Earl of Surrey
Encyclopedia
The Earl of Surrey is a title in the Peerage of England
, and has been created five times. It was first created for William de Warenne
, a close companion
of William the Conqueror
. It is currently held as a subsidiary title by the Dukes of Norfolk.
, as a reward for loyal service to William during the Conquest. He received the lordship of Reigate Castle
in Surrey, but also had holdings in twelve other counties. Perhaps because he held little property in Surrey
, the earldom came to be more commonly called of Warenne. The name Warenne comes from the name of their property in Normandy where the family's ancestral castle, Bellencombre
, was located on the Varenne River
.
It was held by William de Warenne's son and grandson, both also named William, and then by the husbands of Isabella, daughter of the third William de Warenne. The first of these was William of Blois
, son of King Stephen
, and the second was Hamelin, half-brother of Henry II
. The latter took the de Warenne surname, and a son, grandson, and great-great-grandson of Hamelin and Isabella subsequently held the earldom.
With the failure of the second de Warenne male line in 1347, the earldom passed to Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
, who was a nephew of the last de Warenne earl, although he did not assume the title until after the death of the previous earl's widow in 1351. It was also held by his son, who forfeited it upon his execution in 1397.
John Holland, who was a grandson of the first Fitzalan earl of Surrey, was then created Duke of Surrey
. He held the title for 2 years until he was stripped of it by Henry IV
, who restored the earldom to the Fitzalans. The restored earl died in 1415 without male heirs, whereupon the earldom of Surrey became either extinct or abeyant (authorities disagree on this), while the earldom of Arundel passed to his 1st cousin once removed
, who was great-grandson of the 9th Earl of Surrey
(and consequently also descended from the de Warennes).
The title was revived several times during the 15th century, for John de Mowbray
in 1451, and then for Richard of Shrewsbury in 1477. Both died without issue, leaving he title extinct once more.
In 1483 the title was revived for Thomas Howard
, who later became Duke of Norfolk
, and it has been held by this family ever since (with some breaks during which their titles were forfeited but later restored). The Dukes of Norfolk quarter the de Warrenne arms on their coat of arms. The 4th earl of this creation also inherited the earldom of Arundel, thus re-uniting the two earldoms.
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey was granted the Manor of Wakefield by the crown and his descendants, the Earls Warenne, inherited it when he died in 1088. The building of Sandal Castle
was begun early in the 12th century by William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey (1081–1138) who was granted the Sandal estates in 1107 and it became the stronghold of the manor. A second castle was built at Lawe Hill on the north side of the Calder but was abandoned. Wakefield formed the caput of an extensive baronial holding that extended to Cheshire and Lancashire and was held by the Warennes
until the 14th century, when it passed to Warenne heirs.
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....
, and has been created five times. It was first created for William de Warenne
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Seigneur de Varennes is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066...
, a close companion
Companions of William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror had men of diverse standing and origins in France, under his command at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, along with others completing his Norman conquest of England until after the Harrying of the North and before the Anarchy....
of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. It is currently held as a subsidiary title by the Dukes of Norfolk.
History
The Earldom of Surrey was first created in 1088 for William de WarenneWilliam de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Seigneur de Varennes is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066...
, as a reward for loyal service to William during the Conquest. He received the lordship of Reigate Castle
Reigate Castle
Reigate castle is a ruined castle in the market town of Reigate in the county of Surrey, England.-Establishment:King William I granted the land around Reigate to one of his supporters, William de Warenne, who was created Earl of Surrey in 1088...
in Surrey, but also had holdings in twelve other counties. Perhaps because he held little property in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the earldom came to be more commonly called of Warenne. The name Warenne comes from the name of their property in Normandy where the family's ancestral castle, Bellencombre
Bellencombre
Bellencombre is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A forestry and farming village situated by the banks of the Varenne River in the Pays de Bray, some south of Dieppe at the junction of the D151, D154 and D48...
, was located on the Varenne River
Varenne River
The Varenne is a river of Normandy, France, in length, flowing through the department of Seine-Maritime and it is a tributary of the Arques River.- Geography :...
.
It was held by William de Warenne's son and grandson, both also named William, and then by the husbands of Isabella, daughter of the third William de Warenne. The first of these was William of Blois
William of Blois
William I of Blois was Count of Boulogne and Earl of Surrey jure uxoris . He was the third son of King Stephen of England and Matilda of Boulogne....
, son of King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
, and the second was Hamelin, half-brother of Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
. The latter took the de Warenne surname, and a son, grandson, and great-great-grandson of Hamelin and Isabella subsequently held the earldom.
With the failure of the second de Warenne male line in 1347, the earldom passed to Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader.- Lineage :...
