Earl De La Warr ( ) 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 ...

. It was created in 1761 for John West, 7th Baron De La Warr. The Earl holds the subsidiary titles of Viscount Cantelupe (1761) in the Peerage of Great Britain, Baron De La Warr (1572) in the

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. There are five peerages in th ...

, and Baron Buckhurst, of Buckhurst in the County of Sussex (1864) 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 barony De La Warr is of the second creation; however, it bears the precedence of the first creation, 1299, and has done so since shortly after the death of

William West, 1st Baron De La Warr William West, 1st Baron De La Warr ( ) of the second creation (c. 1530 – 30 December 1595) was the elder son of Sir George West (d.1538), second son of Thomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr, by his third wife, Eleanor Copley, and Elizabeth Morton, ...

. The family seat is Buckhurst Park, near

Withyham Withyham is a village and large civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The village is situated 7 miles south west of Royal Tunbridge Wells and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Crowborough; the parish covers approxi ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the Englis ...

Etymology

The name ''de La Warr'' is from

and of Anglo-

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

origin. It may have come from ''La Guerre'', a Norman ''

lieu-dit ''Lieu-dit'' (; plural: ''lieux-dits'') (literally ''said-location'') is a French toponymic term for a small geographical area bearing a traditional name. The name usually refers to some characteristic of the place, its former use, a past event, ...

''. This

toponymic Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

could derive from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

word '' ager'', from the Breton '' gwern'' or from the

Late Latin Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...

' ( fallow). The toponyms Gara, Gaire also appear in old texts cited by Lucien Musset, where the word ''ga(i)ra'' means

gore Gore may refer to: Places Australia * Gore, Queensland * Gore Creek (New South Wales) * Gore Island (Queensland) Canada * Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community * Gore, Quebec, a township municipality * Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manito ...

. It could also be linked with a

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...

from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...

'' verr''. The barony and earldom are both pronounced "De La Ware", as in the American state of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

Baronies of De La Warr

The barony De La Warr is of the second creation; however, it bears the precedence of the first creation, 1299, and has done so since shortly after the death of

. The precise legal situation concerning the second creation is murky. The modern rules attempt to regularize medieval practice, but there are many cases that cannot easily be made to fit, whether because a local custom was involved, or because an exception was made, or because the rules were still in flux. This is such a case because William West was ''heir male'' but not ''heir general''. Because the original barony was created by

writ In common law, a writ (Anglo-Saxon ''gewrit'', Latin ''breve'') is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, a ...

, the descent is presumed to be to the heir (or heirs) general, and therefore it fell into

abeyance Abeyance (from the Old French ''abeance'' meaning "gaping") is a state of expectancy in respect of property Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. ...

between the daughters of Sir Owen West (and their heirs in turn). The second creation has been viewed in at least three ways: * As a means of placing beyond dispute an inheritance that should have gone to the heir male in the first place. The act concerning precedence is understood as rectifying the side effect this had of altering the precedence. Accordingly, some writers ignore the second creation when numbering: thus

Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr ( ; 9 July 1577 – 7 June 1618), was an English merchant and politician, for whom the bay, the river, and, consequently, a Native American people and U.S. state, all later called "Delaware", were named. He was ...

, is sometimes called the 12th Baron De La Warr. * As an extraordinary act resolving an important estate that should not be left in abeyance. In this case, the previous barony was intended to be extinguished and the act altering precedence is difficult to understand other than as political expediency. * As a part of an effort to solve relatively complex problems of inheritance case by case, before the doctrine of abeyance (as it now exists) had been worked out.

Connection to American geographical names

In United States history books,

is often named simply as "Lord Delaware". He served as governor of the

Jamestown Colony The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James (Powhatan) River about southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, and

Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...

was named after him. The state of

, the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...

, and the Delaware Indian tribe were so-called after the bay, and thus ultimately derive their names from the barony. Many other American counties, townships, and the like derive their names directly or indirectly from this connection.

Other family members

Notable 20th-century descendants of

George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr George John Sackville-West, 5th Earl de la Warr, PC (26 October 1791 – 23 February 1869), styled Viscount Cantelupe until 1795, was a British courtier and Tory politician. Background Sackville-West was the son of John West, 4th Earl De L ...

include the authors

Lady Margaret Sackville Lady Margaret Sackville (24 December 1881 – 18 April 1963) was an English poet and children's author. Born at 60 Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, Sackville was the youngest child of Reginald Windsor Sackville, 7th Earl De La Warr. She was a sec ...

Vita Sackville-West Victoria Mary, Lady Nicolson, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (Birth name, née Sackville-West; 9 March 1892 – 2 June 1962), usually known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author and garden designer. Sackville-West was a su ...

