Earl of Mornington
Encyclopedia
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
, since 1863 a subsidiary title of the dukedom of Wellington. It was created in 1760 for the Anglo-Irish politician and composer Garret Wellesley, 2nd Baron Mornington. He was made Viscount Wellesley, of Dangan Castle in the County of Meath, at the same time, also in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Mornington was the eldest son of Richard Wesley
Richard Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington
Richard Colley Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington was an Irish peer, best remembered as the grandfather of the 1st Duke of Wellington.Between 1729 and 1746 he represented Trim in the Irish House of Commons...
. The latter represented Trim
Trim (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Trim was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.-1692–1801:...
in the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
and was elevated to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Mornington in 1746. Born Richard Colley, he inherited the Dangan and Mornington estates in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
on the death of his first cousin Garret Wesley in 1728 and assumed the same year by Royal license the surname of Wesley in lieu of his patronymic (see below for earlier history of the family). Four of the first Earl of Mornington's sons gained distinction. The third son was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in 1815 (see Duke of Wellington
Duke of Wellington
The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is a hereditary title in the senior rank of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the title was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , the noted Irish-born career British Army officer and statesman, and...
), while the fifth was the diplomat Henry Wellesley, 1st Baron Cowley
Henry Wellesley, 1st Baron Cowley
Henry Wellesley, 1st Baron Cowley GCB was the youngest brother of the Duke of Wellington, and became a notable diplomat in his own right.-Life:...
(see Earl Cowley
Earl Cowley
Earl Cowley is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1857 for the diplomat Henry Wellesley, 2nd Baron Cowley. He was Ambassador to France from 1852 to 1867. He was made Viscount Dangan, of Dangan in the County of Meath, at the same time as he was given the earldom. This...
). Lord Mornington was succeeded by his eldest son, Richard, the second Earl. He used the original family surname of Wellesley in lieu of Wesley. He was a prominent soldier, diplomat and politician. In 1797 he was created Baron Wellesley, of Wellesley in the County of Somerset, 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...
, which entitled him to a seat in the British 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....
. In 1799 he was further honoured when he was made Marquess Wellesley, of Norragh, in the Peerage of Ireland. However, he was said to be bitterly disappointed at not receiving a dukedom or at least an English peerage of high rank. He referred to his Irish marquessate an a "double-gilt potato". Lord Wellesley had several illegitimate children by his French mistress Hyacinthe-Gabrielle Roland (they were married in 1794 after the birth of their children). One of them, Anne, married as her second husband Lord Charles Bentinck. They were great-great-grandparents of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington
William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington GCH, PC, PC , known as The Lord Maryborough between 1821 and 1842, was a British politician and an elder brother of the Duke of Wellington....
, who became the third Earl of Mornington. He was also a politician and notably served as Chief Secretary for Ireland
Chief Secretary for Ireland
The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, from the late 18th century until the end of British rule he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland; usually...
between 1809 and 1812 and as Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer between 1811 and 1812. Born William Wesley, he assumed by Royal license in 1781 the additional surname of Pole on succeeding to the estates of his cousin, William Pole. In 1798 he assumed by Royal license the surname of Wellesley-Pole in lieu of Wesley-Pole. In 1821 he was raised to 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...
as Baron Maryborough, of Maryborough in the Queen's County. He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl
William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 4th Earl of Mornington
William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 4th Earl of Mornington was an Anglo-Irish nobleman notorious for his dissipated lifestyle.-Ancestry:...
. He married Catherine, daughter and coheir of Sir James Tylney-Long, 7th Baronet
Sir James Tylney-Long, 7th Baronet
Sir James Tylney-Long, 7th Baronet was an English politician.The eldest son of Sir Robert Long, 6th Baronet and his wife Emma Child, he succeeded his father as 7th Baronet on 10 February 1767, and inherited the family estates, including the manors of Draycot and Athelhampton.- Career :He was a...
(see Tylney-Long Baronets
Tylney-Long Baronets
The Long, later Tylney-Long Baronetcy, of Westminster in the County of London, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created in 1662 for Robert Long, with remainder in default of male issue of his own to his nephew James Long and the heirs male of his body. He was the son of Sir Walter...
). She was known in London society as "The Wiltshire heiress" and was believed to be the richest commoner in England. On his marriage he assumed by Royal license the additional surnames of Tylney and Long. Lord Mornington is chiefly remembered for his dissipated lifestyle which brought about the destruction of the Tylney family estate of Wanstead House. He was succeeded by his eldest and only surviving son, the fifth Earl. He had been the subject of a bitter custody battle between his father and his two maternal aunts (who had wanted him to be placed under the guardianship of his great-uncle the Duke of Wellington) and later fought a legal battle with his father over the sale of contents of the family seat Draycot House. Lord Mornington died unmarried in 1863 when the barony of Maryborough became extinct. He left all his landed property to his father's cousin Henry Wellesley, 1st Earl Cowley
Henry Wellesley, 1st Earl Cowley
Henry Richard Charles Wellesley, 1st Earl Cowley KG GCB PC , known as The Lord Cowley between 1847 and 1857, was a British diplomat...
