Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2023 February 8

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February 8

Why "Winterton"?

The question about the Viscountcy of Camrose above reminded me to ask this question, which I've posed on Talk:Earl Winterton without any success.

In 1761, Edward Turnour (or Garth-Turnour, born Edward Garth) was created Baron Winterton, of Gort in the County of Galway, and in 1766 and he was created Viscount Turnour, of Gort in the County of Galway, and Earl Winterton, in the County of Galway, all in the Peerage of Ireland. (The titles are currently held by his descendant, the 8th Earl.)

Where did the name of the Winterton peerages come from? Despite the territorial designation, it doesn't seem to be a place in Co. Galway (list of towns and villages in County Galway, list of townlands of County Galway; and in any case if it were a place one would usually expect "Earl of Winterton" rather than "Earl Winterton", albeit this is not a hard-and-fast rule) and it doesn't seem to be a surname in the history of the 1st Earl's family. There have been no other "Winterton" peerages to which reference could have been being made.

I thought it might be an English place name (as non-Irish place names were sometimes used in Irish titles, like Earl of Ranfurly and Earl of Mexborough), but there don't seem to be any Wintertons near the family's then seat in West Sussex either.

All of the peerage reference books I can find just note that the 1st Earl was created Baron Winterton and then Earl Winterton without giving any explanation as to why this title was chosen. It is particularly odd because obvious choices were available, like the 1st Earl's paternal surname (Garth), the surname of his maternal inheritance (Turnour), the name of his inherited seat (Shillinglee) and various places near there (like Haslemere).

Any ideas? Proteus (Talk) 13:38, 8 February 2023 (UTC)

Your guess that it might be from an English place-name is right. An 1829 source says that Winterton-on-Sea in Norfolk "gives the title of earl...to the family of Turnour, who possess considerable property here". --Antiquary (talk) 16:04, 8 February 2023 (UTC)

Thank you very much! I have added this to Earl Winterton with that reference. Proteus (Talk) 16:24, 8 February 2023 (UTC)

Apparently he promised not to stand for Bramber if he got an Irish Viscountcy. DuncanHill (talk) 16:44, 8 February 2023 (UTC)