PEERAGE
Last updated 23/06/2011
Date Rank Order Name Born Died  Age
FITZWILLIAM
24 Jun 1295 B 1 Ralph Fitzwilliam Nov 1315
Summoned to Parliament as Lord
Fitzwilliam 24 Jun 1295
Nov 1315 2 Robert Fitzwilliam 1275 1317 42
1317 3 Ralph de Greystock
He was summoned to Parliament as Lord
Greystock (qv) in 1321
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1 Dec 1620 B[I] 1 William Fitzwilliam 6 Jan 1644
Created Baron Fitzwilliam 1 Dec 1620
6 Jan 1644 2 William Fitzwilliam c 1609 21 Feb 1658
21 Feb 1658 3 William Fitzwilliam 29 Apr 1643 28 Dec 1719 76
21 Jul 1716 E[I] 1 Created Viscount Milton and Earl 
Fitzwilliam 21 Jul 1716
MP for Peterborough 1667-1679 and 1681-1685
28 Dec 1719 2 John Fitzwilliam c 1681 28 Aug 1728
MP for Peterborough 1710-1728
28 Aug 1728 3 William Fitzwilliam 15 Jan 1719 10 Aug 1756 37
6 Sep 1746 E 1 Created Baron Fitzwilliam 19 Apr 1742,
and Viscount Milton and Earl
Fitzwilliam 6 Sep 1746
MP for Peterborough 1741-1742. PC [I] 1746
10 Aug 1756 4 William Fitzwilliam 30 May 1748 8 Feb 1833 84
2 Lord President of the Council 1794 and
1806. Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1795. Lord
Lieutenant W Riding Yorkshire 1798-1819
PC 1794
8 Feb 1833 5 Charles William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam 4 May 1786 4 Oct 1857 71
3 MP for Malton 1806-1807, Yorkshire 1807-
1830, Peterborough 1830, Northamptonshire
1831-1832 and Northamptonshire North 1832-
1833. KG 1851
4 Oct 1857 6 William Thomas Spencer Wentworth-
4 Fitzwilliam 12 Oct 1815 20 Feb 1902 86
MP for Malton 1837-1841 and 1846-1847,
and Wicklow 1847-1857. Lord Lieutenant W
Riding Yorkshire 1857-1892.  KG 1862
20 Feb 1902 7 William Charles de Meuron Wentworth-
5 Fitzwilliam 25 Jul 1872 15 Feb 1943 70
MP for Wakefield 1895-1902
For further information on this peer and his
father,Viscount Milton, see the notes at the
foot of this page
15 Feb 1943 8 William Henry Lawrence Peter Wentworth-
6 Fitzwilliam 31 Dec 1910 13 May 1948 37
For further information on the death of this peer,
see the note at the foot of this page
13 May 1948 9 Eric Spencer Wentworth-Fitzwilliam 4 Dec 1883 3 Apr 1952 68
7
3 Apr 1952 10 William Thomas George Wentworth-
to     8 Fitzwilliam 28 May 1904 21 Sep 1979 75
21 Sep 1979 Peerages extinct on his death
For further information on the Fitzwilliam
legitimacy case of 1951,see the note at the
foot of this page
FITZWILLIAM OF MERYON
5 Aug 1629 V[I] 1 Thomas Fitzwilliam 1581 c 1650
Created Baron Fitzwilliam of
Thorncastle and Viscount Fitzwilliam of
Meryon 5 Aug 1629
c 1650 2 Oliver Fitzwilliam,Earl of Tyrconnel 11 Apr 1667
11 Apr 1667 3 William Fitzwilliam c 1670
c 1670 4 Thomas Fitzwilliam 20 Feb 1704
20 Feb 1704 5 Richard Fitzwilliam c 1677 6 Jun 1743
MP for Fowey 1727-1734. PC [I] 1715
6 Jun 1743 6 Richard Fitzwilliam 24 Jul 1711 25 Apr 1776 64
PC 1746  PC [I] 1766
25 Apr 1776 7 Richard Fitzwilliam 22 Aug 1745 4 Feb 1816 70
MP for Wilton 1790-1806
4 Feb 1816 8 John Fitzwilliam 21 Oct 1752 Oct 1830 78
Oct 1830 9 Thomas Fitzwilliam 3 Sep 1755 Jan 1833 77
to     Peerage extinct on his death
Jan 1833
FITZWILLIAM OF THORNCASTLE
5 Aug 1629 B[I] 1 Thomas Fitzwilliam 1581 c 1650
Created Baron Fitzwilliam of
Thorncastle and Viscount Fitzwilliam of
Meryon 5 Aug 1629
See "Fitzwilliam of Meryon"
FLATHER
11 Jun 1990 B[L] 1 Shreela Flather 13 Feb 1934
Created Baroness Flather 11 Jun 1990
FLECK
3 Feb 1961 B 1 Alexander Fleck 11 Nov 1889 6 Aug 1968 78
to     Created Baron Fleck 3 Feb 1961
6 Aug 1968 Peerage extinct on his death
FLEMING
c 1445 B[S] 1 Robert Fleming 1494
Created Lord Fleming c 1445
1494 2 John Fleming 1 Nov 1524
1 Nov 1524 3 Malcolm Fleming c 1494 10 Sep 1547
10 Sep 1547 4 James Fleming c 1535 15 Dec 1558
15 Dec 1558 5 John Fleming 6 Sep 1572
6 Sep 1572 6 John Fleming
Created Lord Fleming and Cumbernauld
and Earl of Wigtoun (qv) in 1606
FLETCHER
9 Jul 1970 B[L] 1 Eric George Molyneux Fletcher 26 Mar 1903 9 Jun 1990 87
to     Created Baron Fletcher 9 Jul 1970
9 Jun 1990 MP for Islington East 1945-1970.  PC 1967
Peerage extinct on his death
FLIGHT
13 Jan 2011 B[L] 1 Howard Emerson Flight 16 Jun 1948
Created Baron Flight for life 13 Jan 2011
MP for Arundel & South Downs 1997-2005
FLOREY
4 Feb 1965 B[L] 1 Howard Walter Florey 24 Sep 1898 21 Feb 1968 69
to     Created Baron Florey 4 Feb 1965
21 Feb 1968 Nobel Prize for Medicine 1945.  OM 1965
Peerage extinct on his death
FLOWERS
20 Feb 1979 B[L] 1 Brian Hilton Flowers 13 Sep 1924 25 Jun 2010 85
to     Created Baron Flowers 20 Feb 1979
25 Jun 2010 Peerage extinct on his death
FOLEY
1 Jan 1712 B 1 Thomas Foley 8 Nov 1673 22 Jan 1733 59
Created Baron Foley 1 Jan 1712
MP for Stafford 1694-1712
22 Jan 1733 2 Thomas Foley 1703 8 Jan 1766 62
to     Peerage extinct on his death
8 Jan 1766
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20 May 1776 B 1 Thomas Foley 8 Aug 1716 18 Nov 1777 61
Created Baron Foley 20 May 1776
MP for Droitwich 1741-1747 and 1754-1768, and
Herefordshire 1768-1776
18 Nov 1777 2 Thomas Foley 24 Jun 1742 2 Jul 1793 51
MP for Herefordshire 1767-1774 and
Droitwich 1774-1777. Postmaster General
1783
2 Jul 1793 3 Thomas Foley 22 Dec 1780 16 Apr 1833 52
