Marquess of Northampton
Encyclopedia
William Parr
First creation, 1547–1571The title was created for the first time 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 1547 in favour of William Parr
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
, brother of Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
, the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. The title was forfeited in 1554 after the accession of Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
but restored in 1559 by Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. On Parr's death in 1571 the title became extinct.
Compton family
Second creation, Baron Compton, Earl of Northampton and Marquess of Northampton, 1572 -However, the title is chiefly associated with the Compton family. This family descends from Sir Henry Compton
Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton
Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton was an English peer.Compton was the son of Peter Compton and his wife Anne, daughter of George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, and a relative of Sir William Compton. In 1572 he was summoned to the House of Lords as Baron Compton, of Compton in the County of Warwick...
, who in 1572 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....
as Baron Compton, of Compton in the County of Warwick. This title was in the Peerage of England. Lord Compton was later one of the peers at the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was succeeded by his son, the second Baron. He served as Lord President of the Marches and of the Dominion of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and was also Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire
Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire
This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire. Since 1728, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Warwickshire.-Lord Lieutenants of Warwickshire:*Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick 1569–1570*vacant...
. In 1618 he was created Earl of Northampton in the Peerage of England.
His son, the second Earl, was a supporter of King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
and served as Master of the Robes to Charles, Prince of Wales
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...
(later King Charles I). He fought in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and was killed at the Battle of Hopton Heath
Battle of Hopton Heath
The Battle of Hopton Heath, in Staffordshire, was a battle of the First English Civil War, fought on Sunday 19 March 1643 between Parliamentarian forces led by Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet and Sir William Brereton and a Royalist force under Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton...
in 1643. He was succeeded by his son, the third Earl. He also fought as a Royalist in the Civil War and notably commanded the cavalry at the First Battle of Newbury
First Battle of Newbury
The First Battle of Newbury was a battle of the First English Civil War that was fought on 20 September 1643 between a Royalist army, under the personal command of King Charles, and a Parliamentarian force led by the Earl of Essex...
in 1643. Lord Northampton was also Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire
Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire
This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire. Since 1728, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Warwickshire.-Lord Lieutenants of Warwickshire:*Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick 1569–1570*vacant...
and Constable of the Tower of London. His eldest son, the fourth Earl, also served as Constable of the Tower of London and as Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire.
His eldest son, the fifth Earl, briefly represented Warwick
Warwick (UK Parliament constituency)
Warwick was a parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Warwick, within the larger Warwickshire constituency of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then to the...
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...
but in 1711 he was summoned to the House of Lords 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 Compton. He married Elizabeth, 14th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley. They had no sons and Lord Northampton was succeeded in the barony of Compton, which could be passed on through female lines, by his daughter Lady Charlotte. The earldom passed to his younger brother, the sixth Earl. He had earlier represented Tamworth
Tamworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Tamworth is a parliamentary 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.- History :...
and Northampton
Northampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Northampton which existed until 1974.It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was reduced to one member for the 1918 general election...
in Parliament.
He was childless and was succeeded by his nephew, the seventh Earl. He was the son of the Hon. Charles Compton, third son of the fourth Earl. Lord Northampton died childless at an early age and was succeeded by his younger brother, the eighth Earl. He briefly represented Northampton in the House of Commons before he inherited the earldom and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
Below is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. Since 1735, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Northamptonshire. The lieutenancy included the Soke of Peterborough until 1965, when the Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire became Lord Lieutenant of...
. His son, the ninth Earl, 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 Northampton and served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. In 1812 he was created Baron Wilmington, of Wilmington in the County of Sussex, Earl Compton, of Compton in the County of Warwick, and Marquess of Northampton. These titles were 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...
.
On his death the titles passed to his son, the second Marquess. He represented Northampton in Parliament but is best remembered as a patron of science and the arts. Between 1838 and 1848 he served as President of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. Lord Northampton married Margaret Douglas-Maclean-Clephane, daughter of Major-General Douglas Maclean Clephane. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Marquess. In 1831 he assumed by Royal licence the additional and principal surname of Douglas. When he died the titles were inherited by his younger brother, the fourth Marquess. He 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...
. Lord Northampton assumed in 1851 by Royal licence the additional surname of Maclean and in 1878 upon succeeding to the titles that of Douglas.
