Viscount Cobham is a title in the

Peerage of Great Britain The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, but was itself re ...

that was created in 1718. Owing to its special

remainder In mathematics, the remainder is the amount "left over" after performing some computation. In arithmetic, the remainder is the integer "left over" after dividing one integer by another to produce an integer quotient ( integer division). In algeb ...

, the title has passed through several families. Since 1889, it has been held by members of the

Lyttelton family The Lyttelton family (sometimes spelled Littleton) is a British aristocratic family. Over time, several members of the Lyttelton family were made knights, baronets and peers. Hereditary titles held by the Lyttelton family include the viscountc ...

. The barony and viscountcy of Cobham were

subsidiary title A subsidiary title is a title of authority or title of honour that is held by a royal or noble person but which is not regularly used to identify that person, due to the concurrent holding of a greater title. United Kingdom An example in the U ...

s of the Earldom of Temple from 1749 to 1784, then subsidiary titles of the Marquessate of Buckingham from 1784 to 1822 and of the Dukedom of Buckingham and Chandos from 1822 to 1889. Since the latter year, the Cobham titles have been merged with the titles of

Baron Lyttelton Baron Lyttelton is a title that has been created one in Peerage of England and twice in Peerage of Great Britain, both times for members of the Lyttelton family. Since 1889 the title has been a subsidiary title of the viscountcy of Cobham. Ba ...

and Baron Westcote.

History

Creation of the title

Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham by Jean Baptiste van Loo

The viscountcy of Cobham was created in 1718 for

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

Sir Richard Temple, 1st Baron Cobham, 4th Baronet, of Stowe. He was the eldest son of

Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet (28 March 1634 – 8 May 1697) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1654 and 1697. Life Temple was the son of Sir Peter Temple, 2nd Baronet of Stowe and his second ...

. During his lifetime, the Field Marshal received three titles in the

: * In 1714, he was made Baron Cobham, of Cobham in the County of Kent, with remainder to heirs male of his body. * In 1718, he was made Baron Cobham, of Cobham in the County of Kent, and Viscount Cobham, with remainder, failing heirs male of his own, to (1) his sister Hester and the heirs male of her body and failing which to (2) his third sister Christian, wife of

Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet, of Frankley, in the County of Worcester (1686 – 14 September 1751), was an English landowner and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1721 to 1741. He held office as one of the Lords of the Admi ...

, of Frankley (see

), and the heirs male of her body. Field Marshal Lord Cobham died childless in 1749, at which time the Cobham barony of 1714 became extinct. His other titles passed to different heirs: the Temple baronetcy of 1611 passed to his cousin,

Sir William Temple, 5th Baronet ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...

; the barony and viscountcy of 1718 passed, according to the special remainder, to Lord Cobham's sister Hester, the widow of Richard Grenville, and her children.

Lord Cobham's heirs

Temple family

The Temple family descended from Peter Temple of Burton Dassett. It was once thought that his younger son Anthony Temple founded the Irish branch of the family from whom the Viscounts Palmerston descended. Now it is argued that Sir William Temple founder of the Irish branch descended not from the Temples of Burton Dassett but from Robert Temple of Coughton (Peter Temple of Burton Dassett’s older brother) and his descendants the Temples of Temple Hall, Leicestershire. ee Rosemary O’Day, ''An Elite family in early modern England: The Temples of Stowe and Burton Dassett, Woodbridge, 2018, pp. 49, 54; Elizabeth Boran, ‘William Temple’, ODNB (Oxford, 2004)Peter'' Temple's elder son, John Temple, acquired the Stowe estate in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-e ...

. The latter's son Thomas Temple represented

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...

in Parliament. On 13 December 1613 he was created a Baronet, of Stowe in the County of Buckingham, in the

Baronetage of England Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James ...

. His son, Sir Peter Temple of Stowe (d. 1653) the second Baronet, represented

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of ...

in both the

Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that was summoned by King Charles I of England on the 20th of February 1640 and sat from 13th of April to the 5th of May 1640. It was so called because of its short life of only three weeks. Af ...

and the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septe ...

. He was succeeded by his son, Sir Richard Temple, the third Baronet. He sat in Parliament for

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...

and Buckingham. His son succeeded as fourth Baronet in 1697 and received the Cobham titles in 1714 and 1718, respectively. At his death in 1749, the Temple baronetcy of 1611 passed to his second cousin William Temple, the fifth Baronet. It became dormant in 1786 on the death of the seventh Baronet.

