Earl of Stamford
Encyclopedia
Earl of Stamford was a title in the Peerage of England
. It was created in 1628 for Henry Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of Groby
. This Grey family descended through Lord John Grey
, of Pirgo, Essex
, younger son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
, and younger brother of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk
(the father of Lady Jane Grey
; Suffolk was executed for treason in 1554 with his titles forfeited) (see the Duke of Suffolk
for earlier history of the family). Lord John Grey
, of Pirgo's son Sir Henry Grey
was in 1603 raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Grey of Groby, in the County of Leicester
. He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Baron. He was created Earl of Stamford in the Peerage of England in 1628. Lord Stamford later fought as a Parliamentarian in the Civil War
. His eldest son Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby
, was a leading Parliamentarian in the Civil War. He was one of the judges at the trial of Charles I
and one of the regicides who signed the King's death warrant. He predeceased his father and never succeeded in the earldom. Lord Stamford's daughter Lady Elizabeth Grey married George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer
, and was the mother of Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington
. He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Earl. He was the only son of Lord Grey of Groby. Lord Stamford was a politician and served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
and as President of the Board of Trade. He was childless and on his death in 1720 the titles passed to his first cousin, the third Earl. He was the son of the Hon. John Grey, younger son of the first Earl.
He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl. He briefly represented Leicestershire
in the House of Commons
. Lord Stamford married his second cousin once removed Lady Mary Booth, daughter of George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington
(on whose death in 1758 the earldom of Warrington became extinct). When he died the titles passed to his son, the fifth Earl. He sat as Member of Parliament for Staffordshire
and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire. In 1796 the barony of Delamere (which had become extinct in 1770) and earldom of Warrington held by his mother's family were revived when he was made Baron Delamer and Earl of Warrington in the Peerage of Great Britain
. He was succeeded by his son, the sixth Earl. He represented Aldborough
and St Germans
in Parliament and was Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire. His son George Harry Grey, Lord Grey of Groby (1802–1835), was summoned to the House of Lords
through a writ of acceleration
in his father's junior title of Baron Grey of Groby in 1833. However, he predeceased his father. Lord Stamford was therefore succeeded by his grandson, the seventh Earl. He was the son of Lord Grey of Groby and had already succeeded as ninth Baron Grey of Groby on his father's death. Lord Stamford was a great patron of the Turf
. On his death in 1883 the barony of Delamer and earldom of Warrington became extinct.
The late Earl was succeeded in the barony of Grey of Groby and the earldom of Stamford by his third cousin once removed Reverend Harry Grey, the eighth Earl. He was the son of Reverend Harry Grey, son of the Hon. John Grey, third son of the fourth Earl. He was succeeded by his nephew, the ninth Earl. However, it was not until 1892 that the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords confirmed the latter in the title, as the Committee wished to be assured that a marriage contracted by the 8th Earl while he lived abroad had not produced a legitimate heir. (The 8th Earl, who lived in South Africa, had married his housekeeper after she had already given birth to two of his children, the elder of whom was a boy. As this son was born before the date of his father's marriage however his illegitimacy prevented his inheriting the title; while a third child, born after the marriage and therefore legitimate, could not inherit the earldom because she was female.) On the 9th Earl's death the titles passed to his son, the tenth Earl. He served briefly as Parliamentary Private Secretary
(unpaid) to the Secretary of State for India
, Lord Peel
, in 1922 and was also Mayor of Altrincham
from 1937 to 1938. Lord Stamford never married and on his death in 1976 his titles became extinct.
The main family seat of the Earls of Stamford in later years was Dunham Massey Hall
, near Altrincham, Cheshire. Dunham Massey
was bequeathed to the National Trust
by the 10th and last Earl, but continues to be lived in by the Turnbull family, descendants of the late Lady Jane Turnbull, née Grey, sister and only sibling of the 10th Earl.