Lord Lieutenant Worcester 1831-1833.  PC 1830
16 Apr 1833 4 Thomas Henry Foley 11 Dec 1808 20 Nov 1869 60
MP for Worcestershire 1830-1832 and
Worcestershire West 1832-1833  PC
Lord Lieutenant Worcester 1837-1839
20 Nov 1869 5 Henry Thomas Foley 4 Dec 1850 17 Dec 1905 55
17 Dec 1905 6 Fitzalan Charles John Foley 27 Sep 1852 14 Feb 1918 65
14 Feb 1918 7 Gerald Henry Foley 15 Apr 1898 3 Apr 1927 28
3 Apr 1927 8 Adrian Gerald Foley 9 Aug 1923
FOLIOT
23 Jun 1295 B 1 Jordan Foliot 2 May 1299
Summoned to Parliament as Lord
Foliot 23 Jun 1295
2 May 1299 2 Richard Foliot 1284 c 1314
c 1314 3 Richard Foliot 1326
to     On his death the peerage fell into abeyance
1326
FOLKESTONE
29 Jun 1747 V 1 Sir Jacob Bouverie,3rd baronet 14 Oct 1694 17 Feb 1761 66
Created Baron Longford and Viscount
Folkestone 29 Jun 1747
MP for Salisbury 1741-1747
17 Feb 1761 2 William Bouverie 26 Feb 1725 28 Jan 1776 50
He was created Earl of Radnor (qv) in 1765
with which title this peerage then merged
FOLLIOTT
22 Jan 1620 B[I] 1 Henry Folliott 1568 10 Nov 1622 54
Created Baron Folliot 22 Jan 1620
10 Nov 1622 2 Thomas Folliott 1613 1697 84
1697 3 Henry Folliott 1662 17 Oct 1716 54
to     Peerage extinct on his death
17 Oct 1716
FOOKES
30 Sep 1997 B[L] 1 Janet Evelyn Fookes 21 Feb 1936
Created Baroness Fookes 30 Sep 1997
MP for Merton and Morden 1970-1974 and
Plymouth Drake 1974-1997
FOOT
29 Nov 1967 B[L] 1 John Mackintosh Foot 17 Feb 1909 11 Oct 1999 90
to     Created Baron Foot 29 Nov 1967
11 Oct 1999 Peerage extinct on his death
FORBES (IRELAND)
27 Feb 1724     George Forbes 21 Oct 1685 19 Jun 1765 79
Summoned to the Irish House of Lords by a
Writ of Acceleration as Baron Forbes
27 Feb 1724
He succeeded as 3rd Earl of Granard (qv) in 1734
FORBES (SCOTLAND)
1445 B[S] 1 Sir Alexander Forbes c 1380 1448
Created Lord Forbes 1445
1448 2 James Forbes c 1461
c 1461 3 William Forbes by 1488
by 1488 4 Alexander Forbes c 1491
c 1491 5 Arthur Forbes c 1496
c 1496 6 John Forbes 1547
1547 7 William Forbes 1593
1593 8 John Forbes c 1608
c 1608 9 Arthur Forbes after 1634
after 1634 10 Alexander Forbes 20 Apr 1672
20 Apr 1672 11 William Forbes 1691
1691 12 William Forbes c 1656 25 Jul 1716
Lord Lieutenant Aberdeen and Kincardine
1715
25 Jul 1716 13 William Forbes 26 Jun 1730
26 Jun 1730 14 Francis Forbes 19 Dec 1721 8 Aug 1734 12
8 Aug 1734 15 James Forbes 1689 20 Feb 1761 71
20 Feb 1761 16 James Forbes c 1725 29 Jul 1804
29 Jul 1804 17 James Ochanbar Forbes 7 Mar 1765 4 May 1843 78
4 May 1843 18 Walter Forbes 29 May 1798 1 May 1868 69
1 May 1868 19 Horace Courtenay Gammell Forbes 24 May 1829 23 Jun 1914 85
23 Jun 1914 20 Atholl Monson Forbes 15 Feb 1841 31 Jan 1916 74
31 Jan 1916 21 Atholl Laurence Cunyngham Forbes 14 Sep 1882 26 Nov 1953 71
26 Nov 1953 22 Nigel Ivan Forbes 19 Feb 1918
FORBES OF PITSLIGO
24 Jun 1633 B[S] 1 Alexander Forbes 26 Oct 1636
Created Lord Forbes of Pitsligo
24 Jun 1633
26 Oct 1636 2 Alexander Forbes c 1690
c 1690 3 Alexander Forbes c 1655 Dec 1690
Dec 1690 4 Alexander Forbes 21 Dec 1762
to     He was attainted and the peerage
1746 forfeited
FORD
5 Jun 2006 B[L] 1 Margaret Anne Ford 16 Dec 1957
Created Baroness Ford for life 5 Jun 2006
FORDWICH
18 Mar 1718 V 1 William Cowper,Baron Cowper c 1665 10 Oct 1723
Created Viscount Fordwich and Earl 
Cowper 18 Mar 1718
See "Cowper"
FORESTER
17 Jul 1821 B 1 Cecil Weld-Forester 7 Apr 1767 23 May 1828 61
Created Baron Forester 17 Jul 1821
MP for Wenlock 1790-1820
23 May 1828 2 John George Weld Weld-Forester 9 Aug 1801 10 Oct 1874 73
MP for Wenlock 1826-1828.  PC 1841
10 Oct 1874 3 George Cecil Weld Weld-Forester 10 May 1807 14 Feb 1886 78
MP for Wenlock 1828-1874.  PC 1852
14 Feb 1886 4 Orlando Watkin Weld Weld-Forester 18 Apr 1813 22 Jun 1894 81
22 Jun 1894 5 Cecil Theodore Weld-Forester 3 Aug 1842 20 Nov 1917 75
MP for Wenlock 1874-1885
20 Nov 1917 6 George Cecil Beaumont Weld-Forester 9 Sep 1867 10 Oct 1932 65
10 Oct 1932 7 Cecil George Wilfred Weld-Forester 12 Jul 1899 4 Jan 1977 77
4 Jan 1977 8 George Cecil Brooke Weld-Forester 20 Feb 1938 4 Feb 2004 65
4 Feb 2004 9 Charles Richard George Weld-Forester 8 Jul 1975
FORFAR
2 Oct 1661 E[S] 1 Archibald Douglas 3 May 1653 11 Dec 1712 59
Created Earl of Forfar 2 Oct 1661
11 Dec 1712 2 Archibald Douglas 25 May 1692 8 Dec 1715 23
to     On his death the peerage became either
8 Dec 1715 extinct or dormant
FORMARTINE
30 Nov 1682 V[S] 1 George Gordon  3 Oct 1637 20 Apr 1720 82
Created Lord Haddo,Methlick,Tarves
and Kellie,Viscount of Formartine and
Earl of Aberdeen  30 Nov 1682
See "Aberdeen"
FORRES
19 Jun 1922 B 1 Sir Archibald Williamson,1st baronet 13 Sep 1860 29 Oct 1931 71
Created Baron Forres 19 Jun 1922
MP for Elgin and Nairn 1906-1918 and
Moray and Nairn 1918-1922.  PC 1918
29 Oct 1931 2 Stephen Kenneth Guthrie Williamson 20 Mar 1888 26 Jun 1954 66
26 Jun 1954 3 John Archibald Harford Williamson 30 Oct 1922 22 Sep 1978 55
22 Sep 1978 4 Alastair Stephen Grant Williamson 16 May 1946
FORREST
8 Feb 1918 B 1 John Forrest 22 Aug 1847 3 Sep 1918 71
to     Created Baron Forrest 8 Feb 1918
3 Sep 1918 No Letters Patent were ever issued and, on
his death, the peerage, if indeed one had ever
been created, became extinct.
