardigan, and the Heirs Male of his Body.
Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan, wife of John Comyn, 7th Earl of Buchan of the original creation
Isabella was the daughter of Duncan MacDuff, Earl of Fife. She married John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, who took the side of the English during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Isabel, however, was a strong supporter of Robert the Bruce. She was betrayed to the English, whereupon Edward I of England sentenced her to be shut up in a cage. The following extract is taken from The Terrific Register; or record of crimes, judgements, providences and calamities [London 1825]:-
In 1306, the Countess of Buchan, who had been extremely active in the cause of Bruce, and even placed the crown on his head, was, by the command of King Edward [I], shut up in a wooden cage in one of the towers of Berwick Castle; as was Mary, sister to Bruce, in the castle of Roxburgh. The order to the Chamberlain of Scotland, or his lieutenant in Berwick, for making the cage for the Countess of Buchan, was by writ of privy seal; by which he was directed to make in one of the turrets of Berwick upon Tweed, which he should find most convenient, a strong cage of lattice work, constructed with posts and bars, and well strengthened with iron. This cage was to be so constructed that the Countess might have therein necessary conveniences, proper care being taken that it did not lessen the security of her person; that the said Countess being put in this cage, should be so carefully guarded, that she should not by any means go out of it: that a woman or two of the town of Berwick, of unsuspected character, should be appointed to administer her food and drink, and attend her on other occasions; and that he should cause her to be so strictly guarded in the said cage, as not to be permitted to speak to any person, man or woman, of the Scottish nation, or any other, except the woman or women assigned to attend her, and her other guards.
Matthew of Westminster, a contemporary writer, says, that the king declared, that as she did not strike with a sword, she should not die with the sword, but ordered her to be shut up in a habitation of stone and iron, shaped like a crown, and to be hung out at Berwick in the open air, for a spectacle and everlasting reproach, while living and dead, to all that passed by.
Isabella was imprisoned in the cage for four years, and then transferred to a Carmelite friary. Her subsequent fate is uncertain, but she probably died about 1314.
David Stuart Erskine, 13th Earl of Buchan
The following article was published in The Washington Post of 9 December 1898:-
Some considerable time is likely to elapse before the eldest son of the old Earl of Buchan … is permitted to assume full-fledged possession of the peerage, or to take part in those elections of Scotch representative Peers which take place in the Palace of Holyrood at Edinburgh at the outset of each new Parliament. For the old Earl, who was a most eccentric and cranky individual, distinguished himself some six or seven years ago by indicting a remarkable letter to the London newspapers, announcing that he had appealed to the committee of privileges of the House of Lords to take note of the fact that his first marriage to the mother of his eldest son was not legal.
The late Lord Buchan, there is every reason to believe, made these allegations from a feeling of revenge, being exceedingly embittered against his son because of the latter having refused to avert his bankruptcy a short time previously. The old Lord spent nearly his entire life in hot water and in the early portion of his career earned a precarious livelihood as a professional jockey. His first wife found life so unbearable that she left him, and died when her eldest boy was twenty-five years of age. A few months afterward Lord Buchan married again, this time a widow. But the match was not a happy one, and she soon parted from him. He likewise figured as co-respondent in a couple of divorce cases, and what with these and ridiculous lawsuits which he was constantly bringing against people he managed to keep his name pretty well before the public.
About twenty years ago [actually in 1872] he surrendered the whole of his heavily-mortgaged estates to his eldest son, Lord Cardross, who had some money of his own by his mother and through his wife, in consideration of Lord Cardross paying his debts and settling upon him an annuity [of £500 p.a.]. Subsequently, oil was discovered on the estates which, consequently, largely increased in value, whereupon the old Earl regretted his bargain, and tried to get them back again. Failing in this, he went in for all sorts of extravagance, largely exceeding his annuity. He not only went to the extent of indorsing other people's notes, but actually, in spite of his age, got himself heavily mulcted in damages as a co-respondent in a divorce case, and then borrowed money at extravagant interest from the notorious money-lender, Jay, in London, in order to meet this liability.
Small wonder if his eldest son, who had never forgotten or forgiven the manner in which his mother had been maltreated by the old Earl, permitted his father to be made a bankrupt [in 1894] rather than to pay his debts [£388] afresh. It was in consequence of this that the Earl wrote the letter … insisting that his first marriage to the mother of his eldest son was illegal, and that Lord Cardross was therefore illegitimate.
