Baron Digby
Encyclopedia
Geashill
Geashill is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is situated between the towns of Tullamore and Portarlington on the R420 regional road. Geashill has a Church of Ireland church, a shop, a petrol station, post office, primary school, a Gaelic Athletic Association and two pubs, .-History:The...
in the King's County, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
. It was created in 1620 for Robert Digby
Robert Digby, 1st Baron Digby
Robert Digby, 1st Baron Digby was an Anglo-Irish peer.Digby was the son of Sir Robert Digby of Coleshill, Warwickshire and Lettice FitzGerald, of Geashill, Ireland, granddaughter of Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare. John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol, was his uncle, and Essex Digby, Bishop of...
, Governor of King's County. He was the nephew of John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol
John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol
John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol , was an English diplomat and a moderate royalist during the English Civil War.- Early career :...
. Lord Digby's grandson, the third Baron, and the latter's younger brothers the fourth and fifth Barons, all represented Warwick
Warwick (UK Parliament constituency)
Warwick was a parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Warwick, within the larger Warwickshire constituency of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then to the...
in Parliament. The fifth Baron's grandson, the sixth Baron, sat as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Malmesbury
Malmesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Malmesbury was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1275 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.- MPs 1275–1508 :...
and for Wells
Wells (UK Parliament constituency)
Wells is a county constituency centred on the city of Wells in Somerset. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system...
. His younger brother, the seventh Baron, represented Ludgershall
Ludgershall (UK Parliament constituency)
Ludgershall was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- 1295–1640 :- 1640–1832 :- Sources :...
and Wells
Wells (UK Parliament constituency)
Wells is a county constituency centred on the city of Wells in Somerset. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. In 1765 he was created Baron Digby, of Sherborne
Sherborne Castle
Sherborne Castle is a 16th-century Tudor mansion southeast of Sherborne in Dorset, England. The park formed only a small part of the Digby estate.-Old castle:Sherborne Old Castle is the ruin of a 12th-century castle in the grounds of the mansion...
in the County of Dorset, in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
, with remainder to the issue male of his father. In 1790 Lord Digby was further honoured when he was made Viscount Coleshill and Earl Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
, with remainder to the issue male of his body. His son, the second Earl, was Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII, taking over the military duties of the Sheriff and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment of Deputies, and in 1662 the Lord-Lieutenant was given entire control of...
from 1808 to 1856. He never married and on his death in 1856 the viscountcy and earldom became extinct.
However, he was succeeded in the two baronies by his first cousin twice removed, the ninth Baron. He was the son of Admiral Sir Henry Digby, son of the Very Reverend the Hon. William Digby, younger brother of the seventh Baron and the first Earl Digby. His son, the tenth Baron, sat as a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament for Dorset
Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)
Dorset was a county constituency covering Dorset in southern England, which elected two Members of Parliament , traditionally known as knights of the shire, to the House of Commons of England from 1290 until 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the House of...
. He was succeeded by his son, the eleventh Baron. He was Chairman of the Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
County Council from 1955 to 1964 and Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII, taking over the military duties of the Sheriff and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment of Deputies, and in 1662 the Lord-Lieutenant was given entire control of...
from 1952 to 1964. the titles are held by his son, the twelfth Baron, who succeeded in 1964. He notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII, taking over the military duties of the Sheriff and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment of Deputies, and in 1662 the Lord-Lieutenant was given entire control of...
from 1984 to 1999.
Two female members of the family have also gained fame. Jane Digby was the sister of the ninth Baron Digby while Hon. Pamela Harriman
Pamela Harriman
Pamela Beryl Harriman , also known as Pamela Churchill Harriman, was an English-born socialite who was married and linked to important and powerful men. In later life, she became a political activist for the United States Democratic Party and a diplomat...
(née Digby), American Ambassador to France
United States Ambassador to France
This article is about the United States Ambassador to France. There has been a United States Ambassador to France since the American Revolution. The United States sent its first envoys to France in 1776, towards the end of the four-centuries-old Bourbon dynasty...
, was the eldest daughter of the eleventh Baron and the sister of the twelfth Baron.
Barons Digby (1620)
- Robert Digby, 1st Baron DigbyRobert Digby, 1st Baron DigbyRobert Digby, 1st Baron Digby was an Anglo-Irish peer.Digby was the son of Sir Robert Digby of Coleshill, Warwickshire and Lettice FitzGerald, of Geashill, Ireland, granddaughter of Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare. John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol, was his uncle, and Essex Digby, Bishop of...
