Earl of Wicklow
Encyclopedia
Earl of Wicklow was a title in the Peerage of Ireland
. It was created in 1793 for Alice Howard, Dowager Viscountess Wicklow. Born Alice Forward, she was the daughter of William Forward, Member of the Irish House of Commons
for the County Donegal constituency, and the widow of Ralph Howard, 1st Viscount Wicklow
. The latter was the son of the Right Reverend Robert Howard, Lord Bishop of Elphin
, and represented the County Wicklow constituency in the Irish Parliament. In 1776 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Clonmore, of Clonmore in the County of Carlow, and in 1785 he was further honoured when he was made Viscount Wicklow, also in the Peerage of Ireland. Both Lord and Lady Wicklow were succeeded by their eldest son, the second Earl. He sat in the House of Lords
as one of the twenty-eight original Irish Representative Peers
from 1800 to 1815. He never married and was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Earl. In 1780 he assumed by Royal license his maternal grandfather's surname of Forward. After succeeding in the earldom in 1815 he resumed the same year by Royal license the surname of Howard after that of Forward.
On his death the titles passed to his son, the fourth Earl. He was an Irish Representative Peer from 1821 to 1869 and served as Lord-Lieutenant of County Wicklow from 1831 to 1869. He was succeeded by his nephew, the fifth Earl. He was the eldest son from the second marriage of Reverend the Hon. Francis Howard, second son of the third Earl. He was an Irish Representative Peer from 1872 to 1881. When he died unmarried at an early age the titles passed to his younger brother, the sixth Earl. He sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative Peer from 1888 to 1891. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the seventh Earl. He was an Irish Representative Peer from 1905 to 1946 and a Senator of the Irish Free State
from 1922 to 1928. When he died the titles passed to his son, the eighth Earl, who moved in literary and artistic circles and was a close friend of Evelyn Waugh.
The 8th Earl, who married the former member of the Irish Senate Eleanor Butler in 1959, was childless and on his death in 1978 the titles became extinct.
The ancestral seat of the Earls of Wicklow was the palatial Shelton Abbey
, near Arklow
, County Wicklow
, which remained in the family until 1951. Shortly thereafter financial difficulties forced the 8th and last Earl to sell the estate to the Irish State. Shelton Abbey is currently used as an open prison
.
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,...
. It was created in 1793 for Alice Howard, Dowager Viscountess Wicklow. Born Alice Forward, she was the daughter of William Forward, Member of 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...
for the County Donegal constituency, and the widow of Ralph Howard, 1st Viscount Wicklow
Ralph Howard, 1st Viscount Wicklow
Howard, Ralph, 1st Viscount Wicklow was an M.P. for County Wicklow and became Baron Clonmore of Clonmore Castle.-Biography:Ralph Howard was born at , Co. Wicklow, the eldest son of the Rt. Rev. Robert Howard , Bishop of Elphin. Howard was High Sheriff of Wicklow in 1749, and of County Carlow in...
. The latter was the son of the Right Reverend Robert Howard, Lord Bishop of Elphin
Diocese of Elphin
The Diocese of Elphin was established following the Synod of Rathbreasail in the year 1111. In that year the see for east Connacht was moved from Roscommon. Elphin was the traditional site of a monastic house established by St Patrick c.450, although there are no remains of that date.Following the...
, and represented the County Wicklow constituency in the Irish Parliament. In 1776 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Clonmore, of Clonmore in the County of Carlow, and in 1785 he was further honoured when he was made Viscount Wicklow, also in the Peerage of Ireland. Both Lord and Lady Wicklow were succeeded by their eldest son, the second Earl. He sat in 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....
as one of the twenty-eight original Irish Representative Peers
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
from 1800 to 1815. He never married and was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Earl. In 1780 he assumed by Royal license his maternal grandfather's surname of Forward. After succeeding in the earldom in 1815 he resumed the same year by Royal license the surname of Howard after that of Forward.
