Earl Nelson
Encyclopedia
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...
. It was created on 20 November 1805 for William Nelson, 2nd Baron Nelson
William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson
William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronté was the elder brother of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson....
, older brother of the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
. The Nelson family had been settled in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
for many generations. Reverend Edmund Nelson (1722–1802) was Rector of Hillborough and of Burnham Thorpe
Burnham Thorpe
Burnham Thorpe is a small village and civil parish on the River Burn and near the coast of Norfolk in the United Kingdom. It is famous for being the birthplace of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, victor at the Battle of Trafalgar and one of Britain's greatest heroes...
in that county. He married Catherine Suckling
Catherine Suckling
Catherine Suckling was the mother of Horatio Nelson. Catherine had 11 children of which Nelson was the third surviving son.-Family and marriage:...
, whose maternal grandmother Mary was the sister of Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford and of Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton
Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton
Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole, PC , English diplomatist, was a son of Robert Walpole of Houghton, Norfolk, and a younger brother of the Prime Minister of Great Britain Sir Robert Walpole....
. Their fifth but third surviving son was the renowned naval commander Horatio Nelson. After defeating the French in the Battle of the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
in 1798 he was raised to 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...
as Baron Nelson, of the Nile, and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body, on 6 November 1798. In 1799 he was created Duke of Bronté by Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
, which title he was given royal sanction to use in Britain. After defeating the Danish fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen
Battle of Copenhagen (1801)
The Battle of Copenhagen was an engagement which saw a British fleet under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker fight and strategically defeat a Danish-Norwegian fleet anchored just off Copenhagen on 2 April 1801. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson led the main attack. He famously disobeyed Parker's...
in April 1801 Nelson was further honoured when he was made Viscount Nelson, of the Nile, and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body, on 22 May 1801. On 18 August of the same year he was created Baron Nelson, of the Nile and of Hillborough in the County of Norfolk, with remainder, in default of male issue of his own, to his father and the heirs male of his body, and failing them to the heirs male of the body severally and successively of his sisters Mrs Susannah Bolton and Mrs Catherine Matcham. Both titles were in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Lord Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
on 21 October 1805. He had no legitimate children and on his death the barony of 1798 and viscountcy became extinct.
He was succeeded in the barony of 1801 according to the special remainder and also in the dukedom of Bronté by his elder brother Reverend William Nelson, the second Baron. In November 1805 he was created Viscount Merton, of Trafalgar and of Merton in the County of Surrey, and Earl Nelson, of Trafalgar and of Merton in the County of Surrey, in honour of his late brother and with similar remainder to the barony of 1801. Both titles are in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He died without surviving male issue and was succeeded in the dukedom by his daughter Lady Charlotte Mary, wife of Samuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport
Samuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport
Samuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport succeeded his great-uncle Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport as Baron Bridport....
(see the Viscount Bridport
Viscount Bridport
Viscount Bridport is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation became extinct in 1814 while the second creation is still extant. Sir Alexander Hood, younger brother of Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood,...
for further history of this title). The late Earl was succeeded in the British titles according to the special remainders by his nephew Thomas Bolton, the second Earl. He was the eldest son of the aforementioned Susannah Bolton, sister of the first Viscount and first Earl and wife of Thomas Bolton of Wells in Norfolk. He assumed the surname of Nelson on succeeding to the peerages. He only held the titles for eight months and on his early death the titles passed to his eldest son, the third Earl. He was succeeded by his third but eldest surviving son, the fourth Earl. He never married and on his death in 1947 the titles passed to his eighty-seven-year-old younger brother, the fifth Earl. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the sixth Earl. He was a lecturer in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. Two of his younger brothers, the seventh and eighth Earls, both succeeded in the titles. the peerages are held by a great-grandson of the fifth Earl, who succeeded in 2009 and who is also the eldest son of Peter John Horatio, the ninth Earl.
Two other members of the family also had distinguished naval careers. The Hon. Maurice Horatio Nelson (1832–1914), third son of the second Earl, was a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy. His eldest son Maurice Henry Horatio Nelson (1864–1942) was a Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in the Royal Navy.
Baron Nelson, First creation (1798)
- Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Baron NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
(1758–1805) (extinct on his death; created Viscount Nelson in 1801)
Viscount Nelson (1801)
- Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Baron NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
(1758–1805) (extinct on his death)
Baron Nelson, Second creation (1801)
- Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Baron NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount NelsonHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
(1758–1805) - William Nelson, 2nd Baron NelsonWilliam Nelson, 1st Earl NelsonWilliam Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronté was the elder brother of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson....
(1757–1835) (created Earl Nelson in 1805)
Earls Nelson (1805)
- William Nelson, 1st Earl NelsonWilliam Nelson, 1st Earl NelsonWilliam Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronté was the elder brother of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson....
(1757–1835)- Horatio Nelson, Viscount Trafalgar (1788–1808)
- Thomas Nelson, 2nd Earl NelsonThomas Nelson, 2nd Earl NelsonThomas Nelson, 2nd Earl Nelson, born Thomas Bolton , was the 2nd Earl Nelson.He was the son of Thomas Bolton and Susannah Nelson, daughter of the Rev. Edmund Nelson and was educated at Norwich High School and St Peter's College, Cambridge, graduating MA in 1814. He was the nephew of Admiral...
(1786–1835) - Horatio Nelson, 3rd Earl NelsonHoratio Nelson, 3rd Earl NelsonHoratio Nelson, 3rd Earl Nelson was a British politician.He was the son of Thomas Bolton by his wife Frances Elizabeth Eyre. On 28 February 1835 his father inherited the title Earl Nelson from William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson and adopted the surname of Nelson...
(1823–1913)- Herbert Horatio Nelson, Viscount Trafalgar (1854–1905)
- Thomas Horatio Nelson, 4th Earl Nelson (1857–1947)
- Edward Agar Horatio Nelson, 5th Earl Nelson (1860–1951)
- Albert Francis Joseph Horatio Nelson, 6th Earl Nelson (1890–1957)
- Henry Edward Joseph Horatio Nelson, 7th Earl Nelson (1894–1972)
- George Joseph Horatio Nelson, 8th Earl Nelson (1905–1981)
- Peter John Horatio Nelson, 9th Earl NelsonPeter Nelson, 9th Earl NelsonPeter John Horatio Nelson, 9th Earl Nelson was Earl Nelson. He was the oldest son of Captain John Nelson, and grandson of Edward Agar Horatio Nelson, 5th Earl Nelson....
(1941–2009) - Simon John Horatio Nelson, 10th Earl Nelson (b. 1971)
The heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
is the present holder's half-brother, Hon. Edward James Horatio Nelson (b. 1994).
See also
- Trafalgar HouseTrafalgar House (Wiltshire)Trafalgar House, also known as Trafalgar Park, is a country house located south of Salisbury, in the county of Wiltshire, England. This country estate is a popular venue for events such as weddings, corporate meetings and charity fundraisers. In recent years, it has also been used as a set for film...
- Duke of Bronté
- Viscount BridportViscount BridportViscount Bridport is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation became extinct in 1814 while the second creation is still extant. Sir Alexander Hood, younger brother of Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood,...
- Emma, Lady HamiltonEmma, Lady HamiltonEmma, Lady Hamilton is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson and as the muse of George Romney. She was born Amy Lyon in Ness near Neston, Cheshire, England, the daughter of a blacksmith, Henry Lyon, who died when she was two months old...