Grenville family

The Field Marshal's barony and viscountcy of 1718 passed, according to the special remainder, to his sister Hester, the widow of Richard Grenville, and her children. In 1749, she was further created Countess Temple in the Peerage of Great Britain, with remainder to the heirs male of her body. Lady Temple's younger son was Prime Minister

George Grenville George Grenville (14 October 1712 – 13 November 1770) was a British Whig statesman who rose to the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain. Grenville was born into an influential political family and first entered Parliament in 1741 as an ...

. At her death, she was succeeded by her eldest son, the second Earl. He inherited the Temple estates, including

Stowe House Stowe House is a grade I listed country house in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is the home of Stowe School, an independent school and is owned by the Stowe House Preservation Trust who have to date (March 2013) spent more than £25m on t ...

, and assumed the additional surname of ''Temple''. He was also involved in politics and held office as

First Lord of the Admiralty The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...

and as

Lord Privy Seal The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the 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. Originally, ...

. On his death the titles passed to his nephew, the third Earl, the son of George Grenville. He served as

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the King ...

between 1782 and 1783 and 1787 and 1789. In 1784 he was created Marquess of Buckingham in the Peerage of Great Britain. Lord Buckingham married Lady Mary Nugent, daughter of

Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent Robert Craggs-Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent PC (1709 – 13 October 1788) was an Irish politician and poet. He was tersely described by Richard Glover as a jovial and voluptuous Irishman who had left popery for the Protestant religion, money and w ...

. Mary was in 1800 created Baroness Nugent in her own right 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 ...

, with remainder to her second son George (see the

Baron Nugent Baron Nugent is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of Ireland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. All three creations are extinct. The first creation came in the Peerage of Ireland in 1767 in favour of Robe ...

). In 1788 Lord Buckingham also succeeded his father-in-law as second

Earl Nugent Earl Nugent was a title the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 21 July 1776 for Robert Craggs-Nugent, 1st Viscount Clare, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his son-in-law The 3rd Earl Temple and the heirs male of his body. Cra ...

according to a special remainder in the

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, tit ...

. He assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of ''Nugent'' at the same time. He was succeeded by his son, the second Marquess. He served as Joint

Paymaster of the Forces The Paymaster of the Forces was a position in the British government. The office was established in 1661, one year after the Restoration of the Monarchy to King Charles II, and was responsible for part of the financing of the British Army, in ...

from 1806 to 1807. He married Lady Anne Eliza Brydges, the only child of

James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos PC (27 December 1731 – 29 September 1789), styled Viscount Wilton from birth until 1744 and Marquess of Carnarvon from 1744 to 1771, was a British peer and politician. Background Chandos was the onl ...

(a title which became extinct on his death in 1789), and assumed by Royal licence the additional surnames of ''Brydges-Chandos'' in 1799. In 1822 Lord Buckingham was created Earl Temple of Stowe, in the County of Buckingham, Marquess of Chandos and Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, all in the

Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great ...

. The earldom was created with remainder, failing male issue of his own, to (1) the heirs male of the body of his deceased great-grandmother Hester Grenville, 1st Countess Temple, and (2) in default thereof to his granddaughter Lady Anne Eliza Mary Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, daughter of his son Richard, Earl Temple, who succeeded as second Duke. He was a

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

politician and served as

from 1841 to 1842. On his death, the titles passed to his son, the third Duke. He was also a prominent politician and served as

Lord President of the Council The lord president of the Council is the presiding officer of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the fourth of the Great Officers of State, ranking below the Lord High Treasurer but above the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. The Lord ...

and as

Secretary of State for the Colonies The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies. History The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increas ...

. In 1868 the Duke established his right to the Scottish lordship of Kinloss before the Committee for Privileges of 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 Westminst ...

. However, on his death in 1889 without male issue, the dukedom and its subsidiary titles (the marquessate of Buckingham, marquessate of Chandos, earldom of Temple and earldom of Nugent) became extinct. The lordship of Kinloss passed to his daughter

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

. The earldom of Temple of Stowe passed to his sister's son William Temple-Gore-Langton because the title had been created with a special remainder to her heirs male (see these titles for more information). Another member of the Grenville family was Prime Minister

William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, (25 October 175912 January 1834) was a British Pittite Tory politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1806 to 1807, but was a supporter of the Whigs for the duration of ...