. He was succeeded in his Irish titles by his first cousin once removed, Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington
Lieutenant-General Arthur Richard Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington KG, PC , styled Lord Douro between 1812 and 1814 and Marquess of Douro between 1814 and 1852, was a British soldier and politician...
. The title Earl of Mornington is now used as a courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
by the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the Marquess of Douro, himself the heir apparent to the Duke of Wellington. As of 2010 the title is held by courtesy by Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington
Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington
Arthur Gerald Wellesley, Earl of Mornington , is the son of Charles Valerian Wellesley, Marquess of Douro, and after his father heir to the Dukedom of Wellington...
, grandson of Arthur Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington.
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The family estates passed down the male lines. One of Wellesley's daughters, Alison, married John Cusack. Their son Sir Thomas Cusack served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
between 1551 and 1554. His daughter, Katherine, married Sir Henry Colley (or Cowley) (16th century), of Castle Carbery, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Their grandson Sir Henry Colley represented Monaghan in the Irish Parliament. One of Sir Henry's sons, Dudley Colley (or Cowley), was a member of the Irish Parliament for Philipstown. His son Henry Colley (or Cowley) was the father of Henry Cowley, who represented Strabane
Strabane (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Strabane was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.-1692–1801:...
in the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
, and of Garret Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington. The aforementioned Garret Wesley (d. 1728) was a descendant of Sir William Wellesley (d. 1602) as well as the son of Elizabeth, daughter of the aforementioned Dudley Colley, also the paternal grandfather of the first Baron Mornington.
The country seat of the Wellesley family was Dangan Castle, near Trim
Trim
Trim may refer to:* Cutting small pieces off something** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process** Editing*** Editing a posting style in online discourse** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees-Places:...
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The Dublin residence of the family was Mornington House
Mornington House
Mornington House was the Dublin social season Georgian residence of the Earls of Mornington. It is located in Merrion Street, close to Leinster House, then city residence of the Dukes of Leinster and now seat of the Irish parliament, Oireachtas Éireann....
, Merrion Street
Merrion Street
Merrion Street is a major Georgian street on the southside of Dublin, Ireland which runs along one side of Merrion Square. The garden entrance of Leinster House is located on the street, as is Irish Government Buildings, formerly the Royal College of Science for Ireland...
.
Barons Mornington (1746)
- Richard Wesley, 1st Baron MorningtonRichard Wesley, 1st Baron MorningtonRichard Colley Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington was an Irish peer, best remembered as the grandfather of the 1st Duke of Wellington.Between 1729 and 1746 he represented Trim in the Irish House of Commons...
(1690–1758) - Garret Wesley, 2nd Baron MorningtonGarret Wesley, 1st Earl of MorningtonGarret Colley Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington was an Anglo-Irish politician and composer, best known today for fathering several distinguished British military commanders and politicians.-Life:...
(1735–1781) (created Earl of Mornington in 1760)
Earls of Mornington (1760)
- Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of MorningtonGarret Wesley, 1st Earl of MorningtonGarret Colley Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington was an Anglo-Irish politician and composer, best known today for fathering several distinguished British military commanders and politicians.-Life:...
(1735–1781) - Richard Wellesley, 2nd Earl of MorningtonRichard Wellesley, 1st Marquess WellesleyRichard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, KG, PC, PC , styled Viscount Wellesley from birth until 1781, was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator....
(1760–1842) (created Marquess Wellesley in 1799)
Marquesses Wellesley (1799)
- Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, 2nd Earl of MorningtonRichard Wellesley, 1st Marquess WellesleyRichard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, KG, PC, PC , styled Viscount Wellesley from birth until 1781, was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator....
(1760–1842)
Earls of Mornington (1760; Reverted)
- William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of MorningtonWilliam Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of MorningtonWilliam Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington GCH, PC, PC , known as The Lord Maryborough between 1821 and 1842, was a British politician and an elder brother of the Duke of Wellington....
(1763–1845) - William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 4th Earl of MorningtonWilliam Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 4th Earl of MorningtonWilliam Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 4th Earl of Mornington was an Anglo-Irish nobleman notorious for his dissipated lifestyle.-Ancestry:...
(1788–1857) - William Richard Arthur Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 5th Earl of MorningtonWilliam Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 5th Earl of MorningtonWilliam Richard Arthur Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 5th Earl of Mornington was a British nobleman.Long-Wellesley, the son of the notorious spendthrift William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley and Lady Catherine Tylney-Long, was born on 7 October 1813 at Wanstead House, Essex.His father's spending...
(1813–1863) - Arthur Richard Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington, 6th Earl of MorningtonArthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of WellingtonLieutenant-General Arthur Richard Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington KG, PC , styled Lord Douro between 1812 and 1814 and Marquess of Douro between 1814 and 1852, was a British soldier and politician...
(1807–1884)
for further succession, see Duke of Wellington (title)
Barons Maryborough (1821)
- William Wellesley-Pole, 1st Baron MaryboroughWilliam Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of MorningtonWilliam Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington GCH, PC, PC , known as The Lord Maryborough between 1821 and 1842, was a British politician and an elder brother of the Duke of Wellington....
(1763–1845) (succeeded as Earl of Mornington in 1842)
see above for further succession