The Lords of Buchan … have always been eccentric. The eleventh Earl of Buchan, for instance, when appointed by Prime Minister Pitt as Secretary to the British Embassy in Spain, calmly declined to proceed to Madrid because the Ambassador, Sir James Gray, was a person of too low social rank and too plebeian ancestry.
The author of this article adds, as a delightful postscript, that the new Earl of Buchan, until now known as Lord Cardross, is celebrated as possessing the smallest head in point of size of any man in London.
The Buckhurst Peerage remainder
From the London Gazette of 26 April 1864 (issue 22848, page 2280):-
The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, granting the dignity of a Baroness unto Elizabeth, Countess De La Warr, by the name, style, and title of Baroness Buckhurst, in the county of Sussex, during her life, with remainder after her decease, of the dignity of Baron Buckhurst, of Buckhurst, in the county of Sussex, unto the Honourable Reginald Windsor Sackville West, now second surviving son of the said Elizabeth, Countess De La Warr, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, with other remainders over.
The other remainders referred to were that failing the heirs male of Reginald Windsor Sackville West, a special remainder to her 3rd, 4th, and 5th surviving sons by her husband in like manner respectively; and with a proviso that if any person taking under these letters patent "shall succeed to the Earldom of De la Warr, and there shall upon, or at any time after, the occurrence of such an event be any younger son or any heir male of the body of any such other son, then and so often as the same shall happen the succession to the Honours and dignities thereby created shall devolve upon the son of the said Elizabeth, Countess De la Warr, or the heir who would next be entitled to succeed to the said dignity of Baron Buckhurst, if the person so succeeding to the Earldom of De la Warr was dead without issue male."
That is to say that, following the death of Baroness Buckhurst, the peerage would descend to her second surviving son and the heirs male of his body, and contained a proviso that, in the event of such second son becoming Earl de la Warr, the peerage would then devolve upon her next youngest son. This remainder was designed so as to attempt to ensure that the barony of Buckhurst would 'jump' to an heir who was not the direct heir to the earldom of de la Warr, but what it failed to do was to take into account the possibility that the barony might jump from one holder to another during the lifetime of the then current Earl de la Warr, with the result that the earldom became inherited by persons nearer and nearer in blood to the holder of the barony.
At the time of the creation of this peerage, Baroness Buckhurst had five surviving sons. The eldest surviving son, Charles, inherited the Earldom of de la Warr on the death of his father in 1869. On the death of his mother in January 1870, the Barony of Buckhurst was inherited by Charles's next brother, Reginald, since he was the second surviving son of the Baroness.
When the 6th Earl de la Warr died in 1873, the earldom was inherited by his next brother, Reginald, who had previously inherited the barony of Buckhurst. Under the remainder to the peerage, it would seem that, when Reginald succeeded to the earldom, the barony should then have passed to the next youngest son, Mortimer.
Mortimer claimed the barony of Buckhurst under the terms of the remainder, but Reginald argued that the Crown did not have the power to divest him of an hereditary dignity he had once enjoyed. The case was heard by the House of Lords Committee for Privileges in July 1876. It was held that the proviso outlined above was incapable of operating so as to give the barony to Mortimer. Reginald, having succeeded to the barony, could not have it taken away from him and given to another. The Committee found that, if the object of the proviso was to prevent the dignity of Earl de la Warr and Baron Buckhurst being held together by the same person, then the Crown had no power to grant a dignity with such a shifting and transferrable quality. They were therefore of the opinion that the barony of Buckhurst, having been inherited by Reginald, did not transfer to Mortimer once Reginald had succeeded to the earldom of de la Warr. As a result, the barony of Buckhurst has remained since that time as a subsidiary title of the Earls de la Warr.
Mortimer, however, did not have to endure his disappointment for very long, as less than three months later, he was created Baron Sackville as a consolation prize.
For another example of a 'jumping' remainder, see the earldom of Selkirk.