. He was the younger son of George Grenville and the younger brother of the first Marquess of Buckingham.

Lyttelton family

As the barony and viscountcy of Cobham could only descend to patrilineal descendants of Hester Temple or Christian Lyttelton, the wife of

, they were inherited in 1889 according to the special remainders by the 3rd Duke's distant relative Charles Lyttelton, 5th Baron Lyttelton. He was the great-great-grandson of the aforementioned Lady Christian and Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet. Before succeeding to his father's peerages, he had represented East Worcestershire in Parliament as a Liberal. After the 4th Baron Lyttelton's death in 1876 he had already inherited the Lyttelton Baronetcy of Frankley (1611), the Westcote barony in the

(1776) and the Lyttelton barony in the

(1794). The

seat is

Hagley Hall Hagley Hall is a Grade I listed 18th-century house in Hagley, Worcestershire, the home of the Lyttelton family. It was the creation of George, 1st Lord Lyttelton (1709–1773), secretary to Frederick, Prince of Wales, poet and man of letters ...

, near

Stourbridge Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

. Most owners of Hagley Hall are buried at the parish church of St John the Baptist in the adjacent Hagley Park. Since 1889 the holders of the Lyttelton and Cobham titles have chosen to use the style of Viscount Cobham. The eighth Viscount's son, the ninth Viscount, was

Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. Since 1719, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire. Lord Lieutenants of Worcestershire to 1974 *''see Lord Lieutenant of Wales for pre- ...

from 1923 to 1949. He was succeeded by his son, the tenth Viscount. He notably served as

Governor-General of New Zealand The governor-general of New Zealand ( mi, te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the Viceroy, viceregal representative of the Monarchy of New Zealand, monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 ...

from 1957 to 1962. the titles are held by his younger son, the 12th Viscount, who succeeded his elder brother in 2006.

List of title holders

Temple Baronets, of Stowe (1611)

* Sir Thomas Temple, 1st Baronet (1567–1637) *

Sir Peter Temple, 2nd Baronet Sir Peter Temple, 2nd Baronet (15 October 1592 – 12 September 1653) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653. He was a Parliamentarian in the English Civil War. Family Temple was the son of Sir Thomas Tem ...

(1592–1653) *

(1634–1697) * Sir Richard Temple, 4th Baronet (1669–1749) (created Viscount Cobham in 1718; see below) *

(1694–1760) * Sir Peter Temple, 6th Baronet (died 1761) * Sir Richard Temple, 7th Baronet (1731–1786) (dormant)

Viscounts Cobham (1718)

Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham (24 October 1675 – 14 September 1749) was a British soldier and Whig politician. After serving as a junior officer under William III during the Williamite War in Ireland and during the Nine Years' War, ...

(1675–1749) * Hester Grenville, 2nd Viscountess Cobham (–1752) (created Countess Temple in 1749)

Earls Temple (1749)

* Hester Grenville, 1st Countess Temple, 2nd Viscountess Cobham (–1752) * Richard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl Temple, 3rd Viscount Cobham (1711–1779) * George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 3rd Earl Temple, 4th Viscount Cobham (1753–1813) (created Marquess of Buckingham in 1784)

Marquesses of Buckingham (1784)

* George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham, 4th Viscount Cobham (1753–1813) * Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Marquess of Buckingham, 5th Viscount Cobham (1776–1839) (created Duke of Buckingham and Chandos in 1822)

Dukes of Buckingham and Chandos (1822)

* Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, 5th Viscount Cobham (1776–1839) * Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, 6th Viscount Cobham (1797–1861) * Richard Plantagenet Campbell Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, 7th Viscount Cobham (1823–1889)

Viscounts Cobham (1718; reverted)

* Charles George Lyttelton, 8th Viscount Cobham (1842–1922) * John Cavendish Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham (1881–1949) * Charles John Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham (1909–1977) * John William Leonard Lyttelton, 11th Viscount Cobham (1943–2006) * Christopher Charles Lyttelton, 12th Viscount Cobham (born 1947) 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, Oliver Christopher Lyttelton (born 1976).