FORRESTER
23 Jul 1633 B[S] 1 Sir George Forrester,1st baronet 1654
Created Lord Forrester 23 Jul 1633
1654 2 James Baillie 29 Oct 1629 26 Aug 1679 49
26 Aug 1679 3 William Baillie 12 Dec 1632 May 1681 48
May 1681 4 William Baillie 1705
1705 5 George Forrester 23 Mar 1688 17 Feb 1727 38
17 Feb 1727 6 George Forrester 10 Jul 1724 26 Jun 1748 23
26 Jun 1748 7 William Forrester Nov 1763
Nov 1763 8 Caroline Cockburn 25 Feb 1784
25 Feb 1784 9 Anna Maria Cockburn 3 Dec 1808
3 Dec 1808 10 James Walter Grimston 26 Sep 1775 17 Nov 1845 70
He was created Earl of Verulam (qv) in 1815
with which title this peerage then merged
FORSTER
12 Dec 1919 B 1 Henry William Forster 31 Jan 1866 15 Jan 1936 69
to     Created Baron Forster 12 Dec 1919
15 Jan 1936 MP for Sevenoaks 1892-1918 and Bromley
1918-1919. Governor General of Australia
1920-1925.  PC 1917
Peerage extinct on his death
FORSTER OF HARRABY
16 Jul 1959 B 1 John Forster 15 Sep 1888 24 Jul 1972 83
to     Created Baron Forster of Harraby
24 Jul 1972 16 Jul 1959
Peerage extinct on his death
FORSYTH OF DRUMLEAN
14 Jul 1999 B[L] 1 Sir Michael Bruce Forsyth 16 Oct 1954
Created Baron Forsyth of Drumlean
14 Jul 1999
MP for Stirling 1983-1997. Minister of 
State,Scotland 1990-1992. Minister of
State,Employment 1992-1994. Minister of
State,Home Office 1994-1995. Sec of State
for Scotland 1995-1997. PC 1995
FORTE
2 Feb 1982 B[L] 1 Charles Forte 26 Nov 1908 28 Feb 2007 98
to     Created Baron Forte 2 Feb 1982
28 Feb 2007 Peerage extinct on his death
FORTESCUE
5 Jul 1746 B 1 Hugh Fortescue 1696 2 May 1751 54
Created Baron Fortescue 5 Jul 1746
2 May 1751 2 Matthew Fortescue 31 Mar 1719 10 Jul 1785 66
10 Jul 1785 3 Hugh Fortescue 12 Mar 1753 16 Jun 1841 88
1 Sep 1789 E 1 Created Viscount Ebrington and Earl
Fortescue 1 Sep 1789
MP for Beaumaris 1784-1785.  Lord
Lieutenant Devon 1788-1839
16 Jun 1841 2 Hugh Fortescue 13 Feb 1783 14 Sep 1861 78
MP for Barnstaple 1804-1807, St.Mawes
1807-1809, Buckingham 1812-1817, Devon
1818-1820, Tavistock 1820-1830, Devon
1830-1832 and Devon North 1832-1839.
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1839-1841. Lord
Lieutenant Devon 1839-1861  PC 1839  KG 1856
He was summoned to Parliament by a Writ of
Acceleration as Baron Fortescue 28 Feb 1839
14 Sep 1861 3 Hugh Fortescue 4 Apr 1818 10 Oct 1905 87
MP for Plymouth 1841-1842 and Marylebone
1854-1859
He was summoned to Parliament by a Writ of
Acceleration as Baron Fortescue 5 Dec 1859
10 Oct 1905 4 Hugh Fortescue 16 Apr 1854 29 Oct 1932 78
MP for Tiverton 1881-1885 and Tavistock
1885-1892. Lord Lieutenant Devon 1904-1928
29 Oct 1932 5 Hugh William Fortescue 14 Jun 1888 14 Jun 1958 70
Lord Lieutenant Devon 1936-1958. KG 1951
PC 1952
14 Jun 1958 6 Denzil George Fortescue 13 Jun 1893 1 Jun 1977 83
1 Jun 1977 7 Richard Archibald Fortescue 14 Apr 1922 7 Mar 1993 70
7 Mar 1993 8 Charles Hugh Richard Fortescue 10 May 1951
FORTESCUE OF CREDAN
15 Aug 1746 B[I] 1 John Fortescue-Aland 7 Mar 1670 19 Dec 1746 76
Created Baron Fortescue of
Credan 15 Aug 1746
MP for Midhurst 1715-1716
19 Dec 1746 2 Dormer Fortescue-Aland 1723 9 Mar 1781 57
to     Peerage extinct on his death
9 Mar 1781
FORTEVIOT
4 Jan 1917 B 1 Sir John Alexander Dewar,1st baronet 6 Jun 1856 23 Nov 1929 73
Created Baron Forteviot 4 Jan 1917
MP for Inverness-shire 1900-1916
23 Nov 1929 2 John Dewar 17 Mar 1885 24 Oct 1947 62
24 Oct 1947 3 Henry Evelyn Alexander Dewar 23 Feb 1906 25 Mar 1993 87
25 Mar 1993 4 John James Evelyn Dewar 5 Apr 1938
FORTH
27 Mar 1642 E[S] 1 Patrick Ruthven 2 Feb 1651
to     Created Baron Ruthven of Ettrick
2 Feb 1651 1639, Earl of Forth 27 Mar 1642 and
Earl of Brentford 27 May 1644
Peerages extinct on his death
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12 Aug 1686 V[S] 1 John Drummond c 1650 25 Jan 1715
to     Created Lord Drummond of Gilstoun 
2 Jul 1695 and Viscount of Melfort 14 Apr 1685,
and Lord Drummond of Riccartoun,
Viscount of Forth and Earl of 
Melfort 12 Aug 1686
See "Melfort"
FORTROSE
Although not a peerage, the title "Lord Fortrose"
was used as a courtesy title by the Earls of
Seaforth between 1623 and 1716
                   ********************
3 Dec 1771 V[I] 1 Kenneth Mackenzie 15 Jan 1744 Aug 1781 37
to     Created Baron of Ardelve and
Aug 1781 Viscount Fortrose 18 Nov 1766, and
Earl of Seaforth 3 Dec 1771
Peerages extinct on his death
FOSTER OF BISHOP AUCKLAND
16 Jun 2005 B[L] 1 Derek Foster 25 Jun 1937
Created Baron Foster of Bishop Auckland
16 Jun 2005
MP for Bishop Auckland 1979-2005. PC 1993
FOSTER OF THAMES BANK
19 Jul 1999 B[L] 1 Sir Norman Robert Foster 1 Jun 1935
Created Baron Foster of Thames Bank
19 Jul 1999
OM 1997
FOULKES OF CUMNOCK
16 Jun 2005 B[L] 1 George Foulkes 21 Jan 1942
Created Baron Foulkes of Cumnock 
16 Jun 2005
MP for Ayrshire South 1979-1983 and Carrick,
Cumnock and Doon Valley 1983-2005. PC 2002
FOWLER
3 Jul 2001 B[L] 1 Peter Norman Fowler 2 Feb 1938
Created Baron Fowler for life 3 Jul 2001
MP for Nottingham South 1970-1974 and 
Sutton Coldfield 1974-2001. Minister of
Transport 1979-1981. Sec of State for
Transport 1981. Sec of State for Social
Services 1981-1987. Sec of State for