Augustus Charles Hobart ["Hobart Pasha"], 3rd son of the 6th Earl of Buckinghamshire
The following biography of Hobart Pasha appeared in the October 1955 issue of the Australian monthly magazine Parade:-
A rocket, soaring high in the darkness, threw a glow over the Danube one moonless night in April, 1877, revealing a tiny Turkish gunboat slipping like a phantom down the broad surface of the river. War had just flared between Turkey and Russia. The river was the frontier between opposing armies. With shots hurling spouts of water all round it, the venomous little craft steamed on to the safety of the open waters of the Black Sea. On the bridge was the defiant bearded figure of Hobart Pasha, rebellious son of an English earl, whose family gave its name to the thriving city of Hobart, in Tasmania.
Hobart Pasha, Admiral of the Sultan's fleet, was one of the most astonishing sailors of fortune of the 19th century. The Hobart family had been producing wealthy and sober English squires for centuries, when the stormy petrel Augustus Charles Hobart was born third son of the sixth Earl of Buckinghamshire, at Walton, Leicestershire, on April Fool's Day, 1822. He was the dunce of his school, and, at the tender age of 14, was shipped to sea as midshipman in the 18-gun frigate, Rover.
His early experiences bred a hatred of cast-iron navy discipline. Hobart's first captain was a sadistic bully who flogged his steward because the pea-soup was lukewarm, and once had his entire boat's crew lashed because they kept him waiting five minutes on Devonport's pier-head. Hobart left the ship after one voyage to study at the Naval College. In 1842 he was lieutenant in the squadron cruising off South America. The squadron's task was to hunt slave traders in the South Atlantic. Scores of fast sailing ships, their holds crammed with half-starved negroes, ferried the wretched slaves from Africa to Brazil, the Argentine and Central America.
Young Augustus Hobart became feared as the most daring officer in the anti-slavery service. Cutlass in hand, he led his boat crews into uncharted inlets on the South American coast, forcing the slavers to burn, abandon or run their ships aground. Hobart's gallantry was as notorious ashore as afloat. At a ball in Buenos Aires he fell in love with a 16-years-old Spanish beauty, eloped with her to a country estate, where they were pursued and caught by her furious parents. At Rio de Janeiro, Hobart acted as second to a fellow-officer who killed in a pistol duel a Brazilian rival for the hand of another senorita. In British Guiana he landed in more serious trouble. Complaining that life in Demerara, the capital, was "so damned, dismally dull", he fell in love with the Governor's daughter. He challenged her official suitor to a duel by flinging a pack of cards in his face and shot him through the leg. The Governor kept his daughter prisoner in her room, and angrily demanded that Hobart be sent back to Britain under arrest. Hobart had to leave his squadron in disgrace.
Back in London, the youthful Earl's son found his anti-slaving triumphs had made him a popular hero. Young Queen Victoria read of his exploits and had him transferred to the Royal Yacht where he served for a year. Hobart, however, was itching for more active service than piloting royalty. After serving at Malta and in the North Sea, he had his chance with the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854. He was given command of a ship in the Baltic Fleet, which was designed to batter its way past the great fort of Kronstadt into the harbour of St. Petersburg.
The expedition, led by the timid Admiral [Sir Charles] Napier, was a fiasco. The fleet scurried off from Kronstadt after firing a few salvoes, and contented itself with leisurely shelling Helsinki and other ports in the Gulf of Finland. Hobart led a daring raid of small ships on the Åland Islands [during this campaign, a young sailor named Charles Davis Lucas threw a live enemy shell overboard before it could explode, a deed for which he was awarded the first ever Victoria Cross.]
Peace found Hobart discontented by slow promotion and the "spit-and-polish" routine of navy life. When, in 1862, he gained the rank of captain, he asked to be placed on the navy reserve on half pay. Adventure was beckoning from across the Atlantic. The Northern and Southern States of America were locked in bloody civil war. From the Chesapeake to New Orleans, Abraham Lincoln's Northern navy had proclaimed a blockade of the Southern coasts.
Every article on which the South depended had to run the gauntlet of the blockade - from muskets and gunpowder for the grey-clad armies to fashions for the Southern Belles. Southern cotton to pay for the imports was piling up on the quays of Charleston and Savannah. Nassau, in the British Bahamas, was the headquarters of the blockade runners. Here, in the booming town thronged with rich merchants, Yankee spies, Southern agents and escaped slaves, they fitted out the fast ships that darted in and out of the Southern ports under the noses of the Northern cruisers.
