Earl of Lichfield
Encyclopedia
Lord Bernard Stewart
Lord Bernard Stewart was a Scottish aristocrat who served as a Royalist commander in the English Civil War. He was the youngest of five sons of Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox and his wife Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton, and the brother of James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond.Lord Bernard...
, youngest son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox
Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox
Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, 1st Earl of Lennox was the son of John Stewart, 5th Lord of Aubigny who was the younger brother of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox...
, was to be created Earl of Lichfield by Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
for his actions at the battles of Newbury and Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
but died before the creation could implemented. Charles Stewart, the son of Bernard's younger brother George, who had been killed at the Battle of Edgehill
Battle of Edgehill
The Battle of Edgehill was the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642....
, was instead created Earl of Lichfield in December 1645, soon after the Battle of Rowton Heath
Battle of Rowton Heath
The Battle of Rowton Heath occurred on 24 September 1645 during the English Civil War between the Parliamentarians, commanded by Sydnam Poyntz, and the Royalists under the personal command of King Charles I...
. Charles's cousin, who held the titles of Duke of Richmond
Duke of Richmond
The title Duke of Richmond is named after Richmond and its surrounding district of Richmondshire, and has been created several times in the Peerage of England for members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families...
and Earl of Lennox
Earl of Lennox
The Mormaer of Lennox or Earl of Lennox was the ruler of the long-lasting provincial Mormaerdom/Earldom of Lennox in the Medieval Kingdom of the Scots. The first Mormaer is usually regarded as Ailin I , but the genealogy of the Mormaers gives earlier names...
through the first Duke of Lennox's eldest son James, died aged eleven in 1660 with Charles as his heir. He married Frances Teresa Stuart, the celebrated beauty and alleged former mistress of King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. In disgrace with the king, Charles was sent into exile as ambassador to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, where he drowned on December 12, 1672. All of the English and 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...
titles that had been bestowed upon the male heirs became extinct.
The second creation came in 1674 when Charles II created Sir Edward Lee, 5th Baronet, of Quarendon
Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Sir Edward Henry Lee, 5th Baronet, of Ditchley and of Quarendon, created 1st Earl of Lichfield was an English peer. He was a staunch tory and followed James II to Rochester, Kent after the king's escape from Whitehall in December 1688...
, Baron Spelsbury, Viscount Quarendon and Earl of Lichfield. He married Charlotte Fitzroy
Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield
Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield , formerly Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, was the illegitimate daughter of King Charles II of England by one of his most notorious mistresses, Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland-Family:She was the fourth child and second daughter of Barbara Palmer née Villiers,...
, the illegitimate daughter of the King and Barbara Villiers, in 1677. He was succeeded by his third but eldest surviving son, George Henry Lee, the second Earl. He constructed the stately home of Ditchley
Ditchley
Ditchley is a country house and estate about northeast of Charlbury in Oxfordshire.-Archaeology:There are remains of a Roman villa on the Ditchley Park estate at Watts Wells, less than southeast of the house...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. On his death the titles were passed on to his son George Henry Lee, the third Earl. He represented Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxfordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. In 1832 this was increased to three...
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...
and served as Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
The Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms is a UK government post since 1945 held by the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords. Prior to 17 March 1834, the Gentlemen-at-Arms were known as the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners....
from 1762 to 1772. He died childless and was succeeded by his uncle, the fourth Earl. He was also childless. On his death in 1776 all his titles became extinct. The Lee Baronetcy, of Quarendon in the County of Buckingham, had been created in the Baronetage of England in 1611 for Henry Lee. He was the cousin and heir of Henry Lee of Ditchley
Henry Lee of Ditchley
Sir Henry Lee KG , of Ditchley, was Master of the Ordnance under Queen Elizabeth I of England.-Life:Lee became Queen Elizabeth I’s champion in 1570 and was appointed Master of the Royal Armouries in 1580, an office which he held until his death...
.
The third creation came in 1831 in favour of Thomas Anson, 2nd Viscount Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield PC , known as The Viscount Anson from 1818 to 1831, was a British Whig politician. He served under Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne as Master of the Buckhounds between 1830 and 1834 and under Melbourne Postmaster General between 1835 and 1841...
. The Anson family is descended from George Anson
George Anson (1731-1789)
George Anson , known as George Adams until 1773, was a British Whig politician and Staffordshire landowner....
, 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 Lichfield
Lichfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Lichfield is a 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.- Boundaries :...
from 1770 to 1789. Born George Adams, he was the son of Sambrooke Adams and his wife Janette Anson, sister of the famous naval commander George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
. In 1773, on the death of his uncle Thomas Anson
Thomas Anson (MP)
Thomas Anson , FRS was a British Member of Parliament, traveller and amateur architect.Anson was the son of William Anson and Isabella Carrier, sister-in-law to the Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield. The family estate was Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire...