Employment 1987-1990. PC 1979
FOXFORD
11 Aug 1815 B 1 Edmond Henry Pery,Earl of Limerick 8 Jan 1758 7 Dec 1844 86
Created Baron Foxford 11 Aug 1815
See "Limerick"
FRAMLINGHAM
14 Jan 2011 B[L] 1 Sir Michael Nicholson Lord 17 Oct 1938
Created Baron Framlingham for life 14 Jan 2011
MP for Suffolk Central 1983-1997 and Suffolk
Central and Ipswich North 1997-2010
FRANCIS-WILLIAMS
13 Apr 1962 B[L] 1 Edward Francis Williams 10 Mar 1903 5 Jun 1970 67
to     Created Baron Francis-Williams 
5 Jun 1970 13 Apr 1962
Peerage extinct on his death
FRANKFORT DE MONTMORENCY
22 Jan 1816 V[I] 1 Lodge Evans de Montmorency 26 Jan 1747 21 Sep 1822 75
Created Baron Frankfort de 
Montmorency 31 Jul 1800 and Viscount
Frankfort de Montmorency 22 Jan 1816
PC [I] 1796
21 Sep 1822 2 Lodge Raymond de Montmorency 24 Nov 1806 25 Dec 1889 83
For further information on this peer, see the
note at the foot of this page.
25 Dec 1889 3 Raymond Harvey de Montmorency 21 Sep 1835 7 May 1902 66
For information on this peer's son and heir,see 
the note at the foot of this page
7 May 1902 4 Willoughby John Horace de Montmorency 3 May 1868 5 Jul 1917 49
to     Peerages extinct on his death
5 Jul 1917
FRANKS
10 May 1962 B[L] 1 Oliver Shewell Franks 16 Feb 1905 15 Oct 1992 87
to     Created Baron Franks 10 May 1962
15 Oct 1992 PC 1949  OM 1977
Peerage extinct on his death
FRASER
29 Jun 1633 B[S] 1 Andrew Fraser 10 Dec 1636
Created Lord Fraser 29 Jun 1633
10 Dec 1636 2 Andrew Fraser c 1657
c 1657 3 Andrew Fraser 22 May 1674
22 May 1674 4 Charles Fraser 1662 12 Oct 1720 54
to     On his death the peerage became dormant
12 Oct 1720
FRASER OF ALLANDER
30 Dec 1964 1 Sir Hugh Fraser,1st baronet 15 Jan 1903 6 Nov 1966 63
Created Baron Fraser of Allander
30 Dec 1964
6 Nov 1966 2 Hugh Fraser 18 Sep 1936 5 May 1987 50
to     He disclaimed the peerage for life 1966.
5 May 1987 Peerage extinct on his death
FRASER OF CARMYLLIE
10 Feb 1989 B[L] 1 Peter Lovat Fraser 29 May 1945
Created Baron Fraser of Carmyllie 
10 Feb 1989
MP for Angus South 1979-1983 and Angus
East 1983-1987. Solicitor General for
Scotland 1982-1989. Lord Advocate 1989-
1992.  PC 1989
FRASER OF KILMORACK
11 Jun 1974 B[L] 1 Richard Michael Fraser 28 Oct 1915 1 Jul 1996 80
to     Created Baron Fraser of
1 Jul 1996 Kilmorack 11 Jun 1974
Peerage extinct on his death
FRASER OF LONSDALE
1 Aug 1958 B[L] 1 William Jocelyn Ian Fraser 30 Aug 1897 19 Dec 1974 77
to       Created Baron Fraser of Lonsdale
19 Dec 1974 1 Aug 1958
MP for St.Pancras 1924-1929 and 1931-1937,
Lonsdale 1940-1950 and Morecambe and
1950-1958  CH 1953
Peerage extinct on his death
FRASER OF NORTH CAPE
19 Sep 1946 B 1 Bruce Austin Fraser 5 Feb 1888 12 Feb 1981 93
to     Created Baron Fraser of North
12 Feb 1981 Cape 19 Sep 1946
Admiral of the Fleet 1948
Peerage extinct on his death
FRASER OF TULLYBELTON
13 Jan 1975 B[L] 1 Walter Ian Reid Fraser 3 Feb 1911 17 Feb 1989 78
to     Created Baron Fraser of
17 Feb 1989 Tullybelton 13 Jan 1975
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary 1975-1985
PC 1974
Peerage extinct on his death
FREEMAN
29 Oct 1997 B[L] 1 Roger Norman Freeman 27 May 1942
Created Baron Freeman 29 Oct 1997
MP for Kettering 1983-1997. Minister of
State,Transport 1990-1994. Minister of
State,Defence 1994-1995. Chancellor of 
the Duchy of Lancaster 1995-1997. PC 1993
FRENCH
1 Jan 1916 V 1 John Denton Pinkstone French 28 Sep 1852 22 May 1925 72
Created Viscount French 1 Jan 1916
He was subsequently created Earl of Ypres
in 1922 (qv)
FRENDRAUGHT
29 Aug 1642 V[S] 1 James Crichton c 1620 1665
Created Lord Crichton and Viscount
of Frendraught 29 Aug 1642
1665 2 James Crichton 1674
1674 3 William Crichton c 1686
c 1686 4 Lewis Crichton 26 Nov 1698
to     The peerage was forfeited in 1690
1690
FRENE
29 Nov 1336 B 1 Hugh de Frene c 1290 Dec 1336
to     Summoned to Parliament as Lord
Dec 1336 Frene 29 Nov 1336
Peerage extinct on his death
FRESCHEVILLE
16 Mar 1665 B 1 John Frescheville 4 Dec 1607 31 Mar 1682 74
to     Created Baron Frescheville 16 Mar 1665
31 Mar 1682 MP for Derbyshire 1661-1665
Peerage extinct on his death
FREUD
27 Jun 2009 B[L] 1 David Freud Jun 1950
Created Baron Freud for life 27 Jun 2009
FREYBERG
19 Oct 1951 B 1 Bernard Cyril Freyberg VC 21 Mar 1889 4 Jul 1963 74
Created Baron Freyberg 19 Oct 1951
Governor General of New Zealand 1946-
1952
For further information on this peer and VC
winner, see the note at the foot of this page
4 Jul 1963 2 Paul Richard Freyberg 27 May 1923 26 May 1993 69
26 May 1993 3 Valerian Bernard Freyberg 15 Dec 1970
FRITCHIE
31 May 2005 B[L] 1 Dame Irene Tordoff Fritchie 29 Apr 1942
Created Baroness Fritchie 31 May 2005
FULTON
19 Jan 1966 B[L] 1 John Scott Fulton 27 May 1902 14 Mar 1986 83
to     Created Baron Fulton 19 Jan 1966
14 Mar 1986 Peerage extinct on his death
FURNEAUX
28 Nov 1922 E 1 Frederick Edwin Smith 12 Jul 1872 30 Sep 1930 58
Created Viscount Furneaux and Earl of
Birkenhead 28 Nov 1922
See "Birkenhead"
FURNESS
19 Jul 1910 B 1 Christopher Furness 23 Apr 1852 10 Nov 1912 60
Created Baron Furness 19 Jul 1910
MP for Hartlepool 1891-1895 and 1900-1910
10 Nov 1912 2 Marmaduke Furness 29 Oct 1883 6 Oct 1940 56