To Nassau came Captain Augustus Hobart R.N. (retd.), bringing with him a handpicked crew and the 400-tons steamer Don, chartered in Liverpool, and the fastest ship on the American coast.
In her holds was a strange but profitable cargo. It comprised 1000 pairs of women's corsets, bought in Glasgow for 1s 1d each and sold in Charleston, South Carolina for 12s each. There were crates of toothbrushes, "Cockle's antibilious pills", blankets, shoes and hardware - none of which brought a profit of less than 700 per cent. In return, Hobart and other blockade-runners bought cotton in the Southern ports for 3d a lb., and sold it to the Lancashire spinning mills for 2s 6d.
Often Hobart eluded capture by daredevil navigation. Twice he tried to steam up-river to Savannah, Georgia, where £50,000 worth of cotton was piled up. The first time, he passed enemy forts only to run full speed into treacherous shoals and sandbanks. Three days later he made another attempt. This time he almost collided with a waiting Northern cruiser and had to run for the Bahamas. For two days the ships raced through a hurricane. When the Don's coal was exhausted, Hobart and his crew hacked cabin fittings, spars, oars and hemp cable to feed the furnaces. The Don limped into the safety of Nassau with her engines dying only a few hundred yards ahead of the enemy cruiser.
A year later Hobart was back in England. His crew was riddled with yellow fever. The Southern cause was collapsing. General Sherman's famous march had cut the Confederate states in half. Though Hobart had salted away a handsome fortune, he was soon wandering restlessly again. In 1867, he set out on a European tour, during which he visited Constantinople with a letter of introduction to Fuad Pasha, Grand Vizier of Turkey. It was the turning point of his life.
The island of Crete, long groaning under Turkish oppression, was wracked by rebellion, aided and supplied by sympathisers in Greece. Hobart told the distracted Grand Vizier: "Give me a command in the Turkish fleet and I'll break the revolt in a month". Hobart got the job. Hoisting his flag on an ancient wooden frigate, he arrived off Suda Bay and took command of a Turkish squadron of six ironclads. With them he hunted the ships running arms from Greece. His blockade was so effective that, within a month, the starving and unarmed Cretan rebels swarmed from the mountains to surrender. Defying international law, Hobart chased the blockade runners right into Greek harbours, ignoring the Grand Vizier's frightened protests that he would provoke war with Greece.
His outrageous actions staggered the British Admiralty. As a Reserve List officer, he was peremptorily ordered to return to Britain, or his name would be erased from the Navy List. Hobart telegraphed the Admiralty: "Erase and be damned". The name of Captain Hobart promptly disappeared from the rolls. He delighted Sultan of Turkey, however, raised Hobart to the rank of Pasha and "Naval Adviser". Within a few years he was an Admiral, Chief of Staff of the Turkish Navy, and special A.D.C. to the Sultan himself.
With fiery energy, he reorganised the Sultan's decrepit navy. He founded a naval college and gunnery school and ordered new ships from British yards. To the corrupt bureaucrats of Constantinople, the bearded Briton was a strange demon of honesty, efficiency and hard work. They hated him and intrigued ceaselessly to oust him from the Sultan's favour. Gradually the value of his work filtered through to Whitehall. In 1874, the Foreign Secretary, Lord Derby asked the Admiralty to restore Hobart's name to the Navy List "as a matter of Imperial policy".
Three years later in 1877, the long-smouldering war between Russia and Turkey in the Balkans burst into open flame. The Turkish army occupied Bulgaria; the Russians marched into Romania and threatened to sweep over the Danube. Hobart Pasha was at Galatz, 100 miles upstream from the Black Sea mouth of the Danube, when war broke out. He had been sent there to reorganise the feeble Turkish river defences. He was at once recalled to take personal command of the fleet. The war ended in Turkish defeat on land. Hobart could do nothing to redress the balance on sea for the Russian Admiral refused to leave Odessa and risk battle with him.
The scapegrace son of English earl however, still dreamed of a crushing counter-attack on Russia with Britain as an ally. He visited London in 1880 and tried to open negotiations with Whitehall. Gladstone's Government, stirred by the Turkish atrocities in Armenia, abruptly rejected his proposals. For the second time, Hobart's name was struck off the Navy List. It was not restored till the year of his death.