(brother of Lord Anson), he succeeded to the substantial estates accumulated by his uncle Lord Anson, including the Anson family seat of Shugborough Hall
Shugborough Hall
Shugborough is a country estate in Great Haywood, Staffordshire, England, 4 miles from Stafford on the edge of Cannock Chase. It comprises a country house, kitchen garden, and model farm...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. The same year he assumed by Royal license the surname of Anson in lieu of Adams. His eldest son Thomas Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson
Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson was a British politician and peer.Anson was the son of George Adams, who later changed the family name to Anson in 1773, after inheriting Shugborough Hall from his maternal uncle, Lord Anson...
represented Lichfield in the House of Commons as a Whig from 1789 to 1806. The latter year he was raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
as Baron Soberton, of Soberton in the County of Southampton, and Viscount Anson, of Shugborough and Orgreave in the County of Stafford
Orgreave, Staffordshire
Orgreave is a hamlet in the English county of Staffordshire. It lies in the Trent Valley some north-east of the city of Lichfield, the A513 road runs to the south of the hamlet....
.
Master of the Buckhounds
The Master of the Buckhounds was an officer in the Master of the Horse's department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot. It was a political office, so the holder, who was always a nobleman, changed with every change of government. The office...
from 1830 to 1834 and as Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
from 1835 to 1841. In 1831 he was created Earl of Lichfield, of Lichfield in the County of Stafford, in William IV's
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
coronation honours. This title is also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. On death the titles passed to his eldest son, the second Earl. He sat as Member of Parliament for Lichfield and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire. The titles descended from father to son until the death of his grandson, the fourth Earl, in 1960. He was succeeded by his grandson, the fifth Earl, the only son of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas William Arnold Anson, Viscount Anson (1913–1958), eldest son of the fourth Earl. Known professionally as Patrick Lichfield, he was a successful photographer. the titles are held by his only son, the sixth Earl, who succeeded in 2005.
Several other members of the Anson family have also gained distinction. Sir George Anson
George Anson (1769-1849)
General Sir George Anson, GCB, KTS , commanded a British cavalry brigade under the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular War and sat for many years as a Member of Parliament.-Early life:...
, younger brother of the first Viscount, was a General in the Army and represented Lichfield in the House of Commons. His son Talavera Vernon Anson (1809–1895) was an Admiral in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. William Anson (1772–1847), younger brother of the first Viscount, was created a Baronet in 1831 (see Anson Baronets
Anson Baronets
The Anson Baronetcy, of Hatch Beauchamp in the County of Somerset, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 30 September 1831 for William Anson. He was the third son of George Anson; his elder brothers were Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson and General Sir George Anson...
for more information on this branch of the family). The Very Reverend Frederick Anson
Frederick Anson
The Revd Frederick Anson , a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, served as Canon of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. As such, he was Canon to Queen Victoria...
(1779–1867), younger brother of the first Viscount, was Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Chester
Diocese of Chester
The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York based in Chester, covering the county of Cheshire in its pre-1974 boundaries...
. The Hon. George Anson, second son of the first Viscount, was a prominent soldier and politician. The Hon. Augustus Anson, third son of the first Earl, was a Member of Parliament and recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. The Right Reverend the Hon. Adelbert John Robert Anson (1840–1909), fourth and youngest son of the first Earl, was a clergyman and served as Bishop of Qu'Apelle
Anglican Diocese of Qu'Appelle
The Diocese of Qu’Appelle in the Anglican Church of Canada lies in the southern third of the civil province of Saskatchewan and contains within its geographical boundaries some 50% of the province's population of one million.-History:...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Hon. Sir George Augustus Anson (1857–1947), second son of the second Earl, was a courtier and Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army.
The courtesy title of the eldest son and heir apparent of the Earl is Viscount Anson.
The family seat is Shugborough Hall
Shugborough Hall
Shugborough is a country estate in Great Haywood, Staffordshire, England, 4 miles from Stafford on the edge of Cannock Chase. It comprises a country house, kitchen garden, and model farm...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, which is about 15 miles from the city of Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
. The Lichfield family vault is at at St Michael and All Angels Church in Colwich
Colwich, Staffordshire
Colwich is a civil parish and village in Staffordshire, England. It is situated off the A51 road, about 3 miles north west of Rugeley, and 7 miles south east of Stafford...
, a short distance from Shugborough Hall.
Earls of Lichfield, First Creation (1645)
- Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox, 1st Earl of LichfieldCharles Stewart, 3rd Duke of RichmondCharles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox KG was the only son of George Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny and Katherine Howard, daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk...