16 Jan 1918 V 1 Created Viscount Furness 16 Jan 1918
For information on his eldest son and heir, see 
the note at the foot of this page
6 Oct 1940 2 William Anthony Furness 31 Mar 1929 1 May 1995 66
to     Peerages extinct on his death
1 May 1995
FURNIVAL
8 May 1839 B 1 Richard Wogan Talbot,2nd Baron Talbot
to     of Malahide 29 Oct 1849
29 Oct 1849 Created Baron Furnival 8 May 1839
Peerage extinct on his death
FURNIVALL
23 Jun 1295 B 1 Thomas de Furnivall 3 Feb 1332
Summoned to Parliament as Lord
Furnivall 23 Jun 1295
3 Feb 1332 2 Thomas de Furnivall 1301 13 Oct 1339 38
13 Oct 1339 3 Thomas de Furnivall 1322 c 1364
c 1364 4 William de Furnivall 12 Apr 1383
12 Apr 1383 5 Joane Nevill c 1401
She married Thomas Nevill who was 
summoned to parliament as Lord Furnivall
in her right. He died 14 Mar 1407
14 Mar 1407 6 Maud Talbot by 1433
She married John Talbot who was 
summoned to Parliament as Lord Furnivall
in her right. He was later created Earl of
of Shrewsbury 1442 (qv) and died 
20 Jul 1453
20 Jul 1453 7 John Talbot,Earl of Shrewsbury 1413 10 Jul 1460 47
10 Jul 1460 8 John Talbot,Earl of Shrewsbury 12 Dec 1448 28 Jun 1473 24
28 Jun 1473 9 George Talbot,Earl of Shrewsbury c 1469 26 Jul 1541
26 Jul 1541 10 Francis Talbot,Earl of Shrewsbury 1500 21 Sep 1560 60
21 Sep 1560 11 George Talbot,Earl of Shrewsbury by 1528 18 Nov 1590
18 Nov 1590 12 Gilbert Talbot,Earl of Shrewsbury 20 Nov 1552 8 May 1616 43
to     On his death the peerage fell into 
8 May 1616 abeyance
1651 13 Alathea Howard 24 May 1654
She became sole heir in 1651 when the 
abeyance was terminated
24 May 1654 14 Thomas Howard,Duke of Norfolk 9 Mar 1627 13 Dec 1677 50
13 Dec 1677 15 Henry Howard,Duke of Norfolk 12 Jul 1628 11 Jan 1684 55
11 Jan 1684 16 Henry Howard,Duke of Norfolk 11 Jan 1655 2 Apr 1701 46
2 Apr 1701 17 Thomas Howard,Duke of Norfolk 11 Dec 1683 23 Dec 1732 49
23 Dec 1732 18 Edward Howard,Duke of Norfolk 5 Jun 1686 20 Sep 1777 91
to     On his death the peerage again fell into 
20 Sep 1777 abeyance
3 May 1913 19 Mary Frances Katherine Dent 27 May 1900 24 Dec 1968 68
to     Abeyance terminated in her favour .
24 Dec 1968 On her death the peerage again fell 
into abeyance
FYFE OF FAIRFIELD
16 May 2000 B[L] 1 George Lennox Fyfe 10 Apr 1941 1 Feb 2011 69
to     Created Baron Fyfe of Fairfield
1 Feb 2011 16 May 2000
Peerage extinct on his death
FYVIE
4 Mar 1598 B[S] 1 Alexander Seton 16 Jun 1622
Created Lord Fyvie 4 Mar 1598 and 
Earl of Dunfermline 4 Mar 1605
See "Dunfermline"
William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, Viscount Milton, son of the 6th Earl Fitzwilliam and 
father of the 7th Earl Fitzwilliam
The 6th Earl Fitzwilliam (1815-1902) had 14 children - 8 sons and 6 daughters. Each of the
sons was, confusingly, named William, so apart from the eldest son, they were known by their 
middle names. The eldest son was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Milton.
In 2007, Catherine Bailey's book "Black Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty" was
published by Penguin Books in London. The book is an in-depth study of the Fitzwilliam family
between the birth of Viscount Milton in 1839 and the extinction of the earldom in 1979. I found
it to be a fascinating story and I have no hesitation in recommending it to others who are
interested in the Fitzwilliam family. The following notes on Viscount Milton, and the 7th and 8th
Earls Fitzwilliam are based on information contained in this book.
The eldest son, William Fitzwilliam, was born 27 July 1839 and, in the ordinary course of events, 
would have succeeded his father in the earldom had he not died, aged only 37, in 1877. Based
on Catherine Bailey's history of the family, however, his death, far from being viewed as a 
family tragedy, was viewed as a relief. Milton was an epileptic at a time when the condition 
was misunderstood. In the mid-nineteenth century, epilepsy was viewed as a form of madness, 
caused by melancholy, morbid terror and excessive masturbation. Milton's father appears to 
have been a proud but ignorant man, who while initially seeking the best treatment for his son, 
later came to view him as placing the family's future in jeopardy, since any stigma of perceived
madness in the Fitzwilliam family would threaten the family's ability to contract advantageous
marriages with other great aristocratic families. Bailey provides a number of examples of the
total exclusion of Milton from his family - for example, it was traditional that the heir's 21st
birthday was celebrated in a lavish fashion. In 1807, when Milton's grandfather, the 5th Earl,
had come of age, the family gave a party for 10,000 guests. In 1860, when Milton reached the
age of 21, his birthday was not celebrated at all by the family.
In April 1861, Milton announced his engagement to a niece of the Marquess of Donegall. His
father was horrified and behind Milton's back he wrote to Donegall, telling him that "My son
suffers from fits which cause at times great mental excitement sometimes followed by 
considerable depression of spirits." The engagement was immediately broken off.
