Earl of Oxford
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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....
, held for several centuries by the de Vere family from 1141 until the death of the 20th earl in 1703. The Veres were also hereditary holders of the office of master or Lord Great Chamberlain
Lord Great Chamberlain
The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable...
from 1133 until the death of the 18th Earl in 1625. Their primary seat was Castle Hedingham
Castle Hedingham
Castle Hedingham is a small village in northeast Essex, England, located four miles west of Halstead and is situated in the Colne Valley on the ancient road from Colchester, Essex, to Cambridge....
, Essex, but they held lands across England, particularly in East Anglia. Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford
Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford
Robert de Vere was the second surviving son of Aubrey de Vere III, first earl of Oxford, and Agnes of Essex. Almost nothing of his life is known until he married in 1207 the widow Isabel de Bolebec, the aunt and co-heiress of his deceased sister-in-law. The couple had one child, a son, Hugh,...
, was one of the 25 barons of Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
. Robert, 9th earl of Oxford and duke of Ireland (1362–92), was a favorite of King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
. John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford
John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford
John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford , the second son of John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, and Elizabeth Howard, was one of the principal Lancastrian commanders during the English Wars of the Roses...
was a Lancastrian during the War of the Roses and Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
's commander at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
in 1485. Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts, and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's works....
, has become the most famous of the line because of his emergence as a popular alternative candidate as the actual author of the works of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
(see Shakespearean authorship). Earl Edward was a ward and later son-in-law of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
, Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
's Secretary of State. On the death of Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford, without heirs male, the title was in abeyance.
The title of Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer
Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for the statesman Robert Harley, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to those of his grandfather, Sir Robert Harley...
was created 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...
to Robert Harley
Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer
Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer KG was a British politician and statesman of the late Stuart and early Georgian periods. He began his career as a Whig, before defecting to a new Tory Ministry. Between 1711 and 1714 he served as First Lord of the Treasury, effectively Queen...
in 1711. In the 20th century the title of Earl of Oxford and Asquith
Earl of Oxford and Asquith
Earl of Oxford and Asquith is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1925 for the Liberal politician H. H. Asquith. He was Home Secretary from 1892 to 1895, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1905 to 1908, Leader of the Liberal Party from 1908 to 1926 and Prime Minister of...
was created in 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...
to the former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
, whose descendant still bears that title. These later creations bear the double title because the original earldom is not certainly known to be extinct; the first Vere earl may still have living legitimate descendants in the male line, though it would be exceedingly difficult to prove such a claim.
After the extinction of the earls of Oxford and Mortimer, the former Prime Minister H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
(tenure 1908–1916) was keen to choose 'Earl of Oxford' for his own title. As an earldom was then traditional for former Prime Ministers, and Asquith had a number of connections with the city of Oxford, it seemed a logical choice and had the King's support. The proposal greatly offended the relatives of the dormant Earldom, however, and, in the face of their opposition, another title had to be chosen - the formal title Earl of Oxford and Asquith was finally decided as a compromise, abbreviated to Earl of Oxford in everyday conversation and letters. For information on this creation, see Earl of Oxford and Asquith
Earl of Oxford and Asquith
Earl of Oxford and Asquith is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1925 for the Liberal politician H. H. Asquith. He was Home Secretary from 1892 to 1895, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1905 to 1908, Leader of the Liberal Party from 1908 to 1926 and Prime Minister of...
.
Earls of Oxford (1141)
- Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford (c. 1115–1194)
- Aubrey de Vere, 2nd Earl of OxfordAubrey de Vere, 2nd Earl of OxfordAubrey de Vere IV, 2nd Earl of Oxford was the eldest son of Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford and his third wife Agnes of Essex, daughter of Henry de Essex, Lord of Rayleigh. The earl was hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain of England and was considered one of the cronies of King John...
(c. 1164–1214) - Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of OxfordRobert de Vere, 3rd Earl of OxfordRobert de Vere was the second surviving son of Aubrey de Vere III, first earl of Oxford, and Agnes of Essex. Almost nothing of his life is known until he married in 1207 the widow Isabel de Bolebec, the aunt and co-heiress of his deceased sister-in-law. The couple had one child, a son, Hugh,...
