Earl Peel is a title in the
Peerage of the United KingdomThe Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801. In that year, the Peerage of Great Britain was replaced by the Peerage of the United Kingdom...
. It was created in 1929 for the
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
politician
William Wellesley Peel, 2nd Viscount PeelWilliam Robert Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel GCSI, GBE, PC, TD was a British politician.-Background and education:...
,
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a sinecure office in the government of the United Kingdom.-History:Originally he was the chief officer in the daily management of the Duchy of Lancaster , but that estate is now run by a deputy, leaving the position of Chancellor to...
from 1921 to 1922,
Secretary of State for IndiaThe office of Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was created in 1858 when Company rule in India ended and British India was brought under direct British administration ....
from 1921 to 1922 and 1928 to 1929 and
First Commissioner of WorksThe First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
from 1924 to 1928. He was made
Viscount Clanfield, of Clanfield in the County of Southampton, at the same time, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He was the son of
Arthur Wellesley PeelArthur Wellesley Peel, 1st Viscount Peel PC , was a British Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1895...
, who served as
Speaker of the House of CommonsIn the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. The present Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin.The Speaker...
between 1884 and 1895. The latter year he was created
Viscount Peel, of Sandy in the County of Bedford, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Earl Peel is a title in the
Peerage of the United KingdomThe Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801. In that year, the Peerage of Great Britain was replaced by the Peerage of the United Kingdom...
. It was created in 1929 for the
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
politician
William Wellesley Peel, 2nd Viscount PeelWilliam Robert Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel GCSI, GBE, PC, TD was a British politician.-Background and education:...
,
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a sinecure office in the government of the United Kingdom.-History:Originally he was the chief officer in the daily management of the Duchy of Lancaster , but that estate is now run by a deputy, leaving the position of Chancellor to...
from 1921 to 1922,
Secretary of State for IndiaThe office of Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was created in 1858 when Company rule in India ended and British India was brought under direct British administration ....
from 1921 to 1922 and 1928 to 1929 and
First Commissioner of WorksThe First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
from 1924 to 1928. He was made
Viscount Clanfield, of Clanfield in the County of Southampton, at the same time, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He was the son of
Arthur Wellesley PeelArthur Wellesley Peel, 1st Viscount Peel PC , was a British Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1895...
, who served as
Speaker of the House of CommonsIn the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. The present Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin.The Speaker...
between 1884 and 1895. The latter year he was created
Viscount Peel, of Sandy in the County of Bedford, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Peel was the fifth son of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, of Drayton Manor (see below for earlier history of the family). The first Earl was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. In 1942 he succeeded his second cousin once removed as seventh Baronet, of Drayton Manor. Lord Peel later served as Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire from 1948 to the 2nd of January 1951. As of 2007 the titles are held by his son, the third Earl, who succeeded in 1969. He is one of the
ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
after the passing of the
House of Lords Act 1999The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. It was a major constitutional enactment that greatly reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included...
, and sits as a cross-bencher. Lord Peel was
Lord Warden of the StannariesThe Lord Warden of the Stannaries used to exercise judicial and military functions in Cornwall, United Kingdom and is still the official who, upon the commission of the monarch or Duke of Cornwall for the time being, has the function of calling a Stannary Parliament of tinners...
from 1994 to 2006 and is Lord Chamberlain of the Household since 2006.
The Peel family descends from Robert Peel, who established a calico-printing firm in
BlackburnBlackburn is a large town in Lancashire, England. It lies to the north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of the city of Preston, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester. Blackburn is bounded to the south by Darwen, with which it forms the unitary...
in 1764. His eldest son
Robert PeelSir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet , father of the Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, was a politician and industrialist and one of early textile manufacturers of the Industrial Revolution...
was a wealthy cotton merchant and also sat as
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
for
TamworthTamworth is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
from 1790 to 1818. In 1800 he was created a
Baronet, of
Drayton ManorDrayton Manor was a British stately home at Drayton Bassett, in the District of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England.The manor of Drayton was owned from the time of the Norman Conquest by the Bassett family, until in the 13th century, the male line failed and Margaret Bassett heiress to the estate...
in the County of Stafford, in the Baronetage of Great Britain. He was succeeded by his eldest son Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, the noted statesman. He was
Home SecretaryThe Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
from 1822 to 1827 and 1828 to 1830,
Chancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called The Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
from 1834 to 1835 and
Prime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
from 1834 to 1835 and from 1841 to 1846 and is best remembered for creating the modern concept of the police force while Home Secretary, for overseeing the formation of the Conservative Party out of the shattered
ToryToryism is a traditionalist political philosophy, which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is most prominent in Great Britain, but also features in some parts of The Commonwealth — particularly in Canada...
Party, and for the repeal of the
Corn LawsThe Corn Laws were import tariffs designed to support domestic British corn prices against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The tariffs were introduced by the Importation Act 1815 and repealed by the Importation Act 1846...
