Earl Cowper
Encyclopedia
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...
. It was created in 1718 by George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
for William Cowper, 1st Baron Cowper
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper PC KC FRS was an English politician who became the first Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. Cowper was the son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet, of Ratling Court, Kent, a Whig member of parliament of some mark in the two last Stuart reigns...
, his first Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, with remainder in default of male issue of his own to his younger brother, Spencer Cowper
Spencer Cowper
Spencer Cowper, MP and barrister was born in 1670, the second son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet of Hertford, and his wife, Lady Sarah Cowper, the diarist, and the daughter of Samuel Holled, a London merchant...
. Cowper had already been created Baron Cowper of Wingham
Wingham, Kent
Wingham is a civil parish and English Kent village situated along the ancient coastal road, now the A257, from Richborough to London and close to Canterbury. It has existed since the Stone Age but only became established as a village in Roman times. The Domesday book tells us that during Saxon...
in the County of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, in the Peerage of England
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
on 14 December 1706, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body, and was made Viscount Fordwich, in the County of Kent, at the same time as he was given the earldom, also Peerage of Great Britain and with similar remainder. He was the great-grandson of William Cowper, who was created a Baronet, of Ratling Court in the County of Kent, in the Baronetage of England on 4 March 1642. The latter was succeeded by his grandson, the second Baronet. He represented Hertford
Hertford (UK Parliament constituency)
Hertford was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire, which elected Members of Parliament from 1298 until 1974. It was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1298 to 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of...
in Parliament. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the aforementioned William Cowper, the third Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage as Baron Cowper in 1706 and made Earl Cowper in 1718. In 1706 Lord Cowper married as his second wife Mary Clavering, daughter of John Clavering, of Chopwell, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
Lord Cowper was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He assumed the additional surname of Clavering. Cowper married Lady Henrietta, younger daughter of Henry de Nassau d'Auverquerque, 1st Earl of Grantham, a relative of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
House of Orange-Nassau
House of Orange-Nassau
The House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
, and a count
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. On the death of Lady Cowper's elder sister, Lady Frances Elliot
William Elliot of Wells
William Elliot of Wells was an army officer, courtier, and Member of Parliament during the reign of George II.The son of William Elliot of Wells , the younger William was christened 17 January 1696 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster...
, in 1772, the second Earl's son, the third Earl became Lord Grantham's heir general, and on 31 January 1778 he was created a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (Reichsfürst) by the Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
. He was allowed by George III to bear this title in Great Britain.
Lord Cowper's second son, the fifth Earl (who succeeded on the early death of his unmarried elder brother), was a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. The latter was succeeded by his eldest son, the sixth Earl. He represented Canterbury
Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Canterbury is a county constituency which has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in Parliament and served as Lord Lieutenant of Kent
Lord Lieutenant of Kent
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Kent. Since 1746, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Kent.-Lords Lieutenant of Kent:*Sir Thomas Cheney 1551–?*William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham 3 July 1585 – 6 March 1597...
. Lord Cowper married the Hon. Anne Florence, daughter of Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey and 6th Baron Lucas. In 1859 she succeeded her father as 7th Baroness Lucas. They were both succeeded by their son, the seventh Earl and eighth Baron Lucas. He was a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland between 1880 and 1882. In 1871 managed to obtain a reversal of the attainder of the Scottish Lordship of Dingwall
Lord Dingwall
Lord Dingwall is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1609 for Sir Richard Preston, with remainder to his heirs whatsoever. In 1619 he was further honoured when he was made Baron Dunmore and Earl of Desmond in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to heirs male...
, which had been under attainder
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
since 1715, and became the 4th Lord Dingwall as well. Lord Cowper was childless and on his death in 1905 the baronetcy of Ratling Court, the barony of Cowper, the viscountcy, the earldom and the Princely title became extinct. He was succeeded in the barony of Lucas of Crudwell and the lordship of Dingwall by his nephew; see Baron Lucas and Lord Dingwall
Lord Dingwall
Lord Dingwall is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1609 for Sir Richard Preston, with remainder to his heirs whatsoever. In 1619 he was further honoured when he was made Baron Dunmore and Earl of Desmond in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to heirs male...
for further history of these titles.
