Earl of Buckingham
Encyclopedia
The peerage
title Earl of Buckingham was created several times in the Peerage of England
.
It was first created in 1097 for Walter Giffard
, but became extinct in 1164 with the death of the second earl. It may have been created again in 1164 for Richard de Clare
("Strongbow"), who died without issue in 1176. It was created again in 1377 for Thomas of Woodstock, the youngest son of King Edward III
. He was created Duke of Gloucester
in 1385. The dukedom was forfeit on his attainder in 1397, but the earldom passed to his son, Humphrey, but became extinct on his death two years later. The title was created a fourth time in 1618 for Mary Villiers
for life only. The title was created for a fifth time in 1617 for her son George Villiers, 1st Viscount Villiers
, who was subsequently created Duke of Buckingham in 1623. All titles became extinct on the death of the second duke in 1687.
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
title Earl of Buckingham was created several times in the Peerage of England
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
.
It was first created in 1097 for Walter Giffard
Walter Giffard, 1st Earl of Buckingham
Walter Giffard, Lord of Longueville, 1st Earl of Buckingham was a Norman magnate and one of the few proven Companions of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The caput of his feudal honour was at Crendon, Buckinghamshire....
, but became extinct in 1164 with the death of the second earl. It may have been created again in 1164 for Richard de Clare
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...
("Strongbow"), who died without issue in 1176. It was created again in 1377 for Thomas of Woodstock, the youngest son of King Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. He was created Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
in 1385. The dukedom was forfeit on his attainder in 1397, but the earldom passed to his son, Humphrey, but became extinct on his death two years later. The title was created a fourth time in 1618 for Mary Villiers
Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham
Mary Villers, Countess of Buckingham is perhaps best known as the mother of the royal favourite Sir George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. She was the daughter of Anthony Beaumont of Glenfield, Leicestershire, a direct descendant of Henry de Beaumont.She became the second wife of Sir George...
for life only. The title was created for a fifth time in 1617 for her son George Villiers, 1st Viscount Villiers
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
, who was subsequently created Duke of Buckingham in 1623. All titles became extinct on the death of the second duke in 1687.
Earls of Buckingham (1097), first creation
- Walter Giffard, 1st Earl of BuckinghamWalter Giffard, 1st Earl of BuckinghamWalter Giffard, Lord of Longueville, 1st Earl of Buckingham was a Norman magnate and one of the few proven Companions of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The caput of his feudal honour was at Crendon, Buckinghamshire....
(d. 1102) - Walter Giffard, 2nd Earl of BuckinghamWalter Giffard, 2nd Earl of BuckinghamWalter Giffard, 2nd Earl of Buckingham was an English peer.He inherited the earldom in 1102 from Walter Giffard, 1st Earl of Buckingham.-References:*http://thepeerage.com/p18737.htm#i187361...
(d. 1164)
Earls of Buckingham (1164), second creation
- Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of BuckinghamRichard de Clare, 2nd Earl of PembrokeRichard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...
(d. 1176)
Earls of Buckingham (1377), third creation
- Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Earl of BuckinghamThomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of GloucesterThomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Buckingham, 1st Earl of Essex, Duke of Aumale, KG was the thirteenth and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
(d. 1397) - Humphrey, 2nd Earl of Buckingham (d. 1399)
Countesses of Buckingham (1618), fourth creation
- Mary Villiers, Countess of BuckinghamMary Villiers, Countess of BuckinghamMary Villers, Countess of Buckingham is perhaps best known as the mother of the royal favourite Sir George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. She was the daughter of Anthony Beaumont of Glenfield, Leicestershire, a direct descendant of Henry de Beaumont.She became the second wife of Sir George...
(1570–1632)
Imposter (c.1983)
- In 1983 Charles StopfordCharles StopfordCharles Albert Stopford is an impostor who, in 1982, assumed a false identity using a technique described in the book The Day of the Jackal, involving the birth certificate of a deceased baby who would have been approximately the same age as him...
, a former US Navy sailor, assumed the identity of the Earl of Buckingham. He was unmasked in 2006.