Nigel Nicolson Nigel Nicolson (19 January 1917 – 23 September 2004) was an English writer, publisher and politician. Early life and education Nicolson was the second son of writers Sir Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West; he had an elder brother Ben ...

and Adam Nicolson. Another member of the West family was

William Cornwallis-West William Cornwallis Cornwallis-West VD JP (20 March 1835 – 4 July 1917), was a British landowner, politician for seven years from 1885 and raised the 6th (Ruthin) Denbighshire Rifle Volunteer Corps followed by further ceremonial duties in th ...

(1835–1917), who was the grandson of the Hon. Frederick West, youngest son of the second Earl. Cornwallis-West was the father of George Cornwallis-West;

Daisy, Princess of Pless Daisy, Princess of Pless (Mary Theresa Olivia; ''née'' Cornwallis-West; 28 June 1873 – 29 June 1943) was a noted society beauty in the Edwardian period, and during her marriage a member of one of the wealthiest European noble families. Daisy a ...

; and Constance, Duchess of Westminster.

Barons De La Warr; First creation (1299)

* Roger la Warr, 1st Baron De La Warr (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1320) *

John la Warr, 2nd Baron De La Warr John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(c. 1277–1347) * Roger la Warr, 3rd Baron De La Warr (c. 1329–1370) * John la Warr, 4th Baron De La Warr (c. 1344–1398) * Thomas la Warr, 5th Baron De La Warr (c. 1352–1427) * Reginald West, 6th Baron De La Warr (c. 1394–1451) *

Richard West, 7th Baron De La Warr Richard West, 7th Baron De La Warr and 4th Baron West (28 October 1430 – 10 March 1476) was the son of Reginald West, 6th Baron De La Warr, by his first wife, Margaret Thorley, daughter of Robert Thorley, esquire, of Tybesta, Cornwall, and ...

(c. 1430–1476) *

Thomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr Thomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr and 5th Baron West, KB, KG (c.1457 – 11 October 1525) was an English courtier and military commander during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. Career Thomas Richard West was the eldest son of Richar ...

(c. 1457–1525) * Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr (c. 1475–1554) (either

abeyant Abeyance (from the Old French ''abeance'' meaning "gaping") is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. ...

or extinguished or merged 1554)

Barons De La Warr; Second creation (1572)

(1520–1595) (or 10th Baron) *

Thomas West, 2nd Baron De La Warr Thomas West, 2nd and 11th Baron De La Warr ( ; c. 1550 – 24 March 1601/1602) of Wherwell Abbey, Hampshire, was a member of Elizabeth I's Privy Council. Biography Thomas West was the eldest son of William West, 1st Baron De La Warr, by his fir ...

(1556–1602) (or 11th Baron) *

(1577–1618) (or 12th Baron) * Henry West, 4th Baron De La Warr (1603–1628) (or 13th Baron) * Charles West, 5th Baron De La Warr (1626–1687) (or 14th Baron) * John West, 6th Baron De La Warr (1663–1723) (or 15th Baron) * John West, 7th Baron De La Warr (1693–1766) (or 16th Baron), who was created Earl De La Warr and Viscount Cantelupe in 1761.

Earls De La Warr (1761)

John West, 1st Earl De La Warr Lieutenant-General John West, 1st Earl De La Warr (4 April 169316 March 1766), styled The Honourable John West until 1723 and known as The Lord De La Warr between 1723 and 1761, was a British soldier, courtier and politician who sat in the Hous ...

(1693–1766) (7th Baron) ** John West, 2nd Earl De La Warr (1729–1777) *** William Augustus West, 3rd Earl De La Warr (1757–1783) *** John Richard West, 4th Earl De La Warr (1758–1795) ****

George John Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr George John Sackville-West, 5th Earl de la Warr, PC (26 October 1791 – 23 February 1869), styled Viscount Cantelupe until 1795, was a British courtier and Tory politician. Background Sackville-West was the son of John West, 4th Earl De ...

(1791–1869) ***** Charles Richard Sackville West, 6th Earl De La Warr (1815–1873) ***** Reginald Windsor Sackville, 7th Earl De La Warr (1817–1896) ****** Gilbert George Reginald Sackville, 8th Earl De La Warr (1869–1915) ******* Herbrand Edward Dundonald Brassey Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr (1900–1976) ******** William Herbrand Sackville, 10th Earl De La Warr (1921–1988) ********* William Herbrand Sackville, 11th Earl De La Warr (b. 1948) 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 William Herbrand Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst (b. 1979), nine generations away from the first Earl. The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son William Lionel Robert Sackville (b. 2014).

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:De La Warr Earldoms in the Peerage of Great Britain

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particu ...

Noble titles created in 1761 People from Withyham