Baron Walpole
Encyclopedia
Baron Walpole, of Walpole in the County of Norfolk, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain
. The holders of the peerage also held the titles of Baron Walpole, of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, Viscount Walpole and Earl of Orford (second creation) from 1745 to 1797, the title of Earl of Orford (third creation) from 1806 to 1931 and the title of Baron Clinton
from 1781 to 1791. Additionally, since 1797 the title is merged with the title of Baron Walpole. of Wolterton.
The title of Baron Walpole, of Walpole in the County of Norfolk, was created in the Peerage of Great Britain
in 1723 for Robert Walpole
, in honour of his father, Sir Robert Walpole, known as the first Prime Minister
of Great Britain
. The peerage was created with remainder, failing male issue of his own, to his brothers Edward Walpole and Horace Walpole, in default thereof to the heirs male of his father, and in default thereof to the heirs male of his grandfather Sir Thomas Walpole. On Sir Robert Walpole's retirement from the House of Commons
in 1742, he was himself raised to the Peerage of Great Britain as Baron Walpole, of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, Viscount Walpole and Earl of Orford, with remainder to the heirs male of his body. When Lord Orford died in 1745 he was succeeded by his aforementioned son Robert Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole. In 1724 he had married Margaret, who in 1751 became one of the co-heirs to the ancient Barony of Clinton
, which fell into abeyance the latter year. In 1760 the abeyance was terminated in her favour, and she became the 15th Baroness Clinton. The second Earl of Orford was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Earl. He notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk
from 1757 to 1797. In 1781 he also succeeded his mother as 16th Baron Clinton. Lord Orford never married and on his death the Barony of Clinton became dormant (see the Baron Clinton
for later history of this peerage), while the other titles were inherited by his uncle, the fourth Earl. He was a well-known writer and politician. Lord Orford never married either and on his death in 1797 the Barony of Walpole, of Houghton, Viscountcy of Walpole and Earldom of Orford became extinct. However, he was succeeded in the Barony of Walpole according to the special remainder by his cousin Horatio Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole.
The title of Baron Walpole, of Wolterton, was created in the Peerage of Great Britain
in 1756 for the politician and diplomat Horatio Walpole. He was the younger brother of Prime Minister Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford. As mentioned above, his son, the second Baron, succeeded his cousin as 4th Baron Walpole in 1797. He had earlier represented King's Lynn
in Parliament. In 1806 the Earldom of Orford was revived when he was created Earl of Orford in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
. His son, the second Earl, sat as Member of Parliament
for Wigan
and King's Lynn
. His grandson, the fourth Earl, briefly represented Wigan
in the House of Commons
. On the death of the latter's nephew, the fifth Earl, the earldom of Orford became extinct. However, the Baronies of Walpole and Walpole, of Wolterton
survived, and were inherited by the late Earl's distant relative, the ninth Baron Walpole and seventh Baron Walpole, of Wolterton. He was a descendant of Hon. Thomas Walpole
, second son of the first Baron Walpole, of Wolterton. the peerages are held by the ninth Baron’s son, the tenth Baron Walpole and eighth Baron Walpole, of Wolterton. He is one of the ninety hereditary peer
s who remain in the House of Lords
after the passing of the House of Lords Act
of 1999, and sits as a cross-bencher.
The heir to the barony is the 10th Baron's son, Jonathan Robert Hugh Walpole (b. 1967).
See the earlier Earls of Orford (1806) list for later holders of this title.
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...
. The holders of the peerage also held the titles of Baron Walpole, of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, Viscount Walpole and Earl of Orford (second creation) from 1745 to 1797, the title of Earl of Orford (third creation) from 1806 to 1931 and the title of Baron Clinton
Baron Clinton
Baron Clinton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1298 for John de Clinton. The peerage was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The first Baron's great-great-great-grandson, the fifth Baron, fought on the Yorkist side in the Wars...
from 1781 to 1791. Additionally, since 1797 the title is merged with the title of Baron Walpole. of Wolterton.
History
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...
in 1723 for Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford
Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford , was a British peer, styled as The Lord Walpole from 1723 to 1745.-Family:He was the eldest son of the King's First Minister, now regarded as the first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole , and his first wife Catherine...