In 1881 Hobart was appointed Marshal of the Turkish Empire - the first Christian ever to hold the position. He continued to work untiringly for his cherished plan for a British alliance, but his health was failing rapidly. He spent the winter of 1885‑6 on the French Riviera, and died on the way home at Milan, Italy, on June 19, 1886. The Sultan sent a warship to bring his body from Genoa. He was buried with magnificent pomp on Turkish soil at Scutari.
Henry Seymour Berry, 1st and only Baron Buckland
Lord Buckland was killed in May 1928 while riding his horse. The following report on the subsequent inquest appeared in The Scotsman on 25 May 1928:-
A verdict of accidental death was returned yesterday at the inquest on Lord Buckland, the Welsh Peer, who was killed on Wednesday morning when he came into collision with a telephone post while out riding with his groom.
Harry J. Weaver, an elderly stud groom, said Lord Buckland started out on his usual morning gallop over the estate. "Lord Buckland was talking to me about his horses as we went along. We were then galloping round a meadow. I had replied to a question. Lord Buckland was looking over his shoulder at me, and said - "What's that?" At that moment I noticed that his mare was making straight for the telephone post, and I called out at once, "Mind the pole, my Lord". The next thing that happened was that the mare swerved. My master seemed to lose his balance, and he collided head first with the post. He was hurled to the ground, and the mare galloped onwards. I rode up to him and dismounted. Lord Buckland was lying motionless on his back."
The Coroner - Was he conscious? - He never breathed a word, and made no movement. He seemed to have died instantly. I went to loosen his collar, but I saw that he was dead.
The Coroner - Was there anything peculiar about the mare? - No. She was perfectly quiet, and Lord Buckland had her under perfect control.
Was Lord Buckland an experienced horseman? - Yes.
Weaver said the accident was due to the fact that Lord Buckland had turned his head over his shoulder, and did not see the telephone post in his path.
A doctor said death, which must have been instantaneous, was caused by a compound fracture of the skull.
Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, Baroness Burdett-Coutts
The activity commonly known as stalking first came to the attention of the general public during the 1980s when a series of well-known celebrities suddenly found themselves the target of one or more adoring, but obsessed, fans. In general terms, stalking involves one person's obsessive behaviour toward another person, motivated by either intense affection or intense hatred. Stalkers exhibit an irrational mania to pursue their quarry and, in extreme cases, the stalker's behaviour may turn to violence, generally without warning or apparent reason. Stalking can be a terrifying experience for victims, leading to psychological trauma and possible physical harm. The subject of stalking has been the central theme of a number of famous films and books, including The Phantom of the Opera, Fatal Attraction, Les Miserables and The Cable Guy.
In England, the act of stalking was criminalised in 1997 by the Protection from Harassment Act. Notwithstanding the apparent rise in stalking in recent years, stalking has been practised for centuries, one of its earlier victims being Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, later Baroness Burdett-Coutts.
In 1837, at the age of 23, Angela became the wealthiest woman in England when she inherited the estate of her grandfather. Not surprisingly, she became a notable subject of public curiosity, and received numerous offers of marriage. Unfortunately for Angela, one particular man went further.
Richard Dunn was a lawyer who, around 1838, became infatuated with Angela who, at the time, was single and had no knowledge of or interest in Dunn. He initially wrote to Angela a letter in which the language used was later described in court as 'strange'. Angela simply threw the letters out, on the basis that they appeared to have been written by someone who was apparently insane. Over the next two years, Dunn escalated his campaign; he followed Angela whenever she left her house, he attempted to commence conversations with her and continually wrote letters to her. Finally, in June 1840, Angela took action against Dunn, charging him with breach of the peace. Dunn was forced to enter into a £500 surety to keep the peace and stay away from Angela.
However, Dunn continued unabashed. He wrote further letters and started to follow her again. A second surety was sought and obtained, but this time Dunn became violent and had to be restrained by court officials. He was sent to prison, but was later released because of a defect in the committal warrant. Again, he harassed Angela, accosting her while out walking. A servant was summoned to protect her and Dunn followed her to the house where she had taken refuge. The police were called in and Dunn was arrested, but to no avail, as Dunn immediately sought a writ of habeas corpus.