Another ancestral seat of the Grey family was Enville Hall
, Staffordshire
, and the house is occupied by members of the family to this day. This was devised by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford
to his great niece, Catherine Payne, who married Sir Henry Foley Lambert, 7th Baronet (who took the surname Grey) in 1905, and subsequently to his granddaughter.
The original family seat, Bradgate Park
in Leicestershire, was only used for hunting after the family moved to Enville. It is now held in trust for public enjoyment.
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....
. It was created in 1628 for Henry Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of Groby
Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford
Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford , known as the Lord Grey of Groby from 1614 to 1628, was an English nobleman and military leader. He was the eldest son of Sir John Grey and Elizabeth Nevill...
. This Grey family descended through Lord John Grey
Lord John Grey of Pirgo
John Grey courtier, youngest surviving son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset and Margaret, widow of William Medley and daughter of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe....
, of Pirgo, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, younger son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, KG, KB was an English peer, courtier, soldier and landowner, the grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, briefly Queen of England.-Early life:...
, and younger brother of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, KG was an English nobleman of the Tudor period and the father of Lady Jane Grey.-Henry VIII's reign:...
(the father of Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
; Suffolk was executed for treason in 1554 with his titles forfeited) (see the Duke of Suffolk
Duke of Suffolk
Duke of Suffolk is a title that has been created three times in British history, all three times in the Peerage of England.The third creation of the dukedom of Suffolk was for Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, in 1551. The duke also held the title Baron Ferrers of Groby...
for earlier history of the family). Lord John Grey
Lord John Grey of Pirgo
John Grey courtier, youngest surviving son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset and Margaret, widow of William Medley and daughter of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe....
, of Pirgo's son Sir Henry Grey
Henry Grey, 1st Baron Grey of Groby
Henry Grey, 1st Lord Grey of Groby , courtier, administrator and local politician, was the only surviving son of Lord John Grey of Pirgo, Essex, and Mary, daughter of Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu and Magdalen Dacre....
was in 1603 raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Grey of Groby, in the County of Leicester
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Baron. He was created Earl of Stamford in the Peerage of England in 1628. Lord Stamford later fought as a Parliamentarian in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. His eldest son Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby
Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby
Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby , was an elected Member of Parliament for Leicester during the English Long Parliament, an active member of the Parliamentary party and a regicide...
, was a leading Parliamentarian in the Civil War. He was one of the judges at the trial of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
and one of the regicides who signed the King's death warrant. He predeceased his father and never succeeded in the earldom. Lord Stamford's daughter Lady Elizabeth Grey married George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer
George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer
George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer , known as Sir George Booth, 2nd Baronet, from 1652 to 1661, was an English peer.-Civil War:...
, and was the mother of Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington
Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington
Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington was a Member of Parliament, Privy Councillor, Protestant protagonist in the Revolution of 1688, Mayor of Chester and author.-Life:...
. He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Earl. He was the only son of Lord Grey of Groby. Lord Stamford was a politician and served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
and as President of the Board of Trade. He was childless and on his death in 1720 the titles passed to his first cousin, the third Earl. He was the son of the Hon. John Grey, younger son of the first Earl.
He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl. He briefly represented Leicestershire
Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicestershire was a county constituency in Leicestershire, represented in the House of Commons. It elected two Members of Parliament , traditionally called Knights of the Shire, by the bloc vote system of election, to the Parliament of England until 1707, to the Parliament of Great Britain from...
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...
. Lord Stamford married his second cousin once removed Lady Mary Booth, daughter of George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington
George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington
George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington was the son of Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington by his wife Mary, the daughter and sole heiress of Sir James Langham, Bart. As the eldest surviving son, he inherited the title of Earl of Warrington on his father's death in 1693...
(on whose death in 1758 the earldom of Warrington became extinct). When he died the titles passed to his son, the fifth Earl. He sat as Member of Parliament for Staffordshire
Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Staffordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire. In 1796 the barony of Delamere (which had become extinct in 1770) and earldom of Warrington held by his mother's family were revived when he was made Baron Delamer and Earl of Warrington 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...