Several other members of the family may also be mentioned. Spencer Cowper
Spencer Cowper
Spencer Cowper, MP and barrister was born in 1670, the second son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet of Hertford, and his wife, Lady Sarah Cowper, the diarist, and the daughter of Samuel Holled, a London merchant...
, younger son of the second Baronet and brother of the first Earl, was a politician and barrister. He was the father of 1) Ashley Cowper, Clerk of Parliaments; 2) William Cowper, Clerk of Parliaments, the father of a) William Cowper, 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 Hertford
Hertford (UK Parliament constituency)
Hertford was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire, which elected Members of Parliament from 1298 until 1974. It was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1298 to 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of...
and b) Spencer Cowper, a Lieutenant-General in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, who was the father of Henry Cowper, Clerk of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
; and 3) Reverend John Cowper, father of the poet William Cowper
William Cowper
William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry...
. William Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple
William Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple
William Francis Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple PC , known as William Cowper before 1869 and as William Cowper-Temple between 1869 and 1880, was a British Liberal Party politician and statesman....
, was the second son of the fifth Earl. The Hon. Henry Cowper
Henry Cowper (politician)
Henry Frederick Cowper was a British Liberal Party politician.Cowper was the second son of George Cowper, 6th Earl Cowper, and his wife Anne , daughter of Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey. Francis Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper, was his elder brother...
, second son of the sixth Earl, was 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 Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Hertfordshire was a county constituency covering the county of Hertfordshire in England. It returned two Knights of the Shire to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
for many years.
Cowper Baronets, of Ratling Court (1642)
- Sir William Cowper, 1st Baronet (1582–1664)
- Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet (1639–1706)
- Sir William Cowper, 3rd BaronetWilliam Cowper, 1st Earl CowperWilliam Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper PC KC FRS was an English politician who became the first Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. Cowper was the son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet, of Ratling Court, Kent, a Whig member of parliament of some mark in the two last Stuart reigns...
(1665–1723) (created Baron Cowper in 1706 and Earl Cowper in 1718)
Earls Cowper (1718)
- William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, 1st Baron CowperWilliam Cowper, 1st Earl CowperWilliam Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper PC KC FRS was an English politician who became the first Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. Cowper was the son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet, of Ratling Court, Kent, a Whig member of parliament of some mark in the two last Stuart reigns...
(1665–1723) - William Clavering-Cowper, 2nd Earl CowperWilliam Clavering-Cowper, 2nd Earl CowperWilliam Clavering-Cowper, 2nd Earl Cowper , styled Viscount Fordwich between 1718 and 1723, was a British peer and courtier....
(1709–1764) - George Nassau Clavering-Cowper, 3rd Earl CowperGeorge Clavering-Cowper, 3rd Earl CowperGeorge Nassau Clavering-Cowper, 3rd Earl Cowper was an English peer who went on the grand tour as a young man, but actually emigrated. Despite becoming a Member of Parliament and inheriting lands and the title of Earl Cowper in England, he remained in Italy. He amassed a valuable art collection...
(1738–1789) - George Augustus Clavering-Cowper, 4th Earl Cowper (1776–1799)
- Peter Leopold Louis Francis Nassau Clavering-Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper (1778–1837)
- George Augustus Frederick Cowper, 6th Earl CowperGeorge Cowper, 6th Earl CowperGeorge Augustus Frederick Cowper, 6th Earl Cowper , styled Viscount Fordwich until 1837, was a British Whig politician...
(1806–1856) - Francis Thomas de Grey Cowper, 7th Earl CowperFrancis Cowper, 7th Earl CowperFrancis Thomas de Grey Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper KG, PC, DL , known as Viscount Fordwich from 1837 to 1856, was a British Liberal politician...
(1834–1905)