Marquess of Londonderry
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,...
. It was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry
Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry
Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry PC , was an Irish politician and landowner, the father of politician Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh.-Early life in Dublin:...
. He had earlier represented County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
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...
. Stewart had already been created Baron Londonderry in 1789, Viscount Castlereagh in 1795 and Earl of Londonderry in 1796. These titles are also in the Peerage of Ireland.
He was the son of Alexander Stewart
Alexander Stewart (1699–1781)
Alexander Stewart was an Irish landowner and ancestor of the family of the Marquess of Londonderry.The son of William Stewart, of Ballylawn in County Donegal....
, who had married Mary Cowan, sister and heiress of Robert Cowan
Robert Cowan
Robert Cowan was an Irish colonial administrator and the East India Company's Governor of Bombay from 1729 to 1734. He was a collateral ancestor of the Marquesses of Londonderry through the marriage of his sister, Mary Cowan, to Alexander Stewart, father of Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of...
, who gained great wealth as Governor of Bombay from 1729 to 1737. Alexander was from Ballylawn, a townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
at the south-west corner of Inishowen
Inishowen
Inishowen is a peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. It is also the largest peninsula in all of Ireland. Inishowen is a picturesque location with a rich history...
in the north of County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, a county
Counties of Ireland
The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...
located in the west of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
in the northern part of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. However, much of the Stewart family wealth was based on the estates which came into the family through this marriage.
The 1st Marquess was one of the few people to become a Marquess without inheriting any titles prior to the creation. He sat in the British House of Lords as one of the twenty-eight original Irish Representative Peers
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
from 1800 to 1821. He was succeeded by his son from his first marriage to Lady Sarah Seymour. The 2nd Marquess, better known as Lord Castlereagh (he went by the 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...
of Viscount Castlereagh from 1796 to 1821), was a noted statesman and diplomat. Castlereagh is best remembered for his tenure as Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1822 and played an important role at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
of 1814 to 1815. He committed suicide in 1822, one year after succeeding his father in the marquessate.
Castlereagh was succeeded by his half-brother, the 3rd Marquess. He was the only son from the 1st Marquess's second marriage to Lady Frances Pratt, daughter of Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden
Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden
Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden was an English lawyer, judge and Whig politician who was first to hold the title of Earl of Camden...
. He was a General in the Army and like his elder half-brother a prominent politician and diplomat. Lord Londonderry served as Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
The Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies....
from 1807 to 1809, fought in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and was Ambassador to Austria from 1814 to 1823. In 1814 he was created Baron Stewart, of Stewart's Court and Ballylawn in County Donegal, 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...
. In 1819 Londonderry married as his second wife Lady Frances Anne Vane-Tempest
Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry
Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry was a wealthy English heiress and noblewoman. She was the daughter of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet and the second wife of Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
(died 1865), daughter and wealthy heiress of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest
Henry Vane-Tempest
Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet was a British politician.Vane-Tempest was the son and heir of Rev. Sir Henry Vane, 1st Baronet and his wife, Frances, née Tempest...
, 2nd Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, through which marriage substantial estates in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
came into the Stewart family. He assumed the additional surname of Vane on his marriage and in 1823 he was created Viscount Seaham, of Seaham in the County Palatine of Durham, and Earl Vane, with remainder to the male issue of his second marriage. These titles are in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Lord Londonderry was succeeded in the viscountcy of Seaham and earldom of Vane according to the special remainder by his eldest son from his second marriage while he was succeeded in the Irish titles and the barony of Stewart by his son from his first marriage to Lady Catherine Bligh, the 4th Marquess. He died childless in 1872 and was succeeded by his half-brother, the 5th Marquess, who had already succeeded his father as second Earl Vane in 1854. He represented Durham North 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...
and served as Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham. In 1851 the 5th Marquess assumed by Royal license the additional surname of Tempest. On his death the titles passed to his eldest son, the 6th Marquess. He was a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and held office in the administrations of Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
and Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, as Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
, as President of the Board of Education, as Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
and as Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
. In 1885 he assumed by Royal license the additional and principal surname of Stewart.
He was succeeded by his son, the 7th Marquess, who was also a Conservative politician. He had a career in both Irish and British politics but is best known for his role as Secretary of State for Air
Secretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
from 1931 to 1935. Lord Londonderry subsequently gained notoriety for his informal diplomatic contacts with senior members of the German government. He made six visits to Nazi Germany between January 1936 and September 1938 meeting Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
on a number of occasions and sympathising with some of his viewpoints. His wife Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry
Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry
Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry DBE was a noted socialite and philanthropist in the United Kingdom between World War I and World War II.-Family:...
, was an influential society hostess remembered for her close friendship with Ramsay Macdonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
. Lord Londonderry was succeeded by his son, the 8th Marquess. He represented County Down in the House of Commons as a Conservative from 1931 to 1945.
As of 2007 the titles are held by his son, the 9th Marquess, who succeeded in 1955. Often known as Alistair Londonderry
Alexander Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of Londonderry
Alexander Charles Robert Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of Londonderry is a British nobleman.He is the son of Robin Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 8th Marquess of Londonderry and his wife, the former Romaine Combe ....
, he has been married twice, latterly to the former Royal Ballet principal dancer Doreen Wells
Doreen Wells
Doreen Wells, Marchioness of Londonderry , is a retired British ballerina and theatre dancer.-Career:Wells received her early dance training at the Bush Davies School of Theatre Arts, continuing her studies at the Sadler's Wells Ballet School. She is a winner of the Adeline Genee Gold Medal from...
.