. Peel died after a fall from his horse on
Constitution HillConstitution Hill may refer to:*Constitution Hill, New South Wales, Australia*Constitution Hill, Aberystwyth*Constitution Hill, Birmingham*Constitution Hill, London*Constitution Hill, Swansea*Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa...
in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Baronet. He was also a politician and served as a Lord of the Admiralty from 1852 to 1857 and as
Chief Secretary for IrelandThe Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key office-holder of state in the British administration in Ireland. Towards the end of Crown rule in Ireland, he operated in a manner similar to that of the Prime Minister in the English and later British Parliament...
from 1861 to 1865. His grandson, the fifth Baronet, married the actress and comedienne Beatrice Gladys Lillie. Their only son, the sixth Baronet, was an ordinary seaman in the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
and was killed in action in April 1942, aged only twenty-one. On his death the line of the eldest son of the second Baronet failed and the title was inherited by his second cousin once removed, the second Earl Peel, who became the seventh Baronet. See above for further history of the title.
The family seat is Eelmire House, near
RiponRipon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
,
North YorkshireNorth Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county, located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in that region and also partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest ceremonial...
.
Viscounts Peel (1895)
Earls Peel (1929)
- William Robert Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel
William Robert Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel GCSI, GBE, PC, TD was a British politician.-Background and education:...
(1867–1937)
- Arthur William Ashton Peel, 2nd Earl Peel
Arthur William Ashton Peel, 2nd Earl Peel was a British peer.Earl Peel was the son of William Robert Wellesley Peel, 1st Earl Peel and the Hon. Eleanor Williamson. He inherited his title upon his father's death in 1937, and married Kathleen McGrath, daughter of Michael McGrath, on 11 March 1946....
(1901–1969)
- William James Robert Peel, 3rd Earl Peel
William James Robert Peel, 3rd Earl Peel, GCVO, PC, DL is a cross-bench member of the House of Lords and Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household....
(b. 1947)
The
Heir ApparentAn heir apparent is an heir who cannot be displaced from inheriting.An heir presumptive, by contrast, is an heir currently in line to inherit a title, but who could be displaced at any time by certain events.Today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles, particularly monarchies...
is the present holder's only son Ashton Robert Gerard Peel, Viscount Clanfield (b. 1976)
Peel Baronets, of Drayton Manor (1800)
- Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet
Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet , father of the Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, was a politician and industrialist and one of early textile manufacturers of the Industrial Revolution...
(1750–1830)
- Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (1788–1850)
- Sir Robert Peel, 3rd Baronet
Sir Robert Peel, 3rd Baronet GCB, PC was a British Peelite and later Liberal politician. The eldest son of the prime minister Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, he was educated at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford and entered the Diplomatic Service in 1844...
(1822–1895)
- Sir Robert Peel, 4th Baronet (1867–1925)
- Sir Robert Peel, 5th Baronet (1898–1934)
- Sir Robert Peel, 6th Baronet (1920–1942)
see above for further succession
Other notable members of the Peel family
Several other members of the Peel family have also gained distinction:
- Sir Lawrence Peel, son of Joseph Peel, younger brother of the first Baronet, was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta from 1842 to 1855 and was admitted to the Privy Council
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Its members are largely senior politicians, who were or are members of either the House of Commons or House of Lords of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The Privy Council, the...
in 1856.
- William Yates Peel
William Yates Peel , was a British Tory politician.Peel was the second son of Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet, and his first wife Ellen . He was the younger brother of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, and the elder brother of Jonathan Peel. He was educated at Harrow and St John's College,...
, second son of the first Baronet, was a politician and served as Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs from 1828 to 1830.
- Jonathan Peel
Jonathan Peel PC was a British soldier, Conservative politician and racehorse owner.-Background and education:...
, fifth son of the first Baronet, was a General in the Army and Conservative politician. He was Secretary of State for WarThe position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first applied to Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
from 1858 to 1859 and 1866 to 1867.
- Edmund Yates Peel, (son of Jonathan above), a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army, who was the father of Frederick Peel, a Colonel
Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Army.
- Archibald Peel, (son of Jonathan above), who was the father of Edward John Russell Peel (1869–1939), a Brigadier-General in the Army,
- John Peel (1829–1892),(son of Jonathan above), a Lieutenant-General in the Army.
- Sir Charles Lennox Peel (1823–1899), Clerk of the Council, was the son of Laurence Peel, sixth son of the first Baronet.
- Sir Frederick Peel
Sir Frederick Peel , second son of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, was educated at Harrow and at Trinity College, Cambridge, becoming a barrister in 1849. He entered parliament in that year, and with the exception of the period between 1857 and 1859, he remained in the House of Commons until 1865...
, second son of the second Baronet, was a politician and Chief Railway Commissioner.
- Sir William Peel (1824–1858), third son of the second Baronet, was a Captain
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel.The equivalent rank in many navies is Ship-of-the-Line Captain...
in the Royal Navy.
- Sidney Cornwallis Peel
The Hon. Sir Sidney Cornwallis Peel, 1st Baronet , was a British soldier, financier and Conservative politician.Peel was the second son of Arthur Peel, 1st Viscount Peel, Speaker of the House of Commons and youngest son of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, Bt. His mother was Adelaide, daughter of...
, second son of the first Viscount, sat as Member of Parliament for UxbridgeUxbridge is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:1885-1918: The parliamentary constituency of Uxbridge was created as the westernmost county division of the historic county of Middlesex...
and was created a Baronet in 1936 (see Peel BaronetsThere have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Peel, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom....
).