, who was a nephew of the last de Warenne earl, although he did not assume the title until after the death of the previous earl's widow in 1351. It was also held by his son, who forfeited it upon his execution in 1397.
John Holland, who was a grandson of the first Fitzalan earl of Surrey, was then created Duke of Surrey
Duke of Surrey
The title of Duke of Surrey was created by Richard II for Thomas Holland, 3rd Earl of Kent. Following Richard's deposition, his successor, Henry IV deprived his predecessors' supporters of many of their titles, including this one, which has never been recreated.The title Earl of Surrey, also...
. He held the title for 2 years until he was stripped of it by Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, who restored the earldom to the Fitzalans. The restored earl died in 1415 without male heirs, whereupon the earldom of Surrey became either extinct or abeyant (authorities disagree on this), while the earldom of Arundel passed to his 1st cousin once removed
John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel
John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel, 3rd Baron Maltravers was an English nobleman.He was the son of John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel, and Elizabeth le Despenser, and became Baron Arundel on his father's death in 1390 and Baron Maltravers on his grandmother's death in 1405...
, who was great-grandson of the 9th Earl of Surrey
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader.- Lineage :...
(and consequently also descended from the de Warennes).
The title was revived several times during the 15th century, for John de Mowbray
John de Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk
John de Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG , known as 1st Earl of Surrey between 1451 and 1461, was the only son of John de Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and Eleanor Bourchier. His maternal grandparents were William Bourchier, Count of Eu and Anne of Gloucester.In 1451 the earldom of Surrey was...
in 1451, and then for Richard of Shrewsbury in 1477. Both died without issue, leaving he title extinct once more.
In 1483 the title was revived for Thomas Howard
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal , styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1514, was the only son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk by his first wife, Katherine Moleyns...
, who later became Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
, and it has been held by this family ever since (with some breaks during which their titles were forfeited but later restored). The Dukes of Norfolk quarter the de Warrenne arms on their coat of arms. The 4th earl of this creation also inherited the earldom of Arundel, thus re-uniting the two earldoms.
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey was granted the Manor of Wakefield by the crown and his descendants, the Earls Warenne, inherited it when he died in 1088. The building of Sandal Castle
Sandal Castle
Sandal Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Sandal Magna, a suburb of the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, overlooking the River Calder. It was the site of royal intrigue, the opening of one of William Shakespeare's plays, and was the source for a common children's nursery rhyme.-The...
was begun early in the 12th century by William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey (1081–1138) who was granted the Sandal estates in 1107 and it became the stronghold of the manor. A second castle was built at Lawe Hill on the north side of the Calder but was abandoned. Wakefield formed the caput of an extensive baronial holding that extended to Cheshire and Lancashire and was held by the Warennes
until the 14th century, when it passed to Warenne heirs.
Earls of Surrey or Warenne (1088)
- The Warenne Earls were called Earl de Warenne at least as often as Earl of Surrey; but they received the third penny of Surrey. The numbering of the earls follows the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; some sources number Isabel's husbands as the fourth and fifth earls, increasing the numbering of the later earls by one.
- William de Warenne, 1st Earl of SurreyWilliam de Warenne, 1st Earl of SurreyWilliam de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Seigneur de Varennes is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066...
(d. 1088) - William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of SurreyWilliam de Warenne, 2nd Earl of SurreyWilliam de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey was the son of William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey and his first wife Gundred. He is more often referred to as Earl Warenne or Earl of Warenne than as Earl of Surrey....
(d. 1138), earldom attainted in 1101, restored 1103 - William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of SurreyWilliam de Warenne, 3rd Earl of SurreyWilliam de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey was the eldest son of the William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey and Elizabeth de Vermandois.He was generally loyal to king Stephen...
(1119–1148) - Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey (d. 1203)
- William I, Count of Boulogne, Earl of Surrey (1137?–1159), her first husband, younger son of King Stephen of England.
- Hamelin de Warenne, Earl of Surrey (d. 1202), her second husband, illegitimate son of Geoffrey of Anjou. He was called Warenne after his marriage.
- William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey (d. 1240)
- John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey (1231–1304)
- John de Warenne, 7th Earl of SurreyJohn de Warenne, 7th Earl of SurreyJohn de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey was a prominent English nobleman and military commander during the reigns of Henry III of England and Edward I of England. During the Second Barons' War he switched sides twice, ending up in support of the king, for whose capture he was present at Lewes in 1264...
(1286–1347), grandson. - Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of ArundelRichard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of ArundelRichard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader.- Lineage :...