In June 1862, Milton, together with a young doctor named William Cheadle, was sent into exile
to the wilds of Canada. There, determined to prove himself to his father, Milton and Cheadle
set off on an epic expedition of exploration during which they succeeded in mapping a route 
across Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific. When he returned to England and published
his book "The North-West Passage by Land," Milton was treated as a conquering hero. At the
general election in 1865, Milton was returned for the constituency of Yorkshire West Riding
South which he represented until 1872.
After an ill-fated pursuit of Lady Mary Butler, daughter of the Marquess of Ormonde (who was
similarly warned off), Milton married Laura Beauclerk, niece of the Duke of St. Albans, in 
August 1867. His new wife was never welcomed into her husband's family, with the result that
the young couple spent much of their time in self-imposed exile in the Allegheny Mountains
in Virginia. In July 1872, their son, also William, who was to become the 7th Earl Fitzwilliam,
was born in Canada - see the following note for more details. 
Milton's health continued to deteriorate until he died in France on 17 January 1877, aged 37.
William Charles de Meuron Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 7th Earl Fitzwilliam
As mentioned in the note above, the 7th Earl Fitzwilliam was born in Canada in 1872. The
first intimation of this birth is to be found in 'The Times' of 5 September 1872 where it is
stated that "a son and heir to the noble house of Fitzwilliam has been born on the banks of
the Kaministiquia River, on the north shore of Lake Superior. It may be remembered that some
time since, Lord Milton, resigning his seat in Parliament, came to this continent with Lady
Milton and a young family [2 young daughters], and attended also by a physician. There, near
Fort William, and on the borders of civilization…..now sojourn the young couple and their family."
The name of the actual place where the future 7th Earl was born is Pointe de Meuron, north-
west of what was then called Fort William, but is today named Thunder Bay. At that time,
this area was a very isolated spot, in the middle of Indian territory. The name of his birthplace
was incorporated into the 7th Earl's name. No valid reason has ever been discovered as to why 
Viscount Milton had caused his son to be born in such an isolated place.
The rest of his family, however, were convinced that they knew the reason for this place of
birth. It was obvious, they said, that the baby was a changeling who had been substituted
at birth for Milton's real child, a daughter. They alleged that Lady Milton had been rendered
unconscious by the use of chloroform and the babies had been switched. In this way, the
'taint' of epilepsy could be removed from future generations. By the time these allegations
surfaced, in 1896, both parents were dead and William was now the heir to the earldom. No
documents, including his birth certificate, could be found and William was forced to retain a
private detective to investigate the circumstances of his birth. He tracked down the doctor
and the midwife who had been present at the birth, and both categorically refuted the 
allegations. It would seem that this was the end of the matter - both the doctor and the 
midwife pointed out that the obtaining of another white child as a substitute would have
been impossible in an area which was occupied solely by Indians - but some years later the
private detective and William fell out, with the eventual result that William went to great
lengths to silence the private detective. Bailey speculates that the private detective may
have been in possession of information about William's birth that William was desperate to
suppress. We will never know, however, as all of the family's private documents have been
destroyed.
The following anecdote is not included in Catherine Bailey's book, but is still deserving of note.
Before he succeeded to the title in 1902, Fitzwilliam was known by his courtesy title of
Viscount Milton. In 1896, he had the dubious privilege of reading his own premature obituary.
On 31 January 1896, a number of newspapers published reports that Milton had been riding
his horse over a railway bridge near Swinton, in Yorkshire, when he had been thrown off the
horse onto the railway tracks below, and had been killed. A number of newspapers rushed into
print in their evening editions, containing biographical articles about the supposedly dead 
Viscount, and deploring his untimely death. Fortunately for Lord Milton, these reports proved
to be totally incorrect. The young Viscount subsequently was quoted as saying; "I do not
know how the report got about. I was riding a horse which does not carry me very well, and
I got a long way behind. Whether that constitutes the alleged fall I do not know. I was never
better in my life." Due to the title he used at the time, the affair was quickly dubbed 'Milton's
Paradise Lost.'
William Henry Lawrence Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam
 
The 8th Earl succeeded his father in 1943. He had previously, in 1933, married Olive Plunket,
daughter of the Bishop of Meath.  In June 1946, he met Katherine, Marchioness of Hartington,
widow of the Marquess of Hartington, heir to the dukedom of Devonshire, whom she had
married in May 1944. The marriage ended only four months later when Hartington was killed
in action while serving in Belgium during WW2. Katherine, who was better known as 'Kick', was
the daughter of Joseph Kennedy and therefore sister of John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and 
Edward Kennedy.
Before long, Kick was Fitzwilliam's mistress, and were planning to wed once Fitzwilliam had 
divorced his wife, Olive.
On 13 May 1948, Fitzwilliam hired a private plane to fly him and Kick to the south of France.
The plane landed in Paris, where Fitzwilliam arranged an impromptu lunch with some Parisian 
friends. The lunch dragged on for far longer than anticipated and by the time the plane took
off for Cannes, the weather had markedly deteriorated. All commercial flights had been
cancelled, but Fitzwilliam insisted that his plane take off. About an hour and a half into the 
flight, the plane ran into a severe thunderstorm and the pilot lost control and the plane went
into a steep dive. In a desperate attempt to halt the dive, the pilot pulled back on the control
column, but the plane could not withstand the g-force thus created and the plane broke up in
mid-air. All aboard the plane were killed instantly when the fuselage landed vertically on a
mountain ridge.
The Fitzwilliam Legitimacy Case of 1951
In 1951, the 9th Earl of Fitzwilliam was in his late 60s, and had no male children to inherit the
Earldom. The next heir to the titles was to be found amongst the descendants of the younger
brothers of the 6th Earl who had died in 1902. The next younger brother of the 6th Earl was
George Wentworth Fitzwilliam, MP for Richmond in 1841 and for Peterborough 1841-1859. He
in turn had a son George Charles Wentworth Fitzwilliam (1866-1935) who married Daisy
Evelyn Lyster (d 1925). According to Burke's Peerage, this couple were married on 31 December
1888, and the son born of this marriage in 1904 became the 10th Earl Fitzwilliam on the death 
of the 9th Earl in 1952.
Burke's does not mention any other offspring of the marriage of George and Daisy. However, a
son, George James Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, was born on 17 May 1888. But was George a
legitimate son? - in March 1951, the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court
of Justice sat to decide this matter.
The case was brought about by a petition in which George sought to be declared that he was
from the date of his birth the lawful child of George and Daisy, and that his parents had lawfully
married on a date unknown to him between 1 September 1886 and 18 May 1888. He further
stated that, although the place of marriage was unknown to him, he would contend that if, as
he believed, the marriage was celebrated in Scotland, it was lawful according to the law of 
that country.
At this point it is worth quoting two points of law. The first is from 'An Act for amending the
law of marriage in Scotland 1856,' commonly known as 'Lord Brougham's Act.'  This Act states 
that "After December 31, 1856, no irregular marriage contracted in Scotland by declaration,
acknowledgment, or ceremony shall be valid, unless one of the parties had at the date thereof
his or her usual place of residence there, or had lived in Scotland for 21 days next
preceding such marriage; any law, custom, or usage to the contrary notwithstanding." [My
emphasis]. In addition, the Legitimacy Act of 1926 states that "Nothing in this Act shall affect
the succession to any dignity or title of honour or render any person capable of succeeding 
to or transmitting a right to succeed to any such dignity or title."
