Earl of Kent
Encyclopedia
The peerage
title Earl of Kent has been created eight times in the Peerage of England
and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
.
See also Kingdom of Kent
, Duke of Kent
.
(1353) as a subsidiary title; it became abeyant 1408. The first Earl of Kent by this creation was the husband of Joan of Kent
of the fifth creation.
and Buckinghamshire
, and later around Ruthin
in Wales. They rose to greater prominence during the Wars of the Roses
. Edmund Grey, Lord Grey of Ruthin, started out a Lancastrian, but switched to the Yorkist side at the Battle of Northampton
. He was a member of Edward IV
's council, became Lord Treasurer in 1463/4, was created Earl of Kent in 1465 and was keeper of the Tower of London
in 1470. He remained loyal through Richard III
's accession, taking part in his coronation (1483).
Edmund's son George, the 2nd Earl, had continued as a Yorkist, marrying Anne Woodville, a sister of Edward IV's queen Elizabeth Woodville
. (He was half-first cousin - both being grandsons of Reynold 3rd Lord Grey of Ruthin - to Queen Elizabeth's first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby
.) He later married Catherine Herbert, daughter of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke
.
The third earl, Richard, was the son of 2nd earl and Anne Woodville. He wound up heavily in debt, probably through gambling, and was forced to alienate most of his property. A good part ended up in the crown's hands; historians disagree regarding what this says about Henry VII
's relationship with the aristocracy.
He was succeeded as earl by his half-brother Henry, son of the 2nd earl and Catherine Herbert. Henry tried, with little success, to reacquire the property Richard had sold, and had to live as a modest gentleman, never formally taking title as earl.
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 Kent has been created eight 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....
and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The 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, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
.
See also Kingdom of Kent
Kingdom of Kent
The Kingdom of Kent was a Jutish colony and later independent kingdom in what is now south east England. It was founded at an unknown date in the 5th century by Jutes, members of a Germanic people from continental Europe, some of whom settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans...
, Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of George V.-Pre-history:...
.
Earls of Kent, first creation (1020)
- Godwin, Earl of WessexGodwin, Earl of WessexGodwin of Wessex , was one of the most powerful lords in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great and his successors. Cnut made him the first Earl of Wessex...
(1020–1053) - Leofwine GodwinsonLeofwine GodwinsonLeofwine Godwinson was a younger brother of Harold II of England, the fifth son of Earl Godwin.When the Godwin family was exiled from England in 1051 he went with Harold to Ireland...
(1053–1066)
Earls of Kent, second Creation (1067)
- Odo, Earl of Kent, and Bishop of Bayeux (d. 1097) (forfeit 1088)
Earls of Kent, third Creation (1141)
- William de Ipres, 1st Earl of Kent (c. 1095–1165) (deprived 1155)
Earls of Kent, fifth Creation (1321)
- Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of KentEdmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of KentEdmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent was a member of the English Royal Family.-Early life:He was born at Woodstock in Oxfordshire, the son of Edward I Longshanks, King of England and his second wife, Margaret of France. He was 62 years younger than his father, who died when Edmund of Woodstock...
(1301–1330) (attainted 1330) - Edmund, 2nd Earl of Kent (d. 1333) (restored 1331)
- John, 3rd Earl of KentJohn, 3rd Earl of KentJohn, 3rd Earl of Kent, Baron Wake of Liddell was an English nobleman who was the posthumous son of Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, and the uncle of King Richard II of England.-Family:...
(1330–1352) - Joan, Princess of Wales, 4th Countess of KentJoan of KentJoan, Countess of Kent , known to history as The Fair Maid of Kent, was the first English Princess of Wales...
(1331–1385)
Earls of Kent, sixth creation (1360)
The Earls of Kent of this creation used Baron HolandBaron Holand
Baron Holand is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created twice, in 1314 and 1353. The first creation was extinguished by attainder and the second is in abeyance.-Barons Holand, First Creation :*Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand...
(1353) as a subsidiary title; it became abeyant 1408. The first Earl of Kent by this creation was the husband of Joan of Kent
Joan of Kent
Joan, Countess of Kent , known to history as The Fair Maid of Kent, was the first English Princess of Wales...
of the fifth creation.
- Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of KentThomas Holland, 1st Earl of KentThomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent, 2nd Baron Holand, KG was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War.-Early Life:...
(d. 1360) - Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of KentThomas Holland, 2nd Earl of KentThomas Holland , 2nd Earl of Kent, 3rd Baron Holand KG was an English nobleman and a councillor of his half-brother, King Richard II of England.-Family and early Life:...
(1350–1397) - Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of SurreyThomas Holland, 1st Duke of SurreyThomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, 3rd Earl of Kent, 4th Baron Holland, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.-Early life and family:...
(1374–1400) - Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of KentEdmund Holland, 4th Earl of KentEdmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent, 5th Baron Holand, KG was the Earl of Kent in ca. 1400 – ca. 1407. He was the 106th Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1403....
