Earl of Dunbar
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The title Earl of Dunbar, also called Earl of Lothian or Earl of March, was the head of a comital
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
lordship in south-eastern Scotland between the early 12th century and the early 15th century. The first man to use the title of Earl in this earldom was Gospatric II, Earl of Lothian
Gospatric II, Earl of Lothian
Gospatric II was Earl of Lothian or Earl of Dunbar in the early 12th century.He was the son of Gospatric I, sometime Earl of Northumbria...
, son of Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria
Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria
Gospatric or Cospatric , , was Earl of Northumbria, or of Bernicia, and later lord of sizable estates around Dunbar...
. It descended to George de Dunbar, 11th Earl of March, who was forfeited by parliament of his titles & estates in 1435, and retired into obscurity in England. His son Patrick retained a barony at Kilconquhar in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
.
The title of Earl of Dunbar was resurrected in 1605 was for George Home, 1st Lord Hume of Berwick
George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar
George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar, KG, PC was, in the last decade of his life, the most prominent and most influential Scotsman in England. His work lay in the King's Household and in the control of the State Affairs of Scotland and he was the King's chief Scottish advisor...
, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The 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...
, and his heirs male. This title became dormant only six years after its creation, upon Home's death in 1611. Some of his kinsmen were said to be acknowledged as de jure holders of the title, but none of them ever appears to have assumed the title.
There have been no subsequent creations, however, two other peerages with similar names are Lord of Dunbar and Viscount of Dunbar
Viscount of Dunbar
Viscount of Dunbar was a title in the Peerage of Scotland created on 14 November 1620, along with the title Lord Constable, for Sir Henry Constable...
.
Using title "Earl of Lothian"
- Gospatric II, Earl of LothianGospatric II, Earl of LothianGospatric II was Earl of Lothian or Earl of Dunbar in the early 12th century.He was the son of Gospatric I, sometime Earl of Northumbria...
(died 1138) - Gospatric III, Earl of LothianGospatric III, Earl of LothianGospatric III was a twelfth century Anglo-Celtic noble, who was Earl of Lothian later Earl of Dunbar, and feudal Lord of Beanley....
(died 1166)
Using title "Earl of Dunbar"
- Waltheof, Earl of DunbarWaltheof, Earl of DunbarWaltheof , Earl of Lothian or "Dunbar" and lord of Beanley, was a 12th century Anglo-Scottish noble. He was the eldest son of Gospatric III, Earl of Lothian by his Scottish wife Deirdre....
(died 1182) - Patrick I, Earl of DunbarPatrick I, Earl of DunbarPatrick I , Earl of Dunbar and lord of Beanley, was a 13th century Anglo-Scottish noble.He was the eldest son of Waltheof, Earl of Dunbar and Alina, and succeeded to his father's titles upon the latter's death in 1182....
(died 1232) - Patrick II, Earl of DunbarPatrick II, Earl of DunbarPatrick II , called "5th Earl of Dunbar", lord of Beanley, was a 13th century Anglo-Scottish noble, and one of the leading figures during the reign of King Alexander II of Scotland....
(died 1248) - Patrick III, Earl of Dunbar (1213–1289)
Using mainly the title "Earl of March"
- Patrick IV, Earl of March (1242–1308)
- Patrick V, Earl of March (1284–1368)
- George I, Earl of MarchGeorge I, Earl of MarchGeorge de Dunbar, 10th Earl of Dunbar and March , 12th Lord of Annandale and Lord of the Isle of Man, was "one of the most powerful nobles in Scotland of his time, and the rival of the Douglases."-Family:...
(1340–1420) - George II, Earl of MarchGeorge II, Earl of MarchGeorge de Dunbar, 11th Earl of Dunbar & March Lord of Annandale and the Isle of Man, was the last of his family to hold these titles.-Early life:...
(c. 1370–1457)
Earls of Dunbar, Second Creation (1605)
- George Home, 1st Earl of DunbarGeorge Home, 1st Earl of DunbarGeorge Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar, KG, PC was, in the last decade of his life, the most prominent and most influential Scotsman in England. His work lay in the King's Household and in the control of the State Affairs of Scotland and he was the King's chief Scottish advisor...
(c.1556–1611), who died without male issue.
Subsequent claimants to the title
- John Home, de jure 2nd Earl of Dunbar (a 1628), brother of 1st Earl, according to the Lord AdvocateLord AdvocateHer Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
in 1634, he “conceiving his fortune too mean, forebore to assume the dignity”. He died without male issue. - George Home, de jure 3rd Earl of Dunbar (a 1637), son of Alexander Home of Manderston and nephew of 1st Earl, certified in his claim in 1634 by the same Lord AdvocateLord AdvocateHer Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
. - Alexander Home, de jure 4th Earl of Dunbar (d 1675), son of 3rd Earl, said to have been confirmed in title by Charles II in 1651 but which does not appear in The Great Seal of ScotlandGreat Seal of ScotlandThe Great Seal of Scotland allows the monarch to authorise official documents without having to sign each document individually. Wax is melted in a metal mould or matrix and impressed into a wax figure that is attached by cord or ribbon to documents that the monarch wishes to make official...
. Died without male issue. - Alexander Hume, of Manderstone, de jure 5th Earl of Dunbar (b. 1651, d. 4 Jan. 1720 Aurich, Germany, nephew of 4th Earl. Capt. of a troop of horse in the service of the States of Holland, later Geheimrat in Aurich, Germany. To him 14 Oct. 1689, King William III. confirmed the Earldom of Dunbar exemplifying the previous confirmation thereof by Charles II. It is not known if Alexander Hume styled himself "Earl of Dunbar" in Germany. His son - Leonard Hume, de jure 6th Earl of Dunbar - inherited the estate in Stikelkamp from his father. Leonard's son - Heeres Andries Hume - was de jure the 7th Earl of Dunbar (b. 1738 in Norden).
Note: No claimant has progressed his claim before the House of Lords Committee for Privileges to a satisfactory conclusion, the only body which is authorised to decide whether or not a claimant may be confirmed in the title. The Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
of Scotland, for instance, has no authority in these matters, especially in the 17th century, given the corruption and nepotism rampant at that time.
In 1721 James Murray
James Murray (Jacobite)
James Murray, Earl of Dunbar was a Jacobite.-Family:He was the second child of David Murray, 5th Viscount of Stormont and Majory Scott. His brothers included David Murray, 6th Viscount of Stormont and the First Earl of Mansfield.-Life:...
(c.1690–1770), second son of David Murray, 5th Viscount of Stormont, was created Earl of Dunbar by James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
, the "Old Pretender".
In 1776, John Home, descended from David, second son of Sir David Home of Wedderburn, appears to have had himself Retoured heir male of the Earl of Dunbar, but the service was reduced by the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
, at the instance of Sir George Home of Blackadder, Bt., another descendant of Sir David and descended from an immediate younger brother of Alexander Home, the first of Manderston (grandfather of George, 1st Earl).
In 1810 Sir John Home of Renton, Bt., served notice that he was preparing a case to lay before The House "to the title, honour, and dignity of Earl of Dunbar, as heir male to the first patentee". But it appears he did not pursue the case to a conclusion.
During the 19th century Mr Home Drummond of Blair Drummond
Blair Drummond
Blair Drummond is a small rural community near Stirling in Scotland, predominantly located along the A84 road.-Description:...
, Perthshire, as descended from, and heir male of, Patrick Home of Renton, uncle of George, 1st Earl of Dunbar, also had a claim to that peerage.