Earl of Harrington

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Earl of Harrington is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created in 1742.

Earl of Harrington

Arms of Stanhope:
Quarterly ermine and gules[1]
Creation date9 February 1742
Created byKing George II
PeeragePeerage of Great Britain
First holderWilliam Stanhope, 1st Baron Harrington
Present holderCharles Stanhope, 12th Earl of Harrington
Heir apparentWilliam Stanhope, Viscount Petersham
Remainder tothe first Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titlesViscount Petersham
Viscount Stanhope, of Mahon
Baron Harrington
Baron Stanhope, of Elvaston
Former seat(s)Elvaston Castle
Harrington House
Gawsworth Hall[1]
MottoA Deo et rege (Latin for 'From God and the King')[1]

History

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The earldom of Harrington was granted in 1742 to William Stanhope, 1st Baron Harrington, the former Secretary of State and then Lord President of the Council. He was made Viscount Petersham at the same time.[1] In 1730, he had been created Baron Harrington, of Harrington in the County of Northampton. These titles were also in the Peerage of Great Britain. Lord Harrington was the son of John Stanhope of Elvaston and the great-grandson of Sir John Stanhope of Elvaston, younger half-brother of Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield (who was the grandfather of James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope).[1]

Lord Harrington was succeeded by his son, the second Earl.[2] He was a General in the Army and also represented Bury St Edmunds in the House of Commons. His son, the third Earl, was also a General in the Army and sat as Member of Parliament for Thetford and Westminster. His elder son, the fourth Earl, and younger son, the fifth Earl, were both Colonels in the Army.

The line of the fifth Earl failed in 1866 upon the early death of his son, the sixth Earl. The latter was succeeded by his first cousin, the seventh Earl. He was the son of the Very Reverend and Hon. FitzRoy Henry Richard, fourth son of the third Earl.[1] His elder son, the eighth Earl, was a successful polo player. He was succeeded by his younger brother, the ninth Earl.[3] His grandson, the eleventh Earl, succeeded his father in 1929.

In 1967, the eleventh Earl also succeeded as eighth Viscount Stanhope (of Mahon) and eighth Baron Stanhope (of Elvaston) upon the death of his distant relative James Stanhope, 7th Earl Stanhope, by a special remainder in these titles' patent that allowed them to be inherited by the male heirs of the aforementioned John Stanhope, father of the first Earl of Harrington. As of 2016, the titles are held by the eleventh Earl's son, the twelfth Earl, who succeeded his father in 2009.

The family seat now is The Glen, near Ballingarry, County Limerick. The former family seat was Elvaston Castle, in Derbyshire. The house and grounds are currently owned by Derbyshire County Council, which has opened the gardens as a country park. The 5th Earl had a London townhouse built on land formerly belonging to Kensington Palace – Harrington House remained in the family until the First World War. It is currently home to the Russian Embassy.

Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon, wife of the 2nd Earl of Snowdon, nephew of Queen Elizabeth II and a member of the extended British royal family, is the daughter of the 12th Earl of Harrington.

Baron Harrington (1730)

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Earl of Harrington (1742)

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The heir apparent is the present holder's son, William Henry Leicester Stanhope, Viscount Petersham (born 1967).
Lady Petersham (Candida Bond) is a Deputy Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son, the Hon. Augustus Stanhope (born 2005).

Title succession chart

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Title succession chart, Barons Harrington and Earls of Harrington.
Baron Harrington
Earl of Harrington
William Stanhope
1st Earl of Harrington

1st Baron Harrington

1683–1756
William Stanhope
2nd Earl of Harrington

1719–1779
Charles Stanhope
3rd Earl of Harrington

1753–1829
Charles Stanhope
4th Earl of Harrington

1780–1851
Maj.Gen. Hon.
Lincoln Stanhope
1781–1840
Leicester Stanhope
5th Earl of Harrington

1784–1862
Rev. Hon.
FitzRoy Stanhope
1787–1864
Charles Stanhope
Viscount Petersham
1831–1836
Algernon Stanhope
1838–1847
Sydney Stanhope
6th Earl of Harrington

1845–1866
Charles Stanhope
7th Earl of Harrington

1809–1881
Charles Stanhope
8th Earl of Harrington

1844–1917
Hon.
FitzRoy Stanhope
1845–1913
Hon.
Lincoln Stanhope
1849–1902
Hon.
Wyndham Stanhope
1851–1883
Dudley Stanhope
9th Earl of Harrington

1859–1928
Charles Stanhope
10th Earl of Harrington

1887–1929
Charles Stanhope
1921–1921
William Stanhope
11th Earl of Harrington

1922–2009
Charles Stanhope
12th Earl of Harrington

born 1945
William Stanhope
Viscount Petersham
born 1967
Augustus Stanhope
born 2005
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f (Colburn 1880, p. 600)
  2. ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 18.
  3. ^ Hesilrige 1921, p. 451.

Works cited

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  • Montague-Smith, Patrick (1968). Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage. Kingston-upon-Thames: Kelly's Directory. p. 545. A crescent for difference
  • Colburn, Henry (1880). A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire (42 ed.). Pall Mall, London: Harrison and Sons. pp. 600, 601. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2016. Bernard Burke Alt URL
  • Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921). Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy. Fleet Street, London, UK: Dean & Son. p. 451.
  • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Harrington, Earls of" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 18.
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