(1384–1408)
Earls of Kent, eighth Creation (1465)
The Greys were a baronial family with substantial property in BedfordshireBedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
and Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, and later around Ruthin
Ruthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
in Wales. They rose to greater prominence during the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
. Edmund Grey, Lord Grey of Ruthin, started out a Lancastrian, but switched to the Yorkist side at the Battle of Northampton
Battle of Northampton (1460)
The Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July 1460.-Background:The Yorkist cause seemed finished after the previous disaster at Ludford Bridge...
. He was a member of Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
's council, became Lord Treasurer in 1463/4, was created Earl of Kent in 1465 and was keeper of the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
in 1470. He remained loyal through Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
's accession, taking part in his coronation (1483).
Edmund's son George, the 2nd Earl, had continued as a Yorkist, marrying Anne Woodville, a sister of Edward IV's queen Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
. (He was half-first cousin - both being grandsons of Reynold 3rd Lord Grey of Ruthin - to Queen Elizabeth's first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby
John Grey of Groby
Sir John Grey, of Groby, Leicestershire was a Lancastrian knight, the great-great-grandfather of Lady Jane Grey.-Titles:...
.) He later married Catherine Herbert, daughter of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469)
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke KG , known as "Black William", was the son of William ap Thomas founder of Raglan Castle and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam, and grandson of Dafydd Gam, an adherent of King Henry V of England....
.
The third earl, Richard, was the son of 2nd earl and Anne Woodville. He wound up heavily in debt, probably through gambling, and was forced to alienate most of his property. A good part ended up in the crown's hands; historians disagree regarding what this says about Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
's relationship with the aristocracy.
He was succeeded as earl by his half-brother Henry, son of the 2nd earl and Catherine Herbert. Henry tried, with little success, to reacquire the property Richard had sold, and had to live as a modest gentleman, never formally taking title as earl.
- Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of KentEdmund Grey, 1st Earl of KentEdmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent , English administrator, nobleman and magnate, was the son of Sir John Grey, KG and Constance Holland...
(c. 1420–1498) - George Grey, 2nd Earl of KentGeorge Grey, 2nd Earl of KentGeorge Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent was the son of Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent and Lady Katherine Percy. He was the Second Earl of Kent from 1490 to 1505....
(c. 1460–1503) - Richard Grey, 3rd Earl of KentRichard Grey, 3rd Earl of KentRichard Grey, 3rd Earl of Kent was an English peer.-Family:He was a son of George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent and his first wife Anne Woodville. His maternal grandparents were Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg....
(1481–1524) - Henry Grey, 4th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 4th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 4th Earl of Kent was Earl of Kent from 1524 to his death.He was a son of George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent and his second wife Catherine Herbert...
(c.1495–d. 1562) - Reginald Grey, 5th Earl of KentReginald Grey, 5th Earl of KentReginald Grey, 5th Earl of Kent was an English peer.-Biography:He was a son of Henry Grey and Margaret St John...
(d. 1573) - Henry Grey, 6th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 6th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 6th Earl of Kent , was an English peer.He was a son of Henry Grey and Margaret St. John and grandson of Henry Grey, 4th Earl of Kent....
(1541–1615) - Charles Grey, 7th Earl of KentCharles Grey, 7th Earl of KentCharles Grey was Earl of Kent from 1615 to his death.He was a son of Henry Grey and Margaret St. John. His paternal grandparents were Henry Grey, 4th Earl of Kent and Anne Blennerhassett....
(c. 1545–1623) - Henry Grey, 8th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 8th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent was Earl of Kent from 1623 to his death.He was born the only son of Charles Grey, 7th Earl of Kent and his wife Susan Cotton and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge....
(c. 1583–1639) - Anthony Grey, 9th Earl of KentAnthony Grey, 9th Earl of KentAnthony Grey was Earl of Kent from 1639 to his death.He was a son on George Grey and Margery Salvaine. His paternal grandfather Anthony Grey was a son of George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent and his second wife Catherine Herbert....
(1557–1643) - Henry Grey, 10th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 10th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent , known as Lord Ruthin from 1639 to 1643, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640 and succeeded to the title Earl of Kent in 1643....
(1594–1651) - Anthony Grey, 11th Earl of KentAnthony Grey, 11th Earl of KentAnthony Grey was Earl of Kent from 1651 to his death.He was the only son of Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent and his second wife Amabel Benn. His sister Elizabeth Grey married Banastre Maynard, 3rd Baron Maynard...
(1645–1702) - Henry Grey, 12th Earl of KentHenry Grey, 1st Duke of KentHenry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent KG PC was a British politician and courtier.-Family:He was a son of Anthony Grey, 11th Earl of Kent and Mary Grey, 1st Baroness Lucas of Crudwell...
(1671–1740) (created Marquess of Kent in 1706, Duke of KentDuke of KentDuke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of George V.-Pre-history:...
in 1710) (extinct on his death)
Earls of Kent, ninth Creation (1866)
- Alfred, Duke of EdinburghAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
(1844–1900)