He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the fifth Marquess. He represented Stratford-on-Avon
Stratford-on-Avon (UK Parliament constituency)
-By-elections:-Notes and references:...
and Barnsley
Barnsley (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnsley was a Parliamentary constituency covering the town of Barnsley in England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
in Parliament as a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and served as Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire. the titles are held by his grandson, the seventh Marquess, who succeeded his father in 1978.
Other notable members of the Compton family
Several other members of the Compton family have gained distinction. Henry Compton, sixth son of the second Earl of Northampton, was Bishop of LondonBishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
. Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington
Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington
Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington KG, KB, PC was a British Whig statesman who served continuously in government from 1715 until his death. He served as the nominal head of government from 1742 until his death in 1743, but was merely a figurehead for the true leader of the government, Lord...
, Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1742 to 1743, was the third son of the third Earl. Catherine Compton, daughter of the Hon. Charles Compton, third son of the fourth Earl, was created Baroness Arden in 1770. She was the wife of John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont
John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont
John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont PC, FRS was a British politician, political pamphleteer, and genealogist...
, and the mother of another Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval
Spencer Perceval
Spencer Perceval, KC was a British statesman and First Lord of the Treasury, making him de facto Prime Minister. He is the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated...
. Lord Alwyne Compton, fourth son of the second Marquess, was Bishop of Ely
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
. Lord Alwyne Compton
Lord Alwyne Compton (politician)
Lord Alwyne Frederick Compton DL was a British Army officer who became a Liberal Unionist and then Unionist politician.-Family:...
, third son of the fourth Marquess, was a Unionist politician. He was the father of Captain Edward Robert Francis Compton. The latter married as his first wife Sylvia, daughter of Alexander Haldane Farquharson. Their son Alwyne Arthur Compton was officially recognised by warrant of the Lord Lyon in the surname of Farquharson of Invercauld and as Chief of Clan Farquharson
Clan Farquharson
Clan Farquharson of Invercauld is a Highland Scottish clan. The clan hails from Aberdeenshire and is a member of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:Farquhar - from the Gaelic 'fear' and 'char' meaning 'dear one'...
in 1949.
Estates
The Compton family are major land owners. Their two major estates are Castle AshbyCastle Ashby
Castle Ashby is the name of a civil parish, an estate village and an English country house in rural Northamptonshire. Historically the village was set up to service the needs of Castle Ashby Manor, the seat of the Marquess of Northampton. The village has one small pub-hotel, The Falcon. At the time...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
and Compton Wynyates
Compton Wynyates
Compton Wynyates is a country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house, an example of Tudor architecture, is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following action in the Civil War, half...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
Marquesses of Northampton, first Creation (1547)
- William Parr, 1st Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam Parr, 1st Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
(1513–1571) (forfeit 1553; restored 1559; extinct 1571)
Barons Compton (1572)
- Henry Compton, 1st Baron ComptonHenry Compton, 1st Baron ComptonHenry Compton, 1st Baron Compton was an English peer.Compton was the son of Peter Compton and his wife Anne, daughter of George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, and a relative of Sir William Compton. In 1572 he was summoned to the House of Lords as Baron Compton, of Compton in the County of Warwick...
(c. 1538-1589) - William Compton, 2nd Baron ComptonWilliam Compton, 1st Earl of NorthamptonWilliam Compton, 1st Earl of Northampton, KG , known as 2nd Baron Compton from 1589 to 1618, was an English peer.Northampton was the son of Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton, and Frances Hastings. His maternal grandparents were Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole...
(d. 1630) (created Earl of Northampton in 1618)
Earls of Northampton (1618)
- William Compton, 1st Earl of NorthamptonWilliam Compton, 1st Earl of NorthamptonWilliam Compton, 1st Earl of Northampton, KG , known as 2nd Baron Compton from 1589 to 1618, was an English peer.Northampton was the son of Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton, and Frances Hastings. His maternal grandparents were Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole...
(d. 1630) - Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of NorthamptonSpencer Compton, 2nd Earl of NorthamptonSpencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton , styled Lord Compton from 1618 to 1630, was an English peer, soldier and politician....
(1601–1643) - James Compton, 3rd Earl of NorthamptonJames Compton, 3rd Earl of NorthamptonJames Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton , known as Lord Compton from 1630 to 1643, was an English peer, soldier and politician....
(1622–1681) - George Compton, 4th Earl of NorthamptonGeorge Compton, 4th Earl of NorthamptonGeorge Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, PC , styled Lord Compton from 1664 to 1681, was a British peer....