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 marquessate is styled Viscount Castlereagh, although the Marquess is also the Earl Vane, and the heir apparent's heir apparent (when such exists), in one of only two exceptions (the other being Duke of Manchester
Duke of Manchester
Duke of Manchester is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1719 for the politician Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester, who notably served as Secretary of State for the Southern Department. The Duke of Manchester is styled His Grace.-Origin and descent:The Montagu family...
) to the 'rule' that the heirs of Viscounts do not use 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...
s, is styled Lord Stewart.
Between 1823 and 1854 and between 1872 and 1999, the Marquesses of Londonderry sat 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....
as The Earl Vane. Between 1822 and 1823 and between 1854 and 1872, they sat as The Lord Stewart.
The family owned the historic house and gardens at Mount Stewart
Mount Stewart
Mount Stewart is an 18th-century house and garden in County Down, Northern Ireland, owned by the National Trust. Situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey, it was the home of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of...
, County Down, Northern Ireland, the Wynyard Park
Wynyard Park, County Durham
Wynyard Park, sometimes known as Wynyard Hall is a large country house in County Durham, England. The house used to be the family seat of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry, an Anglo-Irish aristocratic dynasty, but it was sold in the 1980s.-The house:Designed by Philip Wyatt...
estate in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
as well as Londonderry House
Londonderry House
Londonderry House was an aristocratic townhouse situated on Park Lane in the Mayfair district of London, England.The house was the home to the Irish, titled family called the Stewarts who are better known as the Marquesses of Londonderry....
on Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(where the Hilton London Hotel is now) and Plas Machynlleth
Plas Machynlleth
Plas Machynlleth was the Welsh residence of the Marquesses of Londonderry, situated in the market town of Machynlleth in Powys , Wales...
in mid-Wales. The family also gained Seaham Hall
Seaham Hall
Seaham Hall is now a spa Hotel in County Durham, England. It was once owned by George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry, although for much of his life he lived at Plas Machynlleth, his wife's home in Montgomeryshire....
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
Mount Stewart was the home of Lady Mairi Bury (b.1921; d.2009), who was the youngest and only surviving child of the 7th Marquess and his wife Edith, née Chaplin.
Lady Mairi Bury died peacefully on Tuesday 17 November 2009 at the age of 88 in the same bed at Mount Stewart as she had been born in, having lived at her beloved Mount Stewart all her life. Lady Mairi Bury is now recognised as having been the world's greatest female philatelist. Lady Mairi Bury was also a highly successful racehorse owner/breeder, winning the Ascot Gold Cup (twice) and Irish 1000 Guineas with horses she bred at her stud at Mount Stewart.
Wynyard Park was sold by the 9th and current Marquess of Londonderry in 1987 and is currently the home of property developer Sir John Hall
John Hall (businessman)
Sir John Hall is a property developer in North East England. He is also life president and former chairman of Newcastle United.-Biography:...
.
The current Marquess of Londonderry lives near Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is a town in Dorset, England, situated on the A30 road near the Wiltshire border 20 miles west of Salisbury. The town is built 718 feet above sea level on the side of a chalk and greensand hill, which is part of Cranborne Chase, the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.
Marquesses of Londonderry (1816)
- Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of LondonderryRobert Stewart, 1st Marquess of LondonderryRobert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry PC , was an Irish politician and landowner, the father of politician Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh.-Early life in Dublin:...
(1739–1821) - Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of LondonderryRobert Stewart, Viscount CastlereaghRobert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, KG, GCH, PC, PC , usually known as Lord CastlereaghThe name Castlereagh derives from the baronies of Castlereagh and Ards, in which the manors of Newtownards and Comber were located...
(1769–1822), his son - Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of LondonderryCharles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of LondonderryCharles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry KG, GCB, GCH, PC , styled The Honourable Charles Stewart from 1789 until 1813 and The Honourable Sir Charles Stewart from 1813 to 1814 and known as The Lord Stewart from 1814 to 1822, was a British soldier, politician and nobleman...
(1778–1854), his half-brother - Frederick William Robert Stewart, 4th Marquess of LondonderryFrederick Stewart, 4th Marquess of LondonderryFrederick William Robert Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry KP, PC , styled Viscount Castlereagh between 1822 and 1854, was an Anglo-Irish nobleman and Tory politician...
(1805–1872), his son - George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of LondonderryGeorge Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of LondonderryGeorge Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry KP , styled Viscount Seaham between 1823 and 1854 and known as The Earl Vane between 1854 and 1872, was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, businessman, diplomat and Conservative politician.-Background and education:Born George...
(1821–1884), his half-brother - Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of LondonderryCharles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of LondonderryCharles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry KG, GCVO, PC, DL, JP , styled Viscount Castlereagh between 1872 and 1884, was an Anglo-Irish Conservative politician, landowner and benefactor, who served in various capacities in the Conservative administrations of the late 19th and...
(1852–1915), his son - Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of LondonderryCharles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of LondonderryCharles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry, KG, MVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Stewart until 1884 and Viscount Castlereagh between 1884 and 1915, was an Anglo-Irish peer and had careers in both Irish and British politics...
(1878–1949), his son - Edward Charles Stewart Robert Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 8th Marquess of Londonderry (1902–1955), his son
- Alexander Charles Robert Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of LondonderryAlexander Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of LondonderryAlexander Charles Robert Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of Londonderry is a British nobleman.He is the son of Robin Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 8th Marquess of Londonderry and his wife, the former Romaine Combe ....
(b. 1937), his son
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....
is the present holder's son, Frederick Aubrey Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh (b. 1972).
The heir apparent's 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 his brother Lord Reginald Alexander Vane-Tempest-Stewart (b. 1977) married with a son.
The heir presumptive's heir is his son Robin Gabriel Vane-Tempest-Stewart (b.2004)