Earl of Lytton, in the County of Derby, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1880 for the diplomat and poet Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Baron Lytton. He was

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, 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 and after Indian independence in 19 ...

from 1876 to 1880 and

British Ambassador to France The British Ambassador to France is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in France, and is the head of Britain's diplomatic mission in Paris. The official title is ''His Majesty's Ambassador to France''. Traditionally, the ...

from 1887 to 1891. He was made Viscount Knebworth, of

Knebworth Knebworth is a village and civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Whitwell, St Paul's Walden ...

in the

County of Hertford Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

, at the same time he was given the earldom, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

History

Robert Bulwer-Lytton was the son of the poet, novelist and politician

Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, PC (25 May 180318 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secre ...

and his wife, the novelist Rosina Doyle Wheeler. Edward was the author of numerous popular novels, poems and dramas and also served as Secretary of State for the Colonies under the

Earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

between 1858 and 1859. Born Edward Bulwer, he was the third and youngest son of General William Earle Bulwer and his wife Elizabeth Barbara, daughter of

Richard Warburton Lytton Richard John Warburton Lytton (''né'' Warburton; 26 August 1745''England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975'' – 29 December 1810) was an English landowner and member of the Lytton family. He was the father of Elizabeth Barbara Lytton ...

Knebworth House Knebworth House is an English country house in the parish of Knebworth in Hertfordshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. Its gardens are also listed Grade II* on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. In its surrounding park is t ...

, Hertfordshire (through which marriage the Knebworth estate came into the Bulwer family). He was created a Baronet, of Knebworth House in the County of Hertford, in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom, in 1838, and in 1866, he was raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Baron Lytton, of Knebworth in the County of Hertford. In 1844, he also assumed by Royal licence the additional surname and arms of Lytton. The first Earl of Lytton was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He was also a politician and served as

Under-Secretary of State for India This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the British India, period of British rule be ...

from 1920 to 1922 and as Governor of Bengal from 1922 to 1927. Lord Lytton married Pamela Plowden, remembered as the first great love of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

. Their two sons,

Antony Bulwer-Lytton, Viscount Knebworth Edward Antony James Bulwer-Lytton, Viscount Knebworth (13 May 1903 – 1 May 1933) was a British pilot and Conservative politician. Knebworth was the eldest son of Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton, and his wife, Pamela, daughter of Sir Tr ...

, and Alexander Bulwer-Lytton, Viscount Knebworth, both predeceased them, Antony killed in a plane crash in 1933 and Alexander killed in action in World War II. Their daughter Lady Hermione Lytton married Cameron Cobbold, 1st Baron Cobbold, and through this marriage Knebworth House passed to the

Cobbold family The Cobbold family is a prominent family that flourished in Ipswich since the eighteenth century. They first became prominent for their involvement in the brewing industry, but subsequently became involved in other areas of trade, banking politics ...

(see the

Baron Cobbold Baron Cobbold, of Knebworth in the County of Hertford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1960 for the banker Cameron Cobbold. He was Governor of the Bank of England from 1949 to 1961. The 2nd Baron succeeded ...

). Lord Lytton was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Earl. He was a portrait and landscape painter. In 1899 he married Judith Blunt, 16th Baroness Wentworth, the renowned horse breeder who devoted her life to the

Crabbet Arabian Stud The Crabbet Arabian Stud, also known as the Crabbet Park Stud, was an English horse breeding farm that ran from 1878 to 1972. Its founder owners, husband and wife team Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt, decided while travelling in the Mi ...

. The stud had been created by her parents, the poet

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt Wilfrid Scawen Blunt (17 August 1840 – 10 September 1922), sometimes spelt Wilfred, was an English poet and writer. He and his wife Lady Anne Blunt travelled in the Middle East and were instrumental in preserving the Arabian horse bloodlines ...

and his wife Anne, 15th Baroness Wentworth, granddaughter of

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

and Ada Lovelace (see the Baron Wentworth for earlier history of this title). They were divorced in 1923. Lord Lytton and Lady Wentworth were succeeded, respectively, in 1951 and 1957 by their son Noel Lytton, 4th Earl of Lytton; as a consequence the title Baron Wentworth, in the Peerage of England, became subsidiary to the Earldom of Lytton. He assumed by deed poll the additional surname of Milbanke in 1925 but discontinued by deed poll the use of this surname in 1951. the titles are held by his eldest son, the fifth Earl, who succeeded in 1985. Another member of the family was the

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 ...

politician, diplomat and writer Henry Bulwer, 1st Baron Dalling and Bulwer. He was the elder brother of the first Baron Lytton. The

family seat A family seat or sometimes just called seat is the principal residence of the landed gentry and aristocracy. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families ...

is Newbuildings Place, near

Shipley, West Sussex Shipley is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the A272 road north-east of Storrington. The parish includes the village of Coolham and the hamlets of Dragon's Green, Brooks Green and ...

Barons Lytton (1866)

(1803–1873) * Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Baron Lytton (1831–1891) (created Earl of Lytton in 1880)

Earls of Lytton (1880)

* Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton (1831–1891) **Edward Roland John Bulwer-Lytton (1865–1871) **Hon. Henry Meredith Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1872–1874) * Victor Alexander George Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton (1876–1947) ** (Edward) Antony James Bulwer-Lytton, Viscount Knebworth (1903-1933) **Alexander Edward John Bulwer-Lytton, Viscount Knebworth MBE (1910-1942) *

Neville Stephen Bulwer-Lytton, 3rd Earl of Lytton Neville Stephen Bulwer-Lytton, 3rd Earl of Lytton, Order of the British Empire, OBE (6 February 1879 – 9 February 1951) was a British Empire, British military officer, Olympian and artist. Early life Neville Lytton was born in British ...

(1879–1951) *

Noel Anthony Scawen Lytton-Milbanke, 4th Earl of Lytton Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-Colonel Noel Anthony Scawen Lytton, 4th Earl of Lytton (7 April 1900 – 18 January 1985) was a British Army officer, Arabian horse fancier (of the Crabbet Arabian Stud) and writer. Early lif ...

(1900–1985) * John Peter Michael Scawen Lytton, 5th Earl of Lytton (b. 1950) 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 Philip Anthony Scawen Lytton, Viscount Knebworth (b. 1989)

References

;Additional source *Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lytton 1880 establishments in the United Kingdom Earldoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Noble titles created in 1880