(1639–1672)
Lee Baronets, of Quarendon (1611)
- Sir Henry Lee, 1st Baronet (d. 1631)
- Sir Francis Henry Lee, 2nd Baronet (1616–1639)
- Sir Henry Lee, 3rd Baronet (1637–1658)
- Sir Francis Henry Lee, 4th Baronet (1639–1667)
- Sir Edward Henry Lee, 5th BaronetEdward Lee, 1st Earl of LichfieldSir Edward Henry Lee, 5th Baronet, of Ditchley and of Quarendon, created 1st Earl of Lichfield was an English peer. He was a staunch tory and followed James II to Rochester, Kent after the king's escape from Whitehall in December 1688...
(1663–1716) (created Earl of Lichfield in 1674)
Earls of Lichfield, Second Creation (1674)
- Edward Henry Lee, 1st Earl of LichfieldEdward Lee, 1st Earl of LichfieldSir Edward Henry Lee, 5th Baronet, of Ditchley and of Quarendon, created 1st Earl of Lichfield was an English peer. He was a staunch tory and followed James II to Rochester, Kent after the king's escape from Whitehall in December 1688...
(1663–1716)- Charles Lee, Viscount Quarendon (1680–1680)
- Edward Henry Lee, Viscount Quarendon (1681–1713)
- George Henry Lee, 2nd Earl of LichfieldGeorge Lee, 2nd Earl of LichfieldGeorge Henry Lee I, 2nd Earl of Lichfield was the sixth son of Edward Henry Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield and his wife Charlotte Fitzroy, an illegitimate daughter of Charles II by his mistress, the celebrated courtesan Barbara Villiers. On 14 July 1716 George Henry Lee succeeded his father as the 2nd...
(1690–1742) - George Henry Lee, 3rd Earl of LichfieldGeorge Lee, 3rd Earl of LichfieldGeorge Henry Lee II, 3rd Earl of Lichfield PC was a British politician and peer. He was made a Privy Councillor and Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms in 1762, holding both honors until death...
(1718–1772) - Robert Lee, 4th Earl of LichfieldRobert Lee, 4th Earl of LichfieldRobert Lee, 4th Earl of Lichfield was an uncle of the 3rd Earl, George Henry Lee II. He was a son of Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield and his wife Charlotte Fitzroy, an illegitimate daughter of Charles II....
(1706–1776)
Viscounts Anson (1806)
- Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount AnsonThomas Anson, 1st Viscount AnsonThomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson was a British politician and peer.Anson was the son of George Adams, who later changed the family name to Anson in 1773, after inheriting Shugborough Hall from his maternal uncle, Lord Anson...
(1767–1818) - Thomas William Anson, 2nd Viscount AnsonThomas Anson, 1st Earl of LichfieldThomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield PC , known as The Viscount Anson from 1818 to 1831, was a British Whig politician. He served under Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne as Master of the Buckhounds between 1830 and 1834 and under Melbourne Postmaster General between 1835 and 1841...
(1795–1854) (created Earl of Lichfield in 1831)
Earls of Lichfield, Third Creation (1831)
- Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of LichfieldThomas Anson, 1st Earl of LichfieldThomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield PC , known as The Viscount Anson from 1818 to 1831, was a British Whig politician. He served under Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne as Master of the Buckhounds between 1830 and 1834 and under Melbourne Postmaster General between 1835 and 1841...
(1795–1854) - Thomas George Anson, 2nd Earl of LichfieldThomas Anson, 2nd Earl of LichfieldThomas George Anson, 2nd Earl of Lichfield , known as Viscount Anson from 1831 to 1854, was a British politician....
(1825–1892) - Thomas Francis Anson, 3rd Earl of Lichfield (1856–1918)
- Thomas Edward Anson, 4th Earl of Lichfield (1883–1960)
- Thomas William Arnold Anson, Viscount Anson (1913–1958)
- (Thomas) Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of LichfieldPatrick Anson, 5th Earl of LichfieldThomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield was an English photographer. He inherited the Earldom of Lichfield in 1960 from his paternal grandfather. In his professional practice he was known as Patrick Lichfield.- Career :Lord Lichfield was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst, and joined the...
(1939–2005) - Thomas William Robert Hugh Anson, 6th Earl of LichfieldThomas Anson, 6th Earl of LichfieldThomas William Robert Hugh Anson, 6th Earl of Lichfield is an English aristocrat.He is the only son of the 5th Earl of Lichfield and former wife Lady Leonora Grosvenor, a daughter of the 5th Duke of Westminster. He succeeded as the 6th Earl of Lichfield upon his father's death on 11 November 2005...
(b. 1978)
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, Thomas Ossian Patrick Wolfe Anson, Viscount Anson (b. 2011).