, in honour of his father, Sir Robert Walpole, known as the first 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...
of Great Britain
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...
. The peerage was created with remainder, failing male issue of his own, to his brothers Edward Walpole and Horace Walpole, in default thereof to the heirs male of his father, and in default thereof to the heirs male of his grandfather Sir Thomas Walpole. On Sir Robert Walpole's retirement from the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 1742, he was himself raised to the Peerage of Great Britain as Baron Walpole, of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, Viscount Walpole and Earl of Orford, with remainder to the heirs male of his body. When Lord Orford died in 1745 he was succeeded by his aforementioned son Robert Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole. In 1724 he had married Margaret, who in 1751 became one of the co-heirs to the ancient Barony of Clinton
Baron Clinton
Baron Clinton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1298 for John de Clinton. The peerage was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The first Baron's great-great-great-grandson, the fifth Baron, fought on the Yorkist side in the Wars...
, which fell into abeyance the latter year. In 1760 the abeyance was terminated in her favour, and she became the 15th Baroness Clinton. The second Earl of Orford was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Earl. He notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk
Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk
This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk. Since 1689, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Norfolk.*Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex 1557–1559*Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk 1559–1572...
from 1757 to 1797. In 1781 he also succeeded his mother as 16th Baron Clinton. Lord Orford never married and on his death the Barony of Clinton became dormant (see the Baron Clinton
Baron Clinton
Baron Clinton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1298 for John de Clinton. The peerage was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The first Baron's great-great-great-grandson, the fifth Baron, fought on the Yorkist side in the Wars...
for later history of this peerage), while the other titles were inherited by his uncle, the fourth Earl. He was a well-known writer and politician. Lord Orford never married either and on his death in 1797 the Barony of Walpole, of Houghton, Viscountcy of Walpole and Earldom of Orford became extinct. However, he was succeeded in the Barony of Walpole according to the special remainder by his cousin Horatio Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole.
The title of Baron Walpole, of Wolterton, 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...
in 1756 for the politician and diplomat Horatio Walpole. He was the younger brother of Prime Minister Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford. As mentioned above, his son, the second Baron, succeeded his cousin as 4th Baron Walpole in 1797. He had earlier represented King's Lynn
King's Lynn (UK Parliament constituency)
King's Lynn was a constituency in Norfolk, known as Lynn or Bishop's Lynn prior to 1537, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, and one member thereafter. Until 1918 it was a parliamentary borough, after which the name...
in Parliament. In 1806 the Earldom of Orford was revived when he was created Earl of Orford 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...
. His son, the second Earl, sat as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Wigan
Wigan (UK Parliament constituency)
Wigan is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
and King's Lynn
King's Lynn (UK Parliament constituency)
King's Lynn was a constituency in Norfolk, known as Lynn or Bishop's Lynn prior to 1537, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, and one member thereafter. Until 1918 it was a parliamentary borough, after which the name...
. His grandson, the fourth Earl, briefly represented Wigan
Wigan (UK Parliament constituency)
Wigan is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. On the death of the latter's nephew, the fifth Earl, the earldom of Orford became extinct. However, the Baronies of Walpole and Walpole, of Wolterton
Wolterton Hall
Wolterton Hall is an Georgian country house in the English county of Norfolk.The Hall was built by Thomas Ripley in the 1720s for Horatio Walpole, politician, diplomat and younger brother of Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole...
survived, and were inherited by the late Earl's distant relative, the ninth Baron Walpole and seventh Baron Walpole, of Wolterton. He was a descendant of Hon. Thomas Walpole
Thomas Walpole
Thomas Walpole , styled from 1756 The Hon. Thomas Walpole, was a British MP and banker in Paris.-Life:Thomas Walpole was born into a political family...
, second son of the first Baron Walpole, of Wolterton. the peerages are held by the ninth Baron’s son, the tenth Baron Walpole and eighth Baron Walpole, of Wolterton. He is one of the ninety hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
s who remain 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....
after the passing of the House of Lords Act
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
of 1999, and sits as a cross-bencher.
