Baron Mount Temple was a title that was created twice in British history, both times in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came on 25 May 1880 when the Liberal politician the Honourable William Cowper-Temple was made Baron Mount Temple, of Mount Temple in the County of Sligo. He was born William Cowper, the second son of Peter Clavering-Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper (see Earl Cowper for earlier history of the family) by his wife the Honourable Emily, sister of the 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Emily married as her second husband the 3rd Viscount Palmerston, a man who would serve as British prime minister. Lord Palmerston, an

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peer, died in 1865 when the viscountcy and his junior title of Baron Temple, of Mount Temple, became extinct. Emily died 11 September 1869, leaving her second husband's estates, including Broadlands in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

, to her second son, William, who thereupon adopted by royal licence the surname Cowper-Temple, in whose favour the Mount Temple title was revived in 1880. William was married to Georgina Tollemache. Lord Mount Temple died without issue on 16 October 1888 when the peerage became extinct. However, it was revived on 13 January 1932 when his great-nephew, the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician, Wilfrid Ashley, was made Baron Mount Temple, of Lee in the County of Southampton. He was the son of the Honourable Evelyn Ashley, private secretary to and biographer of third Viscount Palmerston and the second son of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (see Earl of Shaftesbury for earlier history of the family), husband of Lady Emily Cowper, sister of the first Baron of the first creation. He had already inherited Broadlands. Ashley had been married in 1901 to "Maudie" Cassel, only daughter of the Edwardian financier Sir Ernest Cassel, and their elder daughter the Honourable Edwina Ashley, a considerable heiress, was married in 1922 to Lord Louis Mountbatten, later the last

Viceroy of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the Emperor of ...

. After his wife's death, he married Muriel Forbes-Sempill. However, Lord Mount Temple had no sons and the title became extinct on his death on 3 July 1939. Broadlands passed through Edwina Ashley into the Mountbatten, now Knatchbull family (see Earl Mountbatten of Burma).

Barons Mount Temple; First creation (1880)

* William Francis Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple (1811–1888)

Barons Mount Temple; Second creation (1932)

* Wilfrid William Ashley, 1st Baron Mount Temple (1867–1939)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mount Temple Extinct baronies in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Noble titles created in 1880 Noble titles created in 1932 Peerages created for UK MPs

Barons Mount Temple; First creation (1880)

Barons Mount Temple; Second creation (1932)

See also

References