It was shown in evidence that George and Daisy first met in the northern spring of 1886. 
Daisy, who was generally known as 'Evie,' was a chorus girl. George and Evie soon fell in
love. In her role as chorus girl, Evie went to Scotland as part of a touring company whose
performance opened in Glasgow on 20 September 1886.  From there, the company toured
other places in Scotland, returning to England on 2 October. George accompanied Evie on this
tour; they were known as Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam, and occupied the same bedroom.
On their return from Scotland, George and Evie continued their relationship. George, the
petitioner, was born on 17 May 1888. On 31 December 1888, his parents were married by
special licence at St. George's, Hanover Square. By this time George, the father, had been
commissioned in the Royal Horse Guards. At that time, it was recognised that it would be
a disgrace for a Guards officer to marry an actress, and thus news of the wedding was kept
secret. However, the fact of the marriage became known, and George was forced to
resign his commission in May 1889.
The judge trying the petition summed up the petitioner's position as follows - because the
onus of proof was on the petitioner, he had to be able to satisfy the Court that, early during
their stay in Scotland, his parents went through a ceremony which, though informal, was
equivalent to a declaration that they wished, or were doing their best, to get married and,
although the ceremony was invalid, since neither party was resident in Scotland, Scottish law
required that the marriage be recognised if the parties thereafter remained on Scottish soil
for a period of more than 21 days, believing themselves to be validly married.
In the final judgment of this case, it was held that the petitioner had not proved that his
parents had contracted, or had attempted to contract, a marriage prior to the birth of the
petitioner. In any event, the judge stated that he had grave doubts whether the petitioner's
parents had spent the required 21 days in Scotland . As a result, the petition was dismissed
and, on the death of the 9th Earl a little over a year later, George's younger brother, William
Thomas George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, succeeded as the 10th Earl. When he died in 1979
the peerage became extinct.
It should be emphasised that, at no stage, was this case a 'battle' between George and his
younger brother. There appears to have been absolutely no ill-feeling between the two,
with both parties recognising that it was important for this matter to be resolved.
Lodge Raymond de Montmorency, 2nd Viscount Frankfort de Montmorency
After the death of the 2nd Viscount, a contemporary newspaper cautiously commented that 
"there has always been a certain degree of doubt as to whether the 2nd Viscount was 
altogether sane or not."
In September 1843, the Viscount caused the following 'memorial' to be printed and a copy
sent to every member of the House of Lords:-
'……..[the Viscount] has to complain of a long series of continuous and most aggravated
grievances and injuries which for several years past have seriously interfered with, and in
some instances fatally destroyed, his domestic arrangements, placed him at variance with his
family connections, made considerable inroads on his pecuniary resources, depreciated his
property, endangered his health by various and repeated contrivances against, and attacks
upon his constitution, through the means of corrupted domestics, and by all the means which
active, vindictive, powerful and opulent persecutors can bring into operation, tormented your
memorialist to the utmost limits of human endurance, without absolutely sinking under the
baneful effects - and for which, notwithstanding all your memorialist's exertions, he has not
hitherto been able to obtain either attention or redress from those he imagined were the proper
authorities to whom an application ought in such case to be made.'
The memorial continues for a number of paragraphs, containing many references to 'nefarious
transactions', 'disgraceful outrages' and 'abuses of authority.' In the end, nothing appears to
have been done regarding any of the Viscount's accusations, which appear to have been
paranoid delusions.
In September 1847, the Viscount appeared before the Middlesex Sessions, charged with 
assaulting one Robert Hall, who deposed that, while walking down New Bond Street, the
Viscount stopped him and accused Hall of spitting in the Viscount's face. When Hall denied that
he had done so, the Viscount spat in Hall's face and dared him to repeat his action. Hall then
spat in the Viscount's face, upon which the Viscount assaulted Hall with a heavy walking-stick.
The Viscount's lowpoint occurred in August 1852, when he was tried at Bow Street for the
defamation and libel of a number of members of the aristocracy, and, in particular, Lord Henry 
Gordon Lennox, son of the Duke of Richmond. The libels were contained in a circular and in a
letter. The first two paragraphs of the circular read:-
'Some portion of the public may be astonished to learn that a most demoralizing system has
long existed , in an atrocious degree of perfection, by which the integrity of families has been
broken up, and the repose of their establishments destroyed, by a sort of 'secret police,' of a
higher and far more mischievous organisation than has ever been suspected to prevail, and 
conducted under the auspices of a 'secret committee,' of which the 'chairman' and his principal
colleagues are well known, though not at present sufficiently appreciated. One of the first 
steps is to pretend that certain parties, and principally females, who are pursued for the worst
purposes, are applied to, to give information which they are told is required by an important
portion of the state, before a supposed committee of which body they are conducted, and led
to believe the ceremony of making a species of sworn deposition has been legalised, and that 
they are then bound to consider themselves for ever under an intimidating and coercive judicial
superintendence.
'The system is then applied to enforce the requisite inquiries as to the properties, feelings,
affections, politics, state of mind and any other peculiar positions of their husbands, families
and friends. These parties are then visited from time to time by the chairman and two other
members of the committee, one of whom styles himself a distinguished diplomatist, and other
agents of the system, to make what are called confidential communications, but which are
in truth only so many snares to obtain private information on matters that may be publicly
abused. Intimate friends, confidential servants, and known advisers of families, are tampered
with in a similar manner; and all means employed to convert the most harmless expressions
into the most injurious accusations. To effect more readily these wretched purposes, the
Italian school of poisoning chemistry has been ransacked to produce the most debilitating
effects upon the mental and bodily system; and by these means have the brightest
loveliness of woman, and the highest honour of manhood been outraged; while the highest
estates have been seriously injured by calumnies, perjuries, forgeries, and fines illegally
imposed, to an extent which only the abominations of the Star Chamber can furnish any
adequate idea.'
These two paragraphs are quite lucid when compared to the remainder of the circular, which
degenerates into a series of wild accusations, including the accusation that 'they [the 
committee] are also employed to turn the inhabitants of this country into cannibals, and take
even children of rank out of their graves; but the workhouse deadhouse is the principal
depot of supply.'
As part of the same proceedings, Lord Frankfort de Montmorency was charged with a further
libel, after one of his female servants had been taken into custody on her way to the Post
Office at which she had been instructed to post 50 similar letters, addressed for the most
part to various clergymen, and which purported to come from, among others, Lord Henry
Gordon Lennox. The letter read as follows:-
'Mr Macbeath presents his duty to the peeresses and the daughters of the nobility and gentry,
and informs them that he continues to arrange assignations with the most perfect impunity and
safety. Having been trained by Mr Harris, he now acts directly under President and Director-
General of Assignations Phipps. Mr M. begs to call the attention of the ladies to his long-
established mode of transacting business. He himself waits upon them at dusk, sending up his
card in a tissue envelope; always seeing the parties himself, and arranging personally with them
for the reception of the Lothario of the evening, at one o'clock at night; when is enabled by
the peculiar system to keep the husband insensibly asleep, while the parties are amorously
engaged in the drawing-room. P.S. He guarantees to married women half their husband's 
fortune, or more, if they are found out, and will put him in the ecclesiastical courts, which are
an appendage to his establishment. To spinsters he promises husbands, whom he puts into
madhouses, and gets all the fortune for the wives. His predecessor broke one baronet's neck,
for his wife's sake; and having got rid of another, is now endeavouring to destroy his will.'