. He was succeeded by his son, the sixth Earl. He represented Aldborough
Aldborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Aldborough was a parliamentary borough located in the West Riding of Yorkshire, abolished in the Great Reform Act of 1832. Aldborough returned two Members of Parliament from 1558 until 1832....
and St Germans
St Germans (UK Parliament constituency)
St Germans was a rotten borough in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
in Parliament and was Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire. His son George Harry Grey, Lord Grey of Groby (1802–1835), was summoned to 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....
through a writ of acceleration
Writ of acceleration
A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, was a type of writ of summons to the British House of Lords that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with multiple peerage titles to attend the British House of Lords or Irish House of Lords, using one of his father's...
in his father's junior title of Baron Grey of Groby in 1833. However, he predeceased his father. Lord Stamford was therefore succeeded by his grandson, the seventh Earl. He was the son of Lord Grey of Groby and had already succeeded as ninth Baron Grey of Groby on his father's death. Lord Stamford was a great patron of the Turf
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. On his death in 1883 the barony of Delamer and earldom of Warrington became extinct.
The late Earl was succeeded in the barony of Grey of Groby and the earldom of Stamford by his third cousin once removed Reverend Harry Grey, the eighth Earl. He was the son of Reverend Harry Grey, son of the Hon. John Grey, third son of the fourth Earl. He was succeeded by his nephew, the ninth Earl. However, it was not until 1892 that the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords confirmed the latter in the title, as the Committee wished to be assured that a marriage contracted by the 8th Earl while he lived abroad had not produced a legitimate heir. (The 8th Earl, who lived in South Africa, had married his housekeeper after she had already given birth to two of his children, the elder of whom was a boy. As this son was born before the date of his father's marriage however his illegitimacy prevented his inheriting the title; while a third child, born after the marriage and therefore legitimate, could not inherit the earldom because she was female.) On the 9th Earl's death the titles passed to his son, the tenth Earl. He served briefly as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
(unpaid) to the Secretary of State for India
Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister responsible for the government of India and the political head of the India Office...
, Lord Peel
William Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel
William Robert Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel GCSI, GBE, PC, TD was a British politician.-Background and education:...
, in 1922 and was also Mayor of Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
from 1937 to 1938. Lord Stamford never married and on his death in 1976 his titles became extinct.
The main family seat of the Earls of Stamford in later years was Dunham Massey Hall
Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The parish includes the villages of Sinderland Green, Dunham Woodhouse and Dunham Town, along with Dunham Massey Park, formerly the home of the last Earl of Stamford and owned by the National Trust...
, near Altrincham, Cheshire. Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The parish includes the villages of Sinderland Green, Dunham Woodhouse and Dunham Town, along with Dunham Massey Park, formerly the home of the last Earl of Stamford and owned by the National Trust...
was bequeathed to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
by the 10th and last Earl, but continues to be lived in by the Turnbull family, descendants of the late Lady Jane Turnbull, née Grey, sister and only sibling of the 10th Earl.
Another ancestral seat of the Grey family was Enville Hall
Enville, Staffordshire
Enville is a small village in rural Staffordshire, England, on the A458 road between Stourbridge and Bridgnorth. Enville is also the name of the parish in which it lies....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, and the house is occupied by members of the family to this day. This was devised by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford
George Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford
George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, 3rd Earl of Warrington was an English peer.George Harry Grey was born in Enville, Staffordshire, the son of George Harry Grey, Baron Grey of Groby . He succeeded his father as 9th Baron Grey of Groby in 1835...
to his great niece, Catherine Payne, who married Sir Henry Foley Lambert, 7th Baronet (who took the surname Grey) in 1905, and subsequently to his granddaughter.
The original family seat, Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester. It covers 850 acres . The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs through the park, flowing into Cropston...
in Leicestershire, was only used for hunting after the family moved to Enville. It is now held in trust for public enjoyment.
