Robert Edgcumbe, 8th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Encyclopedia
Robert Charles Edgcumbe, 8th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (born 1 June 1939) is the eighth Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
in south-east Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. He is the son of George Aubrey Valletort Edgcumbe and Meta Lhoyer. Robert Charles Edgcumbe married Joan Ivy Wall, daughter of Ernest Wall, in 1960, but they divorced in 1988 and the Earl later remarried a local barmaid from Kingsand
. The Earl is presently childless. He succeeded to his titles in 1982 and previously was an estate manager in New Zealand
. Members of the Edgcumbe family have lived in New Zealand since the 1860s.
The current earl and his immediate predecessor both moved to Cornwall on succeeding to the title. The earl's family live in both New Zealand and Cornwall, where he lives in Empacombe House, Cornwall. The heir to the earldom, his half-brother Piers Valletort Edgcumbe, lives in New Zealand; Piers is the son of George Aubrey Valletort Edgcumbe and his second wife, Una Pamela George.
, Cornwall, overlooking Plymouth Sound
, whilst an earlier seat of the family was Cotehele
, also in Cornwall. The family owned the estate from 1354, when William de Eggecomb married Hillaria, daughter and heiress of William de Cotehele. In 1872 the Earl of Edgcumbe was the sixth largest landowner in Cornwall with 13288 acres (5,377.5 ha).
Mount Edgcumbe house was completely gutted by incendiary bombs in 1941, but was rebuilt for the sixth earl, and was lived in by the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe until 1987.
Robert Charles Edgcumbe, 8th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe - incumbent;
Piers Valletort Edgcumbe, born 1946, half brother of the incumbent; two daughters and no sons;
Christopher George Mortimer Edgcumbe, born 1950, half brother of the incumbent; unmarried and without heirs
Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for George Edgcumbe, 3rd Baron Edgcumbe. The Edgcumbe family descends from Sir Piers Edgcumbe of Cotehele in Cornwall, who acquired the Mount Edgcumbe estate near Plymouth through marriage in the early 16th...
in south-east Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He is the son of George Aubrey Valletort Edgcumbe and Meta Lhoyer. Robert Charles Edgcumbe married Joan Ivy Wall, daughter of Ernest Wall, in 1960, but they divorced in 1988 and the Earl later remarried a local barmaid from Kingsand
Kingsand
Kingsand and Cawsand are twin villages in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. The villages are situated on the Rame Peninsula and in the parish of Maker-with-Rame....
. The Earl is presently childless. He succeeded to his titles in 1982 and previously was an estate manager in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Members of the Edgcumbe family have lived in New Zealand since the 1860s.
The current earl and his immediate predecessor both moved to Cornwall on succeeding to the title. The earl's family live in both New Zealand and Cornwall, where he lives in Empacombe House, Cornwall. The heir to the earldom, his half-brother Piers Valletort Edgcumbe, lives in New Zealand; Piers is the son of George Aubrey Valletort Edgcumbe and his second wife, Una Pamela George.
Estate
The former home of the Edgcumbe family was Mount Edgcumbe HouseMount Edgcumbe House
Mount Edgcumbe House is a stately home in south-east Cornwall. It is a Grade II listed building and the gardens are listed as Grade I in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England....
, Cornwall, overlooking Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a bay at Plymouth in England.Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point on Devon, a distance of about 3 nautical miles . Its northern limit is Plymouth Hoe giving a north-south distance of nearly 3 nautical miles...
, whilst an earlier seat of the family was Cotehele
Cotehele
Cotehele, , is a mediaeval/Tudor house located in the parish of Calstock, Cornwall, England, UK. In Cornish the placename is Koesheyl . Probably originating circa 1300, the main phases of building appear to have been by Sir Richard Edgcumbe from 1485–89 and his son, Sir Piers Edgcumbe, from...
, also in Cornwall. The family owned the estate from 1354, when William de Eggecomb married Hillaria, daughter and heiress of William de Cotehele. In 1872 the Earl of Edgcumbe was the sixth largest landowner in Cornwall with 13288 acres (5,377.5 ha).
Mount Edgcumbe house was completely gutted by incendiary bombs in 1941, but was rebuilt for the sixth earl, and was lived in by the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe until 1987.
Coat of Arms
The armorial bearings of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe are today the same as those borne by Richard Edgcumbe in 1290 and the earl's motto is 'Au plaisir fort de Dieu'.Succession
At this time, the Earldom of Edgcumbe has the following line of succession:Robert Charles Edgcumbe, 8th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe - incumbent;
Piers Valletort Edgcumbe, born 1946, half brother of the incumbent; two daughters and no sons;
Christopher George Mortimer Edgcumbe, born 1950, half brother of the incumbent; unmarried and without heirs