Marquess of Reading 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 1926 for Rufus Isaacs, who had been Member of Parliament for

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

between 1904 and 1913, before serving as

Viceroy of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 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 in their capacity as the Emperor of ...

and

Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales The Lord or Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary of England and Wales and the president of the courts of England and Wales. Until 2005 the lord chief justice was the second-most senior judge of the English and ...

. He had already been created Baron Reading, of Erleigh in the County of Berkshire, in 1914, Viscount Reading, of Erleigh in the County of Berkshire, in 1916, and Viscount Erleigh, of Erleigh in the County of Berkshire, and Earl of Reading, in 1917. The marquessate of Reading is the highest title in the British peerage ever attained by a

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

, and is the most recently created ''extant'' marquessate in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (that of Willingdon was created in 1936 but became extinct in 1979). In this role, the marquessate of Reading is currently the junior-most marquessate in the

Order of precedence in England and Wales The following is the order of precedence in England and Wales as of . Separate orders exist for men and women. Names in italics indicate that these people rank elsewhere—either higher in that table of precedence or in the table for the othe ...

. Upon the death of the 1st Marquess of Reading, he was succeeded by his son, the second marquess. He notably held ministerial office from 1951 to 1957 in the Conservative administrations of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

and

Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achi ...

. the titles are held by his grandson, the fourth marquess, who succeeded his father in 1980. The family seat was Jaynes Court, near Bisley,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

. In May 1804, the title of Baron Reading was offered to the outgoing prime minister,

Henry Addington Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth (30 May 175715 February 1844) was a British Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1804 and as Speaker of the House of Commons (U ...

, who had many links with the largely pre-industrialised town, as a subsidiary title of the customary retirement

earldom Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

for prime ministers. However, Addington refused the honour, though later accepting a peerage as Viscount Sidmouth.

Marquesses of Reading (1926)

:''Other titles (1st Marquess onwards): Baron Reading ( UK, 1914), Viscount Reading (UK, 1916), Viscount Erleigh (UK, 1917), Earl of Reading (UK, 1917) '' * Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading (1860–1935) * Gerald Rufus Isaacs, 2nd Marquess of Reading (1889–1960) * Michael Alfred Rufus Isaacs, 3rd Marquess of Reading (1916–1980) * Simon Charles Henry Rufus Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading (born 1942) 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, Julian Michael Rufus Isaacs, Viscount Erleigh (born 1986). * ''Michael Isaacs, 3rd Marquess of Reading (1916–1980)'' ** Coronet of a British Marquess

Simon Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading (born 1942) *** (1) Julian Rufus Isaacs, ''Viscount Erleigh'' (born 1986) ** (2) ''Lord'' Antony Rufus Isaacs (born 1943) ** (3) ''Lord'' Alexander Rufus Isaacs (born 1957)

Coat of Arms

File:Arms of Isaacs.svg, Arms of the Marquess of Reading File:Swanborough Lozenge.png, Lozenge of arms of the Baroness Swanboroughsecond wife of the first marquess

Notes

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, *
Lord Reading Yacht ClubLord Reading Law Society

Marquesses of Reading (1926)

Coat of Arms

Notes

References

External links

See also