Barons Grey of Groby (1603)
- Henry Grey, 1st Baron Grey of GrobyHenry Grey, 1st Baron Grey of GrobyHenry Grey, 1st Lord Grey of Groby , courtier, administrator and local politician, was the only surviving son of Lord John Grey of Pirgo, Essex, and Mary, daughter of Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu and Magdalen Dacre....
(d. 1614) - Henry Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of GrobyHenry Grey, 1st Earl of StamfordHenry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford , known as the Lord Grey of Groby from 1614 to 1628, was an English nobleman and military leader. He was the eldest son of Sir John Grey and Elizabeth Nevill...
(c. 1600–1673) (created Earl of Stamford in 1628)
Earls of Stamford (1628)
- Henry Grey, 1st Earl of StamfordHenry Grey, 1st Earl of StamfordHenry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford , known as the Lord Grey of Groby from 1614 to 1628, was an English nobleman and military leader. He was the eldest son of Sir John Grey and Elizabeth Nevill...
(c. 1600–1673)- Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of GrobyThomas Grey, Lord Grey of GrobyThomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby , was an elected Member of Parliament for Leicester during the English Long Parliament, an active member of the Parliamentary party and a regicide...
(1623–1657)
- Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby
- Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of StamfordThomas Grey, 2nd Earl of StamfordThomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford PC was a British peer and politician.He was the only son of Thomas, Lord Grey of Groby, and inherited his title from his grandfather....
(c. 1653–1720) - Henry Grey, 3rd Earl of Stamford (1685–1739)
- Harry Grey, 4th Earl of StamfordHarry Grey, 4th Earl of StamfordHarry Grey, 4th Earl of Stamford was an English peer, styled Lord Grey from 1720 to 1739.Harry Grey was born in Enville Hall, the eldest son of Henry Grey, 3rd Earl of Stamford. He was educated at Rugby and Westminster. In 1736, he married Lady Mary Booth, the only daughter and heiress of George...
(1715–1768) - George Harry Grey, 5th Earl of StamfordGeorge Grey, 5th Earl of StamfordGeorge Harry Grey, 5th Earl of Stamford , styled Lord Grey from 1739 to 1768, was an English nobleman....
(1737–1819) (created Baron Delamer and Earl of Warrington in 1796) - George Harry Grey, 6th Earl of Stamford, 2nd Earl of Warrington (1765–1845)
- George Harry Grey, 8th Baron Grey of Groby (1802–1835)
- George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, 3rd Earl of WarringtonGeorge Grey, 7th Earl of StamfordGeorge Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, 3rd Earl of Warrington was an English peer.George Harry Grey was born in Enville, Staffordshire, the son of George Harry Grey, Baron Grey of Groby . He succeeded his father as 9th Baron Grey of Groby in 1835...
(1827–1883) - Harry Grey, 8th Earl of StamfordHarry Grey, 8th Earl of StamfordRevd Harry Grey, 8th Earl of Stamford was an English peer.Harry Grey was born in England, the son of Revd. Harry Grey and Frances Elizabeth Ellis...
(1812–1890) - William Grey, 9th Earl of StamfordWilliam Grey, 9th Earl of StamfordWilliam Grey, 9th Earl of Stamford was an English peer.William Grey was born in Newfoundland, the son of Revd. William Grey and Harriet White, educated at Exeter College, Oxford and from 1878 to 1883 Professor of Classics and Philosophy at Codrington College in Barbados...
(1850–1910) - Roger Grey, 10th Earl of Stamford (1896–1976)
See also
- Duke of Suffolk (1551 creation)Duke of SuffolkDuke of Suffolk is a title that has been created three times in British history, all three times in the Peerage of England.The third creation of the dukedom of Suffolk was for Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, in 1551. The duke also held the title Baron Ferrers of Groby...
- Earl of WarringtonEarl of WarringtonEarl of Warrington is a title that has been created twice in British history, in 1690 and 1796 respectively. For information on the 1690 creation, see Booth Baronets. For information on the 1796 creation, see Earl of Stamford....
- Booth BaronetsBooth BaronetsThere have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Booth, one in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2010...