Earl Cornwallis
Encyclopedia
Earl Cornwallis was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain
. It was created in 1753 for Charles Cornwallis, 5th Baron Cornwallis
. The second Earl was created Marquess Cornwallis but this title became extinct in 1823, while the earldom and its subsidiary titles became extinct in 1852 (the barony was recreated in the 20th century). The Cornwallis family descended from Frederick Cornwallis
, who represented Eye
and Ipswich
in the House of Commons
. He was created a Baronet in the Baronetage of England in 1627 and Baron Cornwallis, of Eye in the County of Suffolk
, in the Peerage of England
in 1661. He was succeeded by his son, the second Baron. He also sat as Member of Parliament
for Eye. On his death the titles passed to his son, the third Baron. He notably served as First Lord of the Admiralty. His son, the fourth Baron, was Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
and Postmaster General.
He was succeeded by his son, the fifth Baron. In 1753 he was created Viscount Brome, in the County of Suffolk, and Earl Cornwallis in the Peerage of Great Britain. His son, the second Earl, was a noted military commander, best known as one of the leading British generals in the American War of Independence. He subsequently served as Commander-in-Chief of India
. In 1792 he was created Marquess Cornwallis in the Peerage of Great Britain. He was succeeded by his son, the second Marquess. He represented Eye and Suffolk
in Parliament. Lord Cornwallis had four daughters but no sons and the marquessate became extinct on his death in 1823. He was succeeded in the other titles by his uncle, the fourth Earl. He was Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry from 1781 to 1824. He married Catherine, daughter of Galfridus Mann of Boughton Malherbe in Kent. He was succeeded by his son, the fifth Earl. He sat as Member of Parliament for Eye. In 1814 Lord Cornwallis assumed by Royal license his maternal grandfather's surname of Mann in lieu of his patronymic. He had no surviving male issue and the earldom, viscountcy, barony and baronetcy became extinct on his death in 1852. His daughter Lady Jemima Isabella married Charles Wykeham-Martin. Their son Fiennes Wykeham-Martin assumed by Royal license the surname of Cornwallis in lieu of his patronymic in 1859. In 1927 the Cornwallis title was revived when his son Fiennes Cornwallis
was raised to the peerage as Baron Cornwallis
.
Several other members of the Cornwallis family also gained distinction. The Hon. Edward Cornwallis
, sixth son of the fourth Baron, was a soldier and is known as "the founder of Halifax
". His younger twin brother, the Right Reverend the Hon. Frederick Cornwallis
, was Archbishop of Canterbury
. The Hon. William Cornwallis
, younger son of the first Earl and younger brother of the first Marquess, was an Admiral
in the Royal Navy
.
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...
. It was created in 1753 for Charles Cornwallis, 5th Baron Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis PC , styled The Honourable Charles Cornwallis until 1722 and known as The Lord Cornwallis between 1722 and 1753, was a British peer.-Background:...
. The second Earl was created Marquess Cornwallis but this title became extinct in 1823, while the earldom and its subsidiary titles became extinct in 1852 (the barony was recreated in the 20th century). The Cornwallis family descended from Frederick Cornwallis
Frederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis
Frederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis Bt Kt was an English peer, MP and Privy Councillor.He was the oldest surviving son of Sir William Cornwallis of Brome, Suffolk and his second wife Jane. He succeeded his half-brother Nicholas Bacon to the family estates in 1626.He was created a baronet in...
, who represented Eye
Eye (UK Parliament constituency)
Eye was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election...
and Ipswich
Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)
Ipswich is a borough 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.- Boundaries :...
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...
. He was created a Baronet in the Baronetage of England in 1627 and Baron Cornwallis, of Eye in the County of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, in the Peerage of England
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....
in 1661. He was succeeded by his son, the second Baron. He also 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 Eye. On his death the titles passed to his son, the third Baron. He notably served as First Lord of the Admiralty. His son, the fourth Baron, was Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk. Since 1642, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Suffolk.-Lord Lieutenants of Suffolk:*Sir Anthony Wingfield 1551–1552 jointly with*? 1551–?...
and Postmaster General.