Earls of Orford (1742) and Baron Walpole (1723)
- Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of OrfordRobert WalpoleRobert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
(1676–1745) - Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford, 1st Baron WalpoleRobert Walpole, 2nd Earl of OrfordRobert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford , was a British peer, styled as The Lord Walpole from 1723 to 1745.-Family:He was the eldest son of the King's First Minister, now regarded as the first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole , and his first wife Catherine...
(1701–1751) - George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford, 2nd Baron WalpoleGeorge Walpole, 3rd Earl of OrfordGeorge Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford was a British administrator and peer.-Life:Lord Orford was the only child of the 2nd Earl of Orford and his wife Margaret Rolle, Baroness Clinton in her own right. His parents separated shortly after his birth...
(1730–1791) - Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, 3rd Baron WalpoleHorace Walpole, 4th Earl of OrfordHoratio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford was an English art historian, man of letters, antiquarian and Whig politician. He is now largely remembered for Strawberry Hill, the home he built in Twickenham, south-west London where he revived the Gothic style some decades before his Victorian successors,...
(1717–1797)
Barons Walpole (1723 Reverted; 1756)
- Horatio Walpole, 4th Baron Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole of WoltertonHoratio Walpole, 1st Earl of OrfordHoratio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford was a British Whig politician.Walpole was the eldest son and heir of the 1st Baron Walpole. In 1747, he was elected as Member of Parliament for King's Lynn and held the seat until 1757 when he inherited his father's barony of Walpole...
(1723–1809) (created Earl of Orford in 1806)
Earls of Orford (1806)
- Horatio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, 4th Baron Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole of WoltertonHoratio Walpole, 1st Earl of OrfordHoratio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford was a British Whig politician.Walpole was the eldest son and heir of the 1st Baron Walpole. In 1747, he was elected as Member of Parliament for King's Lynn and held the seat until 1757 when he inherited his father's barony of Walpole...
(1723–1809) - Horatio Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford, 5th Baron Walpole, 3rd Baron Walpole of WoltertonHoratio Walpole, 2nd Earl of OrfordHoratio Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford , styled The Honourable Horatio Walpole between 1757 and 1806 and Lord Walpole between 1806 and 1809, was a British peer and politician.-Background:...
(1752–1822) - Horatio Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford, 6th Baron Walpole, 4th Baron Walpole of WoltertonHoratio Walpole, 3rd Earl of OrfordHoratio Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford , styled Lord Walpole between 1809 and 1822, was a British peer and politician.-Background:...
(1783–1858) - Horatio William Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, 7th Baron Walpole, 5th Baron Walpole of WoltertonHoratio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (second creation)Horatio William Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford , styled Lord Walpole between 1822 and 1858, was a British peer and Conservative politician.-Background:...
(1813–1894) - Robert Horace Walpole, 5th Earl of Orford, 8th Baron Walpole, 6th Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1854–1931)
- Horatio Corbin Walpole (c. 1891–1893)
Barons Walpole (1723/1756; Reverted)
- Robert Henry Montgomerie Walpole, 9th Baron Walpole, 7th Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1913–1989)
- Robert Horatio Walpole, 10th Baron Walpole, 8th Baron Walpole of WoltertonRobert Walpole, 10th Baron WalpoleRobert Horatio Walpole, 10th Baron Walpole, JP is a British politician and one of ninety elected hereditary peers of the House of Lords....
(b. 1938)
The heir to the barony is the 10th Baron's son, Jonathan Robert Hugh Walpole (b. 1967).
Barons Walpole of Wolterton (1756)
- Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1678–1757)
- Horatio Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole of WoltertonHoratio Walpole, 1st Earl of OrfordHoratio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford was a British Whig politician.Walpole was the eldest son and heir of the 1st Baron Walpole. In 1747, he was elected as Member of Parliament for King's Lynn and held the seat until 1757 when he inherited his father's barony of Walpole...
(1723–1809) (succeeded as Baron Walpole in 1797 and created Earl of Orford in 1806)
See the earlier Earls of Orford (1806) list for later holders of this title.