Contrary to the more cautious position taken by the newspaper quoted in the opening 
paragraph of this note, the newspaper from which details of the second libel have been taken
(the Liverpool Standard) is somewhat more forthright, stating that 'the course of life which this 
unfortunate man has pursued for a long time is a disgrace to manhood, and an outrage on
public morality. The most charitable construction that can be put on his proceedings is, that
they are dictated by a disordered brain. That he is a fit subject for a lunatic asylum can
hardly be doubted; but that his disease of mind has been induced by depraved habits is
abundantly evident.'
No contemporary newspaper that I've been able to find contains a report of the sentence 
meted out to the Viscount. A report in a newspaper published nearly 50 years later states that
he received 12 months' hard labour in Pentonville Prison.
Raymond Hervey Lodge Joseph de Montmorency VC, son of the 3rd Viscount Frankfort
de Montmorency (5 Feb 1867-23 Feb 1900)
De Montmorency was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the Sudan Campaign in 
1898. His citation reads:- "At the battle of Khartoum on September 2, 1898, Lieutenant de
Montmorency, after the charge of the 21st Lancers, returned to assist Second Lieutenant
R.G. Grenfell, who was lying surrounded by a large body of Dervishes. Lieutenant de Montmorency
drove the Dervishes off, and finding Lieutenant Grenfell dead, put the body on his horse, which
then broke away. Captain Kenna and Corporal Swarbrick then came to his assistance and enabled
him to rejoin the regiment which had begun to open a heavy fire on the enemy." [Kenna also
received a Victoria Cross for his actions that day].
De Montmorency was later killed in action at the Battle of Stromberg during the Second Boer War.
Bernard Cyril Freyberg VC, 1st Baron Freyberg
Freyberg was a Captain and temporary Lieutenant-Colonel in the Queen's (Royal West Surrey)
Regiment when he won a Victoria Cross for his actions on 13 November 1916 during the final
stages of the Battle of the Somme at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre in France.
The official citation, published in the London Gazette of 15 December 1916, reads as follows:-
"By his splendid personal gallantry he carried the initial attack straight through the enemy's
front system of trenches. Owing to mist and heavy fire of all descriptions, Lieutenant-Colonel
Freyberg's command was much disorganised after the capture of the first objective. He
personally rallied and re-formed his men, including men from other units who had become
intermixed.
"He inspired all with his own contempt of danger. At the appointed time he led his men to the
successful assault of the second objective - many prisoners being captured.
"During this advance he was twice wounded. He again rallied and re-formed all who were with
him, and although unsupported in a very advanced position, he held his ground for the 
remainder of the day, and throughout the night, under heavy artillery and machine gun fire.
When reinforced on the following morning, he organised the attack on a strongly fortified
village and showed a fine example of dash in personally leading the assault, capturing the
village and five hundred prisoners. In this operation he was again wounded.
"Later in the afternoon, he was again wounded severely, but refused to leave the line until
he had issued final instructions.
"The personality, valour and utter contempt of danger on the part of this single Officer enabled
the lodgment in the most advanced objective of the Corps to be permanently held, and on this
point d'appui [point of support] the line was eventually formed."
In April 1917 Freyberg was promoted to the rank of temporary Brigadier, making him the
youngest general officer in the British Army at that time. The only younger general officer in
the British Army during the Great War (or, indeed, in modern times) was Roland Boys Bradford 
VC, who was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in November 1917, aged just 25. He was
killed in action 10 days after receiving this promotion.
Freyberg was subsequently Governor General of New Zealand between 1946 and 1952.
Christopher Furness VC, son of the 1st Viscount Furness (17 May 1912-c 24 May 1940)
When the 1st Viscount Furness died in October 1940, he would have been, in the normal
course of events, succeeded by his son Christopher. However, Christopher had not been seen
or heard of since 24 May of that year, having almost certainly been killed while fighting the
Germans.
In April 1941, the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice heard an
application for leave to presume that Christopher was dead. The result of this application was
reported in 'The Times' on 8 April 1941:-
'This was an application for leave to swear that Lieutenant the Hon. Christopher Furness, of
Burrough Court, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, died on or since May 24, 1940.
'Mr. Victor Russell, for the applicant, said it appeared from War Office records that Mr. Furness
died in action either in France or Belgium on or about that date, but a declaration of the Court
was deemed to be necessary. Nothing had been seen nor heard of him since May 24. In a
letter to Mr. Furness's father, the colonel commanding the battalion of the Welsh Guards, in 
which Mr. Furness was an officer said:-
"Dick (Mr. Furness) was covering the withdrawal of some transport when some men of another
regiment said that German infantry were close in a wood nearby. Instantly Dick went off to
reconnoitre with a view to attack. Suddenly fire was opened on him by a concealed German
anti-tank gun. Several carriers were destroyed, including Dick's. I am told he charged straight
at the gunner and shot him before he fell himself. His action was the most gallant possible."
'A lance-corporal wrote that he saw Mr. Furness spread-eagled across the top of a carrier with
a Bren gun in front of him, and added: "Mr. Furness must have known then the very slender
chances of his returning from such a hell."
'Another officer who saw Mr. Furness's Bren carrier, easily recognizable by te fighting cock
engraved on its side, go into action single-handed, said it was "an extremely gallant action," 
which saved an entire column from destruction.
'Leave [to presume death] was granted as prayed.'
After the war, Christopher's gallantry was recognised by the award of a posthumous Victoria
Cross. The citation states that "between May 17 and 24, when his battalion formed part of the
garrison of Arras, Lieutenant Furness displayed the highest qualities of leadership and dash in
many local actions with the enemy and imbued his platoon with a magnificent offensive spirit.
On May 23 he was wounded, but refused to be evacuated.
"By this time the enemy had encircled the town on three sides and Lieutenant Furness's carrier
platoon, together with a small force of light tanks, were ordered to cover the withdrawal by
night of the transport, consisting of over forty vehicles. An enemy attack, however, with very
heavy small arms and anti-tank gunfire, blocked the whole column and placed it in serious 
jeopardy.
'Immediately Lieutenant Furness decided to attack the enemy, who were located in a strongly
entrenched position behind wire. He advanced with three carriers supported by the light tanks. 
The enmy opened up with very heavy fire and the light tanks were put out of action, but
Lieutenant Furness continued to advance. He reached the enmy position and circled it several
times at close range, inflicting heavy losses.
'All three carriers were hit and most of their crews killed or wounded. His own carrier was disabled
and the driver and Bren gunner killed. He then engaged the enemy in persona; hand-to-hand
combat until he was killed. This magnificent act of self-sacrifice made the enemy withdraw for
the time being and enabled the large column of vehicles to get clear unmolested and covered 
the evacuation of some of the wounded of his own carrier platoon and the light tanks."
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