He was succeeded by his son, the fifth Baron. In 1753 he was created Viscount Brome, in the County of Suffolk, and Earl Cornwallis in the Peerage of Great Britain. His son, the second Earl, was a noted military commander, best known as one of the leading British generals in the American War of Independence. He subsequently served as Commander-in-Chief of India
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
. In 1792 he was created Marquess Cornwallis in the Peerage of Great Britain. He was succeeded by his son, the second Marquess. He represented Eye and Suffolk
Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)
Suffolk was a county constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1290 until 1832, when it was split into two divisions.-Boundaries and franchise:...
in Parliament. Lord Cornwallis had four daughters but no sons and the marquessate became extinct on his death in 1823. He was succeeded in the other titles by his uncle, the fourth Earl. He was Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry from 1781 to 1824. He married Catherine, daughter of Galfridus Mann of Boughton Malherbe in Kent. He was succeeded by his son, the fifth Earl. He sat as Member of Parliament for Eye. In 1814 Lord Cornwallis assumed by Royal license his maternal grandfather's surname of Mann in lieu of his patronymic. He had no surviving male issue and the earldom, viscountcy, barony and baronetcy became extinct on his death in 1852. His daughter Lady Jemima Isabella married Charles Wykeham-Martin. Their son Fiennes Wykeham-Martin assumed by Royal license the surname of Cornwallis in lieu of his patronymic in 1859. In 1927 the Cornwallis title was revived when his son Fiennes Cornwallis
Fiennes Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis
Colonel Fiennes Stanley Wykeham Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis CBE, TD, JP, DL,, was a British Conservative politician.-Early life:...
was raised to the peerage as Baron Cornwallis
Baron Cornwallis
Baron Cornwallis is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The holders of the first creation were later made Earl Cornwallis and Marquess Cornwallis, but these titles are now extinct...
.
Several other members of the Cornwallis family also gained distinction. The Hon. Edward Cornwallis
Edward Cornwallis
Lieutenant General Edward Cornwallis was a British military officer who founded Halifax, Nova Scotia with 2500 settlers and later served as the Governor of Gibraltar.-Early life:...
, sixth son of the fourth Baron, was a soldier and is known as "the founder of Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
". His younger twin brother, the Right Reverend the Hon. Frederick Cornwallis
Frederick Cornwallis
Frederick Cornwallis was Archbishop of Canterbury, and the twin brother of Edward Cornwallis.Cornwallis was born in London, England, the seventh son of Charles Cornwallis, 4th Baron Cornwallis. He was educated at Eton College and graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge...
, was Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. The Hon. William Cornwallis
William Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
, younger son of the first Earl and younger brother of the first Marquess, was an Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
Barons Cornwallis (1661)
- Frederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron CornwallisFrederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron CornwallisFrederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis Bt Kt was an English peer, MP and Privy Councillor.He was the oldest surviving son of Sir William Cornwallis of Brome, Suffolk and his second wife Jane. He succeeded his half-brother Nicholas Bacon to the family estates in 1626.He was created a baronet in...
(1610–1662) - Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis of Eye was a British nobleman, politician, and county magistrate. He served as a Member of Parliament.-Early years:...
(1632–1673) - Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis PC was a British politician who served as First Lord of the Admiralty. He succeeded his father as Baron Cornwallis in 1673...
(1655–1698) - Charles Cornwallis, 4th Baron CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 4th Baron CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 4th Baron Cornwallis PC was a British politician. He was the son of Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis and Elizabeth Fox . On 29 April 1693 he succeeded his father as Baron Cornwallis. He married Lady Charlotte Butler, daughter of Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Arran, on 6...
(1675–1722) - Charles Cornwallis, 5th Baron CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Earl CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis PC , styled The Honourable Charles Cornwallis until 1722 and known as The Lord Cornwallis between 1722 and 1753, was a British peer.-Background:...
(1700–1762) (created Earl Cornwallis in 1753)
Earls Cornwallis (1753)
- Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Earl CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis PC , styled The Honourable Charles Cornwallis until 1722 and known as The Lord Cornwallis between 1722 and 1753, was a British peer.-Background:...
(1700–1762) - Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Earl CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
(1738–1805) (created Marquess Cornwallis in 1792)
Marquesses Cornwallis (1792)
- Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
(1738–1805) - Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis , styled Viscount Brome until 1805, was a British Tory politician....
(1774–1823)
Earls Cornwallis (1753; Reverted)
- James Cornwallis, 4th Earl CornwallisJames Cornwallis, 4th Earl CornwallisJames Cornwallis, 4th Earl Cornwallis was a British clergyman and peer.Cornwallis was the third son of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis and his wife, Elizabeth...
(1743–1824) - James Mann, 5th Earl CornwallisJames Mann, 5th Earl CornwallisJames Mann, 5th Earl Cornwallis , known as James Cornwallis until 1814 and as James Mann between 1814 and 1823 and styled Viscount Brome between 1823 and 1824, was a British peer and Tory politician....
(1778–1852)