Earl of Arran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Earl of Arran is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, and also in the Peerage of Ireland. They are titles that refer to two separate places, the Isle of Arran in Scotland, and the Aran Islands in Ireland. The Earl of Arran (Scotland) is a subsidiary title of the Duke of Hamilton, whereas the Earl of Arran (Ireland) is a separate title held by the Gore family.
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[edit] Scottish creations
The title was first created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1467 for Thomas Boyd, who was later attained for treason. The next creation was in 1503 for James Hamilton. In 1609, the first Marquess of Hamilton inherited the earldom. In 1643, the second Marquess was made Duke of Hamilton and received a second grant of the Earldom of Arran. At the death of the second Duke, the 1503 Earldom became dormant (i.e., it was unclaimed), while the 1643 Earldom descended along with the dukedom, with which it is still united. For more information on these creations, see the Duke of Hamilton.
[edit] Irish creations
The first Irish creation came in 1662 when Lord Richard Butler, younger son of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, was created Baron Butler of Cloughgrenan, Viscount Tullough and Earl of Arran. However, the titles became extinct on his death in 1686 as he left no heirs. The next creation came in 1693 for his nephew Charles Butler (who was also created Baron Butler of Cloughgrenan and Viscount Tullough). These titles became extinct on his death in 1758.
The final creation in the Peerage of Ireland came in 1762, when Sir Arthur Gore, 3rd Baronet, was created Earl of Arran, of the Arran Islands in the County of Galway. He had previously represented Donegal Borough in the Irish House of Commons and had already been created Viscount Sudley, of Castle Gore in the County of Mayo, in 1758, and Baron Saunders, of Deeps in the County of Wexford in 1758, in the Peerage of Ireland. He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He sat as member of the Irish Parliament for Donegal Borough and was one of the original sixteen Knights of the Order of St Patrick. Lord Arran had sixteen children, and one of his daughters was Cecilia Underwood, Duchess of Inverness.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Earl. He represented Baltimore and County Donegal in the British House of Commons. He was childless and was succeeded by his nephew, the fourth Earl. He was the son of Colonel the Hon. William John Gore. Lord Arran was a diplomat. His son, the fifth Earl, was also in the Diplomatic Service. In 1884 he was created Baron Sudley, of Castle Gore in the County of Mayo, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This peerage gave the earls an automatic seat in the House of Lords.
His son, the sixth Earl, was a soldier and also served as Lord Lieutenant of County Donegal. As of 2007 the titles are held by his grandson, the ninth Earl, who succeeded his father in 1983 (who in his turn had succeeded his elder brother in 1958). Lord Arran is a Conservative politician and one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999. Besides his own baronetcy (cr. 1662) currently merged in the earldom, he is also in remainder to the Gore Baronetcy of Magherabegg (see below).
Lord Arran is married to the former Eleanor van Cutsem, granddaugther of the 5th Earl Fortescue, and has two daughters, the elder of whom is married and has issue.[1]
[edit] Creations of the Earldom of Arran in the Peerage of Scotland
[edit] Earls of Arran, First Creation (1467)
- Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran (d. c. 1472) (forfeit 1469)
[edit] Earls of Arran, Second and Third Creations (1503; 1643)
- see the Duke of Hamilton
[edit] Creations of the Earldom of Arran in the Peerage of Ireland
[edit] Earls of Arran, First Creation (1662)
[edit] Earls of Arran, Second Creation (1693)
[edit] Earls of Arran, Third and Present Creation (1762)
- Arthur Gore, 1st Earl of Arran (1703-1773)
- Arthur Saunders Gore, 2nd Earl of Arran (1734-1809)
- Arthur Saunders Gore, 3rd Earl of Arran (1761-1837)
- Philip Yorke Gore, 4th Earl of Arran (1801-1884)
- Arthur Saunders Gore, 5th Earl of Arran (1839-1901)
- Arthur Jocelyn Charles Gore, 6th Earl of Arran (1868-1958)
- Arthur Paul John James Charles Gore, 7th Earl of Arran (1903-1958)
- Arthur Strange Kattendyke David Archibald Gore, 8th Earl of Arran (1910-1983)
- Arthur Desmond Colquhoun Gore, 9th Earl of Arran (b. 1938)
The Heir Presumptive is the present Earl's kinsman Paul Annesley Gore (b. 1921). He is a great-grandson of the Hon. Charles Alexander Gore, brother of the fourth Earl. The next in line of succession is his son William Henry Gore (b. 1950).