(1664–1727) - James Compton, 5th Earl of NorthamptonJames Compton, 5th Earl of NorthamptonJames Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton , known as Lord Compton from 1687 to 1727, was a British peer and politician.Northampton was the eldest son of George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, and his wife Jane...
(1687–1754) - George Compton, 6th Earl of NorthamptonGeorge Compton, 6th Earl of NorthamptonGeorge Compton, 6th Earl of Northampton , known as the Honourable George Compton until 1754, was a British peer and Member of Parliament....
(1692–1758) - Charles Compton, 7th Earl of NorthamptonCharles Compton, 7th Earl of NorthamptonCharles Compton, 7th Earl of Northampton, DL was a British peer and diplomat.He was the eldest son of Hon. Charles Compton, in turn youngest son of George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, and his wife Mary, only daughter of Sir Berkeley Lucy, 3rd Baronet. Compton was educated at Westminster...
(1737–1763) - Spencer Compton, 8th Earl of NorthamptonSpencer Compton, 8th Earl of NorthamptonSpencer Compton, 8th Earl of Northampton was a British peer and Member of Parliament.Northampton was the younger son of the Hon. Charles Compton, third son of George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton. His mother was Mary Lucy...
(1738–1796) - Charles Compton, 9th Earl of NorthamptonCharles Compton, 1st Marquess of NorthamptonCharles Compton, 1st Marquess of Northampton , known as Lord Compton from 1763 to 1796 and as the 9th Earl of Northampton from 1796 to 1812, was a British peer and politician....
(1760–1828) (created Marquess of Northampton in 1812)
Marquesses of Northampton, second Creation (1812)
- Charles Compton, 1st Marquess of NorthamptonCharles Compton, 1st Marquess of NorthamptonCharles Compton, 1st Marquess of Northampton , known as Lord Compton from 1763 to 1796 and as the 9th Earl of Northampton from 1796 to 1812, was a British peer and politician....
(1760–1828) - Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of NorthamptonSpencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of NorthamptonSpencer Joshua Alwyne Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton , known as Lord Compton from 1796 to 1812 and as Earl Compton from 1812 to 1828, was a British nobleman and patron of science and the arts....
(1790–1851) - Charles Compton, 3rd Marquess of NorthamptonCharles Compton, 3rd Marquess of NorthamptonCharles Douglas-Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton, DL , styled Earl Compton from birth until 1851, was a British peer....
(1816–1877) - William Compton, 4th Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam Compton, 4th Marquess of NorthamptonAdmiral William Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton, KG , known as Lord William Compton from 1828 to 1877, was a British peer and naval commander....
(1818–1897) - William Compton, 5th Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam Compton, 5th Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam George Spencer Scott Compton, 5th Marquess of Northampton, KG , known as Lord William Compton from 1877 to 1887 and as Earl Compton from 1887 to 1897, was a British peer and Liberal politician....
(1851–1913) - William Compton, 6th Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam Compton, 6th Marquess of NorthamptonWilliam Bingham Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton, DSO , known as Earl Compton from 1897 to 1913, was a British peer and soldier....
(1885–1978) - Spencer Compton, 7th Marquess of NorthamptonSpencer Compton, 7th Marquess of NorthamptonSpencer "Spenny" Douglas David Compton, 7th Marquess of Northampton is a British peer.He is the son of the Most Hon. William Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton and Ms...
(b. 1946)
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 Daniel Compton, Earl Compton (b. 1973)
Line of succession
- Daniel Bingham Compton, Earl Compton (b. 1973) (only son of the 7th Marquess)
- James William Compton (b. 1974) (only son of Lord William James Bingham Compton, younger son of the 6th Marquess)
- Alwyne Arthur Compton Farquharson of Invercauld (b. 1919) (grandson of Lord Alwyne Frederick Compton, third son of the 4th Marquess)
- Robert Edward John Compton (b. 1922) (younger brother of Alwyne Compton Farquharson of Invercauld)
- James Alwyn Compton (b. 1953) (elder son of Robert Compton)
- Philip Compton (b. 1980) (elder son of James Alwyn Compton)
- Frederick Alwynne Compton (b. 1996) (younger son of James Alwyn Compton)
- Richard Clephane Compton (b. 1957) (younger son of Robert Compton)
- Orlando Edward de Grey Compton (b. 1986) (elder son of Richard Compton)
- Ludovic Hugh Compton (b. 1989) (younger son of Richard Compton)
There are no further heirs to any of the titles.