On his death the titles passed to his son, the fourth Earl. He was an Irish Representative Peer from 1821 to 1869 and served as Lord-Lieutenant of County Wicklow from 1831 to 1869. He was succeeded by his nephew, the fifth Earl. He was the eldest son from the second marriage of Reverend the Hon. Francis Howard, second son of the third Earl. He was an Irish Representative Peer from 1872 to 1881. When he died unmarried at an early age the titles passed to his younger brother, the sixth Earl. He sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative Peer from 1888 to 1891. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the seventh Earl. He was an Irish Representative Peer from 1905 to 1946 and a Senator of the Irish Free State
Seanad Éireann (Irish Free State)
Seanad Éireann was the upper house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State from 1922–1936. It has also been known simply as the Senate, or as the First Seanad. The Senate was established under the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State but a number of constitutional amendments were...
from 1922 to 1928. When he died the titles passed to his son, the eighth Earl, who moved in literary and artistic circles and was a close friend of Evelyn Waugh.
The 8th Earl, who married the former member of the Irish Senate Eleanor Butler in 1959, was childless and on his death in 1978 the titles became extinct.
The ancestral seat of the Earls of Wicklow was the palatial Shelton Abbey
Shelton Abbey Prison
Shelton Abbey on the north bank of the Avoca near Arklow County Wicklow, is a penal institution operated by the Irish Prison Service .- History :...
, near Arklow
Arklow
Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, which remained in the family until 1951. Shortly thereafter financial difficulties forced the 8th and last Earl to sell the estate to the Irish State. Shelton Abbey is currently used as an open prison
Shelton Abbey Prison
Shelton Abbey on the north bank of the Avoca near Arklow County Wicklow, is a penal institution operated by the Irish Prison Service .- History :...
.
Viscounts Wicklow (1785)
- Ralph Howard, 1st Viscount WicklowRalph Howard, 1st Viscount WicklowHoward, Ralph, 1st Viscount Wicklow was an M.P. for County Wicklow and became Baron Clonmore of Clonmore Castle.-Biography:Ralph Howard was born at , Co. Wicklow, the eldest son of the Rt. Rev. Robert Howard , Bishop of Elphin. Howard was High Sheriff of Wicklow in 1749, and of County Carlow in...
(1726–1789) - Robert Howard, 2nd Viscount Wicklow (1757–1815) (succeeded as Earl of Wicklow in 1807)
Earls of Wicklow (1793)
- Alice Howard, 1st Countess of Wicklow (1736–1807)
- Robert Howard, 2nd Earl of Wicklow (1757–1815)
- William Howard, 3rd Earl of Wicklow (1761–1818)
- William Howard, 4th Earl of WicklowWilliam Howard, 4th Earl of WicklowWilliam Howard, 4th Earl of Wicklow KP was an Irish peer, styled Lord Clonmore from 1815 to 1818. He became Earl of Wicklow in 1818 on the death of William Howard, 3rd Earl of Wicklow and was appointed a Knight of the Order of St Patrick on 9 October 1846....
(1788–1869) - Charles Francis Arnold Howard, 5th Earl of Wicklow (1839–1881)
- Cecil Ralph Howard, 6th Earl of Wicklow (1842–1891)
- Ralph Francis Howard, 7th Earl of WicklowRalph Howard, 7th Earl of WicklowRalph Francis Howard, 7th Earl of Wicklow was an Irish aristocrat and politician.He was the son of Cecil Howard, 6th Earl of Wicklow and Francesca Maria Chamberlayne. He married Lady Gladys Mary Hamilton , daughter of James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn and Lady Mary Anna Curzon, on 14 January 1902...
(1877–1946) - William Cecil James Philip John Paul Howard, 8th Earl of WicklowWilliam Howard, 8th Earl of WicklowWilliam Cecil James Philip John Paul Howard, 8th Earl of Wicklow , styled Viscount Clonmore until 1946, was an Irish peer....
(1902–1978)