, 8th Earl of Surrey (1313–1376), nephew. - Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of ArundelRichard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of ArundelRichard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel and 9th Earl of Surrey KG was an English medieval nobleman and military commander.-Lineage:...
, 9th Earl of Surrey (1346–1397, forfeited 1397) - Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of ArundelThomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of ArundelThomas Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel and 10th Earl of Surrey, KG was an English nobleman, one of the principals of the deposition of Richard II, and a major figure during the reign of Henry IV.-Lineage:...
, 10th Earl of Surrey (1381–1415, restored 1400)
- William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
Earl of Surrey and Warenne (1451)
- John de Mowbray, 1st Earl of Surrey and WarenneJohn de Mowbray, 4th Duke of NorfolkJohn de Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG , known as 1st Earl of Surrey between 1451 and 1461, was the only son of John de Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and Eleanor Bourchier. His maternal grandparents were William Bourchier, Count of Eu and Anne of Gloucester.In 1451 the earldom of Surrey was...
(1444–1476), nephew of the last FitzAlan earl. Succeeded as 4th Duke of NorfolkDuke of NorfolkThe Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
in 1461. Title extinct at his death without sons.
Earl of Warenne (1477)
- Richard of Shrewsbury, younger son of Edward IV, was created Earl of Warenne and Duke of Norfolk on 7 February 1477, when he was three years old. He then married (15 January 1478) Anne Mowbray, only daughter of John de Mowbray above, when both were four. He was one of the Princes in the TowerPrinces in the TowerThe Princes in the Tower is a term which refers to Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York. The two brothers were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville alive at the time of their father's death...
, and died there at an uncertain date, but without children, so all his titles are extinct.
Earls of Surrey (1483)
- Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of SurreyThomas Howard, 2nd Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal , styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1514, was the only son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk by his first wife, Katherine Moleyns...
(1443-1524), second cousin of the Mowbray Earl.- Forfeited in 1485 after the Battle of Bosworth, where his father was killed – and attainted. Restored as Earl of Surrey in 1489; restored as Duke of Norfolk in 1514, and resigned the Earldom to his son on the same day.
- Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 3rd Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
, 2nd Earl of Surrey (1473–1554) Attainted 1547; restored 1553.- Henry Howard, Earl of SurreyHenry Howard, Earl of SurreyHenry Howard, KG, , known as The Earl of Surrey although he never was a peer, was an English aristocrat, and one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry.-Life:...
(by courtesy) (1517–1547), the poet; attainted and executed.
- Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
- Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 4th Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.Norfolk was the son of the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He was taught as a child by John Foxe, the Protestant martyrologist, who remained a lifelong recipient of Norfolk's patronage...
, 3rd Earl of Surrey (1536–1572, forfeit at his attainder and execution)- Philip Howard, 20th Earl of ArundelPhilip Howard, 20th Earl of ArundelSaint Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel was an English nobleman. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970, as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales...
, (1557-1595), by courtesy Earl of Surrey from 1554 to 1572; inherited the Earldom of Arundel from his mother's father in 1580. All his titles were forfeit when he was attainted in 1589.
- Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel
- Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of ArundelThomas Howard, 21st Earl of ArundelThomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel KG, was a prominent English courtier during the reigns of King James I and King Charles I, but he made his name as a Grand Tourist and art collector rather than as a politician. When he died he possessed 700 paintings, along with large collections of sculpture,...
, 4th Earl of Surrey (1585–1646, restored 1604) - Henry Frederick Howard, 22nd Earl of Arundel, 5th Earl of SurreyHenry Howard, 22nd Earl of ArundelHenry Frederick Howard, 22nd Earl of Arundel, PC was an English noble and the second son of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel and Lady Alethea Talbot, later 13th Baroness Furnivall...
(1608–1652), also created Baron MowbrayBaron MowbrayBaron Mowbray is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by writ for Roger de Mowbray in 1283. It was held for a long time by the Mowbray and Howard Dukes of Norfolk. The title was united with the Barony of Segrave in 1368, when John Mowbray, 1st Earl of Nottingham and 5th Baron Mowbray...
1640, in his father's lifetime. - Thomas Howard, 5th Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 5th Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 5th Duke of Norfolk was an English noble.He was born to Henry Frederick Howard, 22nd Earl of Arundel and Lady Elizabeth Stuart. The dukedom of Norfolk was recreated and given to him in 1660. The 5th Duke was considered mentally deficient and never married...
, 6th Earl of Surrey (1627–1677, restored to the Dukedom of Norfolk in 1660) - the earldom has subsequently always been held by the Duke of NorfolkDuke of NorfolkThe Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
External links
- FMG on the Earls of Surrey
- ODNB
- www.thepeerage.com
- www.leighrayment.com