Baron Henley is a title that has been created twice: first in the Peerage of Great Britain and then in the

Peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisi ...

. The first creation came in 1760 in favour of Sir Robert Henley,

Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...

, when he was created Lord Henley, Baron of Grainge, in the

County of Southampton Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire is ...

. In 1764 he was further honoured when he was made Earl of Northington. On the death of his son, the second Earl, both titles became extinct. Lady Elizabeth Henley, youngest daughter of the first Earl and co-heiress of the second Earl, married the diplomat Morton Eden. In 1799, the Henley title was revived when Eden was created Baron Henley, of Chardstock in the County of Dorset, in the

. Their son, the second Baron, assumed the surname of Henley in lieu of Eden and notably published a biography of his maternal grandfather. His son, the third Baron, sat as

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Northampton. In 1885 the Northington title was also revived when he was created Baron Northington, of

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...

in the County of Northampton, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This title gave the Barons an automatic seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

. The fourth baron Frederick Henley was an educated man who served as JP in

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

and married Augusta, daughter of Herbert Langham 12th baronet. His younger son, the sixth Baron, resumed the surname of Eden in 1925, the same year he succeeded his half-brother in the titles. the peerages are held by his grandson, the eighth Baron, who succeeded his father in 1977. He is a

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

politician and served in the

administrations of

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

, John Major and David Cameron. Lord Henley is now one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the

after the passing of the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

. The Barons Henley are members of the prominent Eden family. The first Baron was the fifth son of Sir Robert Eden, 3rd Baronet, of West Auckland, and the younger brother of

William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland, PC (Ire), FRS (3 April 174528 May 1814) was a British diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1793. Early life A member of the influential Eden family, Auckland was a younger son ...

. Their elder brother

Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, of Maryland Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, of Maryland, 23rd Proprietary Governor of Maryland (14 September 1741 – 2 September 1784) was a British official and the last colonial Governor of Maryland. Although a popular governor and an able administrator, E ...

(second son of the third Baronet of West Auckland), was the great-great-grandfather of Prime Minister

Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promo ...

, and the great-great-great-grandfather of the

politician John Benedict Eden, Baron Eden of Winton. The family seat is Scaleby Castle, near

Carlisle, Cumbria Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril. It is the administrative centre of the City ...

Barons Henley, first creation (1760)

* Robert Henley, 1st Baron Henley (1708–1772) (created Earl of Northington in 1764)

Earls of Northington (1764)

Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington, PC (c. 1708 – 14 January 1772), was the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. He was a member of the Whig Party in the parliament and was known for his wit and writing. Family Born the second son of ...

(1708–1772) * Robert Henley, 2nd Earl of Northington (1747–1786)

Barons Henley, second creation (1799)

* Morton Eden, 1st Baron Henley (1752–1830) * Robert Henley Henley, 2nd Baron Henley (1789–1841) * Anthony Henley Henley, 3rd Baron Henley (1825–1898) (created Baron Northington in 1885) * Frederick Henley Henley, 4th Baron Henley, 2nd Baron Northington (1849–1923) * Anthony Ernest Henley Henley, 5th Baron Henley, 3rd Baron Northington (1858–1925) * Francis Robert Eden, 6th Baron Henley, 4th Baron Northington (1877–1962) * Michael Francis Eden, 7th Baron Henley, 5th Baron Northington (1914–1977) * Oliver Michael Robert Eden, 8th Baron Henley, 6th Baron Northington (born 1953) The

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

is the present holder's son, the Hon. John Michael Oliver Eden (born 1988).

Male-line family tree

Notes

References