Viscount Stansgate, of Stansgate in the County of Essex, is a title 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 B ...

. It was created in 1942 for the Labour politician, former

Secretary of State for India His (or Her) Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for India, known for short as the India secretary or the Indian secretary, was the British Cabinet minister and the political head of the India Office responsible for the governance of ...

and future

Secretary of State for Air The Secretary of State for Air was a secretary of state position in the British government that existed from 1919 to 1964. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. The Secretary of State for Air was supported by ...

William Wedgwood Benn William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate, (10 May 1877 – 17 November 1960) was a British Liberal politician who later joined the Labour Party. A decorated Royal Air Force officer, he was Secretary of State for India between 1929 and ...

. He was the second son of Sir John Benn, 1st Baronet, of The Old Knoll. Stansgate's eldest son and heir apparent, Michael Benn, was later killed in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Consequently, he was succeeded in the title by his second son, the Labour politician

Tony Benn Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014), known between 1960 and 1963 as Viscount Stansgate, was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician and political activist who served as a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabine ...

, who disclaimed the peerage on 31 July 1963, the day the

Peerage Act 1963 The Peerage Act 1963 (c. 48) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that permits female hereditary peers and all Scottish hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords and allows newly inherited hereditary peerages to be disclaimed. ...

passed into law and made it possible for him to do so. , the title is held by Tony Benn's eldest son,

Stephen Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate Stephen Michael Wedgwood Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate (born 21 August 1951), is a British hereditary peer and Labour member of the House of Lords. Early life and education Stansgate's father, Tony Benn, and his younger brother, Hilary Benn, h ...

. Stansgate is a hamlet near the village of

Steeple, Essex Steeple is a village on the Dengie Peninsula in Essex, England. It is situated just east of Maylandsea and Mayland, on the southern side of the River Blackwater estuary. A hamlet, within the village of Steeple, on the banks of the River Bla ...

, on the southern side of the River Blackwater

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

. The village has been home to several generations of the Benn family since about 1900. They live in Stansgate Abbey, described by

Chris Mullin Christopher Paul Mullin (born July 30, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player, executive and coach. He is a five time NBA All-Star and four time All-NBA Team member. He is also two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time ...

as "an ungainly, rambling 1920s house in a stunning location".

Viscounts Stansgate (1942—present)

* ''

William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate, (10 May 1877 – 17 November 1960) was a British Liberal politician who later joined the Labour Party. A decorated Royal Air Force officer, he was Secretary of State for India between 1929 and ...

'' (1877–1960) ** ''Hon. Michael Julius Wedgwood Benn'' (1921–1944) ** '' Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn, 2nd Viscount Stansgate'' (1925–2014) ( disclaimed 1963) *** Stephen Michael Wedgwood Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate (b. 1951) **** (1) Hon. Daniel John Wedgwood Benn (b. 1991) *** (2) Hon. Hilary James Wedgwood Benn (b. 1953) **** (3) James Leon C. Benn (b. 1983) **** (4) Jonathan Anthony C. Benn (b. 1987) *** (5) Hon. Joshua William Wedgwood Benn (b. 1958) **** (6) William Wedgwood Benn (b. 1984) ** ''Hon. David Julian Wedgwood Benn'' (1928–2017) *** (7) Piers Michael Wedgwood Benn (b. 1962) The

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

is the present holder's son, the Hon. Daniel John Wedgwood Benn (born 1991). The heir apparent's

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

is the present holder's brother, the Hon. Hilary James Wedgwood Benn (born 1953).

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stansgate Viscountcies in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Noble titles created in 1942 Benn family Tony Benn

Viscounts Stansgate (1942—present)

See also

References