[edit] Succession to the earldom explained
Since Lord Arran has no sons by his wife, and all other lines of descent from the 4th Earl of Arran have died out, his Heir presumptive is currently a very distant and elderly cousin, Paul Annesley Gore (b. 1921), descended from the youngest brother of the 4th Earl.
Paul Gore is the only son of Charles Henry Gore (1881-1940), himself second son of Sir Francis Charles Gore, KCB (1846-1940), himself eldest son of Hon Charles Alexander Gore (1811-1897) youngest brother of the 4th Earl of Arran and youngest son of the Hon William John Gore (1767-1836), second son of the 2nd Earl of Arran. Paul Annesley Gore is not in remainder to the barony of Sudley, created in 1884 for the fifth Earl, which granted the later Earls of Arran an automatic seat in the House of Lords. The current Earl holds his seat in the House of Lords by virtue of election as one of the hereditary peers elected from among their number, and not by right as before 1999. The heir presumptive would, without the Sudley barony, be unable on succession to be elected to the house.
Paul Gore's elder surviving son is William Henry Gore (b. 1950) who is likely to succeed eventually to the earldom of Arran and all associated titles including the Gore baronetcy, of Newtown in the county of Mayo, created 1662. The heir presumptive lives in England, but his elder surviving son lives in Australia.
[edit] The Gore baronetcy (1662)
The Baronetcy, of Newtown in the County of Mayo, was created in the Baronetage of Ireland in 1662 for Major Arthur Gore, who represented County Mayo in the Irish House of Commons. He was the second son of Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, of Magherabegg. He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Baron. He sat as Member of the Irish Parliament for Donegal Borough and County Mayo. On his death the title passed to his son, the aforementioned third Baronet, who was later elevated to the peerage.
[edit] Gore Baronets of Newtown (1662)
- Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet (d. 1697)
- Sir Arthur Gore, 2nd Baronet (c. 1685-1741)
- Sir Arthur Gore, 3rd Baronet (1703-1773) (created Earl of Arran in 1762)
[edit] Other relations
There are many other distinguished branches descended from Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet (1662), great-grandfather of the first Earl of Arran. Among those members to have gained distinction were John Gore, 1st Baron Annaly, and Henry Gore, 1st Baron Annaly. They were the sons of George Gore, second son of Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet.
Sir Arthur Gore's third son William Gore was the ancestor of the Barons Harlech (the present holder of this title is also in remainder to the baronetcy of Newtown, but not obviously to the earldom of Arran).
More distant relations include the Gore baronets of Magherabegg (or Manor Gore), the Earls Temple of Stowe (descended from a brother of the first Gore baronet of Magherabegg), and the Gore-Booth baronets. Sir John Gore, brother of Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, of Magherabegg, was Lord Mayor of London in 1624 and is the ancestor of the branch of the family which later inherited through marriage the earldom of Temple of Stowe. Sir Booth Gore, 1st Baronet, of Artarman was a descendant of Sir Francis Gore, fourth son of Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, of Magherabegg. His descendants are now called Gore-Booths, formerly of Lissadell in the county of Sligo. Their most famous representatives are Irish nationalists [[Constance Gore-Booth] and her sister Eva Gore-Booth, the Life Peer Lord Gore-Booth and his sister the diplomat Sir David Gore-Booth, who is currently heir presumptive to the Gore-Booth baronetcy.
For more, see the family entry in Wikipedia.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- Burke's Peerage entry, cached version, accessed 15 March 2007.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
- www.thepeerage.com, specifically [the entry on the Countess of Arran and that for the Earl of Arran.
