Earl of Antrim
Encyclopedia
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,...
and both times for members of the MacDonnell family, originally of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
origins. This family descends from Sorley Boy MacDonnell
Sorley Boy MacDonnell
Somhairle Buidhe Mac Domhnaill , Scoto-Irish prince or flaith and chief, was the son of Alexander MacDonnell, lord of Islay and Kintyre , and Catherine, daughter of the Lord of Ardnamurchan...
, who established the family in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. His fourth son Randal MacDonnell
Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim
Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim , having been fostered in the Gaelic manner on the Scottish island of Arran by the Hamiltons, was the 4th son of Sorley Boy MacDonnell, and of Mary, daughter of Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone.He fought at first against the English government, participating...
was created Viscount Dunluce, in the County of Antrim, in 1618, and Earl of Antrim in 1620. Both titles were in the Peerage of Ireland. His eldest son, the second Earl, fought as a Royalist in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and was created Marquess of Antrim in the Peerage of Ireland in 1645. He was childless and on his death in 1682 the marquessate became extinct.
He was succeeded in the viscountcy and earldom by his younger brother, the third Earl. He represented Wigan
Wigan (UK Parliament constituency)
Wigan is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in the English House of Commons and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Antrim
Lord Lieutenant of Antrim
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Antrim. The office was created on 23 August 1831.*Charles O'Neill, 1st Earl O'Neill 17 October 1831 – 25 March 1841*George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall 24 April 1841 – 20 October 1883...
. Lord Antrim was attainted in 1689 for his support of King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
but was restored in 1697. His grandson, the fifth Earl, was Governor of County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. He was succeeded by his son, the sixth Earl. He represented County Antrim in the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
. Lord Antrim had no sons, and as there were no other male heirs left of the first Earl, the titles were heading for extinction. However, in 1785 King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
created him Viscount Dunluce and Earl of Antrim in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to his daughters in order of seniority and the heirs male of their bodies. In 1789 he was further honoured when he was made Marquess of Antrim in the Peerage of Ireland, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body.
On Lord Antrim's death in 1791 the viscountcy of Dunluce of 1618, the earldom of Antrim of 1620 and the marquessate became extinct. He was succeeded in the viscountcy and earldom of 1785 according to the special remainders by his eldest daughter Anne Catherine, the second holder of the titles. She married as her first husband Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet, of Long Newton. Their daughter Lady Frances Anne Vane-Tempest
Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry
Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry was a wealthy English heiress and noblewoman. She was the daughter of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet and the second wife of Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
married Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, and was the great-grandmother of Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. Lady Antrim had no sons and was succeeded by her younger sister Charlotte, the third holder. She was the wife of Vice-Admiral Lord Mark Robert Kerr, third son of William John Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian.
She was succeeded by her eldest surviving son, the fourth Earl. He assumed in 1836 by Royal license the surname of McDonnell in lieu of Kerr. He had no sons and was succeeded by his younger brother, the fifth Earl. On succeeding his brother in 1855 he assumed by Royal license the surname of McDonnell in lieu of Kerr. the titles are held by his great-great-grandson, the ninth Earl, who succeeded his father in 1977. As a male-line descendant of the fifth Marquess of Lothian
Marquess of Lothian
Marquess of Lothian is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1701 for Robert Kerr, 4th Earl of Lothian. The Marquess of Lothian holds the subsidiary titles of Earl of Lothian , Earl of Lothian , Earl of Ancram , Earl of Ancram , Viscount of Briene , Lord Newbattle ,...
he is also in remainder to this peerage and its subsidiary titles.
The Hon. Angus McDonnell
Angus McDonnell
The Honourable Angus McDonnell CB CMG was a British engineer, diplomat and Conservative Party politician.He was the second son of William Randal McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim and Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim. Following education at Eton College, he briefly entered business as a merchant...
, second son of the sixth Earl of the second creation, 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 Dartford
Dartford (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Notes and references:...
.
The ancestral seat of the Earls of Antrim is Glenarm Castle, Co Antrim, in Northern Ireland, which is still (2008) in the ownership of the family.
Earls of Antrim, First creation (1620)
- Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of AntrimRandal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of AntrimRandal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim , having been fostered in the Gaelic manner on the Scottish island of Arran by the Hamiltons, was the 4th son of Sorley Boy MacDonnell, and of Mary, daughter of Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone.He fought at first against the English government, participating...
(d. 1636) - Randal MacDonnell, 2nd Earl of Antrim (1609–1682) (created Marquess of Antrim in 1645)
Marquesses of Antrim, First creation (1645)
- Randal MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim (1609–1682)
Earls of Antrim, First creation (1620; Reverted)
- Alexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of AntrimAlexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of AntrimAlexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of Antrim was an Roman Catholic peer and military commander in Ireland. He was the son of Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim and his wife, Alice O'Neill .After coming of age, MacDonnell spend three years abroad in Europe before returning to Ireland just before the...
(1615–1699) (forfeit 1689; restored 1697) - Randal MacDonnell, 4th Earl of Antrim (1680–1721)
- Alexander MacDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim (1713–1755)
- Randal William MacDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim (1749–1791) (created Earl of Antrim in 1785 and Marquess of Antrim in 1789)
Marquesses of Antrim, Second creation (1789)
- Randal William MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim (1749–1791)
Earls of Antrim, Second Creation (1785)
- Randal William MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim, 1st Earl of Antrim (1749–1791)
- Anne Catherine MacDonnell, 2nd Countess of Antrim (1775–1834)
- Charlotte Kerr, 3rd Countess of Antrim (1779–1835)
- William Kerr (c. 1802–1819)
- Charles Fortescue Kerr, Viscount Dunluce (1810–1834)
- Hugh Seymour McDonnell, 4th Earl of Antrim (1812–1855)
- Mark McDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim (1814–1869)
- William Randal McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim (1851–1918)
- Randal Mark Kerr McDonnell, 7th Earl of Antrim (1878–1932)
- Randal John Somerled McDonnell, 8th Earl of Antrim (1911–1977)
- Alexander Randal Mark McDonnell, 9th Earl of Antrim (b. 1935)
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 Randal Alexander St John McDonnell, Viscount Dunluce (b. 1967)
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son the Hon. Alexander David Somerled McDonnell (b. 2006)