In a most unjust decision, Dunn's application was successful. The court refused to draw any inferences from the evidence presented to it. Their argument was that the evidence in the case did not allege any threats against Angela and that it was not their role to infer such a threat. This is equivalent to saying that, because Dunn had not physically threatened Angela, nothing could be done until he did so, surely a remarkably short-sighted interpretation of the law.
In June 1846, Dunn was charged with perjury, based on an alleged false affidavit made in the Court of Bankruptcy by Dunn which stated that Angela Burdett-Coutts owed Dunn £100,000. In February 1847, Dunn was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.
The special remainder to the Barony of Burton
From the London Gazette of 30 November 1897 (issue 26915, page 7172):-
The Queen has been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, granting the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom unto Michael Arthur, Baron Burton, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Burton, of Burton-on-Trent and of Rangemore, both in the county of Stafford, to hold to him and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten; and, in default of such issue male, to hold the name, style, and title of Baroness Burton, of Burton-on-Trent and of Rangemore, to Nellie Lisa Baillie, wife of James Evan Bruce Baillie, of Dochfour, in the county of Inverness, Esquire, only daughter of the said Michael Arthur, Baron Burton, and after her decease to hold the name, style, and title of Baron Burton, of Burton-on-Trent and of Rangemoor aforesaid, to, the heirs male lawfully begotten of the body of the said Nellie Lisa Baillie.
William Byron, 5th Baron Byron
Byron was known as 'the Wicked Lord' or 'Devil Byron'. In the mid-1760s, when aged in his early 40s, Byron began to spiral downwards into constant scandal and eventual madness.
On 26 January 1765, after an argument as to the best method to preserve game, Byron killed his cousin, William Chaworth, in a duel which took place at the Star and Garter Tavern in Pall Mall in London. Byron and Chaworth duelled with swords in an empty and dimly-lit room at the tavern, where Byron ran his sword through Chaworth's stomach, causing Chaworth's death the next day. Byron was subsequently tried by his peers on 16 and 17 April 1765 and found guilty of manslaughter 'and as, by an old statute, peers are, in all cases where [benefit of] clergy is allowed, to be dismissed without burning in the hand, loss of inheritance, or corruption of blood, his Lordship was immediately dismissed on paying his fees'. For a full account of the duel, see The Annual Register … for 1765 on pages 208-212.
After this let-off, Byron became increasingly eccentric. On one occasion, while out driving, he is reported to have became embroiled in an argument with his coachman. The story goes that Byron shot him and took over the reins himself.
The event which appears to have finally tipped Byron over the edge of insanity was the elopement of his son, also William, with his cousin Juliana, daughter of Lord Byron's younger brother, Admiral John Byron. The 5th Baron felt that the marriage of the cousins would produce insane children and, as a result, he strongly opposed the marriage. When his son defied his wishes, the 5th Baron set out to ruin his son's inheritance; he laid waste to his property, let his house fall into disrepair, cut down all the timber on the property and killed all * and when his grandson was killed in Corsica in 1794, the 5th Baron's legacy of poverty was inherited by the eventual 6th Baron, the famous poet Lord Byron.
The Byron family lived at Newstead Abbey, near Nottingham. According to local tradition, the owner of Newstead Abbey was cursed, in that he would never have a son to inherit the property. The tradition states that the 5th Baron, while carrying out some building operations at Newstead Abbey, happened to come upon the remains of one of the former Abbots of the Abbey. He permitted the Abbot's bones to be re-interred, apart from the skull, which he had converted into a drinking-cup. As a result, a curse was passed upon him to the effect that he would die without leaving any male issue to inherit the estate, and it was further added that, as long as the skull remained unburied, there would never be any direct male heir to inherit Newstead Abbey. The 5th Baron's son and grandson both predeceased him and Newstead Abbey passed to the poet and distant relative, the 6th Baron Byron. In November 1817, the 6th Baron sold Newstead Abbey to Thomas Wildman, who died childless in 1859. The property was then sold to William Frederick Webb, who, shortly after taking possession of the property, found the drinking-cup in a silversmith's shop in London. Being aware of the story of the curse, he immediately purchased the cup and caused it to be reverently re-interred within the precincts of the Abbey. It is interesting to note that, prior to purchasing the Abbey, Webb had become the father of four daughters and that it was only after the cup had been re-interred that his two sons were born.