(c. 1173–1221) - Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of OxfordHugh de Vere, 4th Earl of OxfordHugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford was an English nobleman and the only known child and heir of Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford.-Early Life:...
(c. 1208–1263) - Robert de Vere, 5th Earl of OxfordRobert de Vere, 5th Earl of OxfordRobert de Vere, 5th Earl of Oxford was the son and heir of Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford.-Life and career:Robert was born around 1240. He was among the followers of Simon de Montfort during the Second Barons' War, and was with Simon's son, Hugh, when Edward I of England attacked Kenilworth...
(1240–1296) (forfeit 1265, restored soon after) - Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of OxfordRobert de Vere, 6th Earl of OxfordRobert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford was the son and heir of Robert de Vere, 5th Earl of Oxford, by his wife Alice de Sanford. Robert the younger took part in several of the military campaigns of Edward I, Edward II and Edward III in Wales, Scotland and France. He was married to Margaret Mortimer,...
(1257–1331) - John de Vere, 7th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 7th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford was the nephew and heir of Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford. He succeeded as Earl of Oxford in 1331, after his uncle died without issue. John de Vere was a trusted captain of Edward III in the king's wars in Scotland and France, and took part in both the Battle...
(1312–1360) - Thomas de Vere, 8th Earl of OxfordThomas de Vere, 8th Earl of OxfordThomas de Vere, 8th Earl of Oxford was the son and heir of John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford. Thomas took part in several of the military campaigns of Edward III. At some point before 1350, he married Maud de Ufford, daughter and heir of Sir Ralph de Ufford and Maud of Lancaster...
(1337–1371) - Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford (1362–1392) (forfeit 1388)
- Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of OxfordAubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of OxfordAubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford was the second son of John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford and Maud de Badlesmere, daughter of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Lord Badlesmere....
(1340–1400) (restored 1393) - Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of OxfordRichard de Vere, 11th Earl of OxfordRichard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford KG was the son and heir of Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford. He took part in the trial of Richard, Earl of Cambridge and Lord Scrope at Southampton, and was one of the commanders at Agincourt in 1415.-Life:Richard de Vere was the elder son of Aubrey de Vere,...
(1385–1417) - John de Vere, 12th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 12th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford , was the son of Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford , and his second wife, Alice Serjeaux...
(1408–1462) - John de Vere, 13th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 13th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford , the second son of John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, and Elizabeth Howard, was one of the principal Lancastrian commanders during the English Wars of the Roses...
(1442–1513) (forfeit 1475, restored 1485) - John de Vere, 14th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 14th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford was the second but only surviving son of Sir George Vere and Margaret, the daughter and heir of Sir William Stafford of Bishop's Frome in Hereford. Custody of his person was granted on 29 May 1514 to Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk...
(1457–1526) - John de Vere, 15th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 15th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford was an English peer and courtier.-Biography:John de Vere was the son of John de Vere and Alice Kilrington , and the great-grandson of Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford, succeeding his second cousin, John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford.Oxford was Esquire of the...
(1482–1540) - John de Vere, 16th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 16th Earl of OxfordJohn de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford was born to John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford and Elizabeth Trussel, daughter of Edward Trussel...
(1516–1562) - Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of OxfordEdward de Vere, 17th Earl of OxfordEdward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts, and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's works....
(1550–1604) - Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of OxfordHenry de Vere, 18th Earl of OxfordHenry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford was an English aristocrat, courtier and soldier.-Life:He was born on 24 February 1593 at Newington, Middlesex, the only son of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, by his second wife, Elizabeth Trentham. He succeeded his father as on 24 June 1604.He is said to...
(1593–1625) - Robert de Vere, 19th Earl of OxfordRobert de Vere, 19th Earl of OxfordRobert de Vere, 19th Earl of Oxford was the second cousin of Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford. When Henry died some time between 2 and 9 June 1625, Robert emerged as the heir apparent to the earldom. Robert's claim was by his descent from John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford, but his title was not...
(1575–1632) - Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of OxfordAubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of OxfordAubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford KG PC was the son of Robert de Vere, 19th Earl of Oxford and his wife Beatrix van Hemmend....
(1627–1703) (dormant 1703)