Earl Rivers was an English title, which has been created three times 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. From that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were closed to new creations, and new peers were created in a single Peerag ...

. It was held in succession by the families of Woodville (or Wydeville), Darcy and Savage.

History

The first creation was made for Richard Woodville, 1st Baron Rivers, in 1466 and remained in this family until 1491. As borne by the Woodvilles the title was not derived from the name of a place, but from an ancient family name, Redvers, or Reviers, members of this family, whose arms are quartered on the Rivers shield, having been sometime

Earls of Devon Earl of Devon is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. It was possessed first (after the Norman Conquest of 1066) by the Redvers family (''alias'' de Reviers, Revieres, etc.), and later by the Courtenay family. ...

. The second creation was made in 1626 for Thomas Darcy, 1st Viscount Colchester, who had succeeded as 3rd Baron Darcy of Chiche (created in 1551). In 1613, a reversion of the barony was granted to Sir Thomas Savage, Bt (created Viscount Savage in 1626 and son-in-law of Darcy); this creation and the earldom both had a remainder to Darcy's heirs male of his body, with remainder to Savage and the heirs male of his body. Savage's son

John 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 ...

succeeded to the Savage baronetcy and viscountcy in 1635. In 1640 on the death of the 1st Earl, John succeeded to the 1613 reversion of the Darcy of Chiche barony, the Colchester viscountcy and the Rivers earldom; the 1551 creation of the Darcy of Chiche barony became extinct. The earldom and the subsidiary titles became extinct when John Savage, 5th Earl Rivers, died in 1737. Elizabeth, Viscountess Savage, wife of Thomas, 1st Viscount Savage, daughter of the 1st Earl Rivers and mother of the 2nd Earl, was created Countess Rivers in her own right in 1641. This title was for life only and became extinct at her death in 1650. A new Rivers barony, held by the family of Pitt and its later representative, that of Pitt-Rivers, was in existence from 1776 to 1880.

List of titleholders

Earls Rivers, first creation (1466)

:''also Baron Rivers (England, 1448)'' *

Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers (1405 – 12 August 1469), also Wydeville, was the father of Elizabeth Woodville and father-in-law of Edward IV. Early life Born at Maidstone in Kent, Richard Woodville was the son of Richard Wydeville ...

(1405–1469) *

Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (c. 144025 June 1483), was an English nobleman, courtier, bibliophile and writer. He was the brother of Queen Elizabeth Woodville who married King Edward IV. He was one of the leading members of the Woodvi ...

(–1483) * Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers (- 1491)

Earls Rivers, second creation (1626)

* Thomas Darcy, 1st Earl Rivers (1565–1640); m. Mary Kitson :''also Viscount Colchester (England, 1621); Baron Darcy of Chiche (England, 1551); Baron Darcy of Chiche (England, 1613)'' * John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers (–1654) :''also Viscount Colchester (England, 1621); Viscount Savage (England, 1626); Baron Darcy of Chiche (England, 1613); Baronets, of Rocksavage (England, 1611)'' *

Thomas Savage, 3rd Earl Rivers Major General (United Kingdom), Major General Thomas Savage, 3rd Earl Rivers ( – 14 September 1694) was an English nobleman and soldier. He was the first son of John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers by his wife Catherine, daughter of William Parke ...

(–1694) *

Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers General Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers PC (ca. 1654 – 18 August 1712) was an English nobleman and soldier who was a senior Army officer in the English and then British Army. The second son of Thomas Savage, 3rd Earl Rivers and his first ...

(–1712) * John Savage, 5th Earl Rivers (1665–1737)

Earl Rivers, third creation (1641)

* Elizabeth Savage, Countess Rivers (1581–1650) :also Viscountess Colchester (England, 1641); both titles for life.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rivers Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of England Noble titles created in 1466 Noble titles created in 1626 Noble titles created in 1641 Peerages created with special remainders