(c. 1599–1642) - Kildare Digby, 2nd Baron Digby (c. 1627–1661)
- Robert Digby, 3rd Baron DigbyRobert Digby, 3rd Baron DigbyRobert Digby, 3rd Baron Digby was an English peer and Member of Parliament.Digby was the son of Kildare Digby, 2nd Baron Digby, and Mary Gardiner. In 1661, aged 7, he succeeded his father as third Baron Digby...
(1654–1677) - Simon Digby, 4th Baron DigbySimon Digby, 4th Baron DigbySimon Digby, 4th Baron Digby was an English nobleman and a Member of Parliament.Digby was a younger son of Kildare Digby, 2nd Baron Digby, and Mary Gardiner. In 1677 he succeeded his elder brother as fourth Baron Digby. This was a title in the Peerage of Ireland and did not entitle him to a seat...
(1657–1685) - William Digby, 5th Baron DigbyWilliam Digby, 5th Baron DigbyWilliam Digby, 5th Baron Digby was a British peer and Member of Parliament.Digby was a younger son of Kildare Digby, 2nd Baron Digby, and Mary Gardiner. In 1686 he succeeded his elder brother as fifth Baron Digby. This was an Irish peerage and did not entitle him to a seat in the English House of...
(1661–1752) - Edward Digby, 6th Baron DigbyEdward Digby, 6th Baron DigbyEdward Digby, 6th Baron Digby was a British peer and Member of Parliament.Digby was the son of Hon. Edward Digby, son of William Digby, 5th Baron Digby. His mother was Charlotte Fox, daughter of Sir Stephen Fox and sister of Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland...
(1730–1757) - Henry Digby, 7th Baron DigbyHenry Digby, 1st Earl DigbyHenry Digby, 1st Earl Digby was a British peer and Member of Parliament.Digby was the younger son of Hon. Edward Digby, son of William Digby, 5th Baron Digby. His mother was Charlotte Fox, daughter of Sir Stephen Fox. Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, was his uncle and Charles James Fox his cousin...
(d. 1793) (created Earl Digby in 1790)
Earl Digby (1790)
- Henry Digby, 1st Earl Digby, 7th Baron DigbyHenry Digby, 1st Earl DigbyHenry Digby, 1st Earl Digby was a British peer and Member of Parliament.Digby was the younger son of Hon. Edward Digby, son of William Digby, 5th Baron Digby. His mother was Charlotte Fox, daughter of Sir Stephen Fox. Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, was his uncle and Charles James Fox his cousin...
(d. 1793) - Edward Digby, 2nd Earl Digby, 8th Baron DigbyEdward Digby, 2nd Earl DigbyEdward Digby, 2nd Earl Digby , known as Viscount Coleshill from 1790 to 1793, was a British peer.Digby was the eldest son of Henry Digby, 1st Earl Digby, and Mary Knowler. He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1793 and was able to take his seat in the House of Lords on his twenty-first birthday...
(1773–1856)
Barons Digby (1620; Reverted)
- Edward St Vincent Digby, 9th Baron DigbyEdward Digby, 9th Baron DigbyEdward St Vincent Digby, 9th Baron Digby , also 3rd Baron Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, was a British peer.-Biography:...
(1809–1889) - Edward Henry Trafalgar Digby, 10th Baron DigbyEdward Digby, 10th Baron DigbyEdward Henry Trafalgar Digby, 10th Baron Digby , also 4th Baron Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, was a British peer and Conservative Member of Parliament....
(1846–1920) - Edward Kenelm Digby, 11th Baron DigbyEdward Digby, 11th Baron DigbyEdward Kenelm Digby, 11th Baron Digby, KG, DSO, MC , also 5th Baron Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, was a British peer, soldier and politician....
(1894–1964) - Edward Henry Kenelm Digby, 12th Baron Digby (b. 1924)
The heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's son the Hon. Henry Noel Kenelm Digby (b. 1954)
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son Edward St Vincent Kenelm Digby (b. 1985)
See also
- Earls of Bristol, First CreationEarl of BristolEarl of Bristol is a title that has been created twice in British history. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1622 in favour of the politician and diplomat John Digby who served for many years as Ambassador to Spain, and had already been created Baron Digby of Sherborne, in the...
- Sir Henry Digby
- Jane Digby
- Pamela DigbyPamela HarrimanPamela Beryl Harriman , also known as Pamela Churchill Harriman, was an English-born socialite who was married and linked to important and powerful men. In later life, she became a political activist for the United States Democratic Party and a diplomat...