Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield
Encyclopedia
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
that have been united under a single holder since 1843. They were created in 1776 and 1792 respectively for the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
lawyer and judge William Murray, 1st Baron Mansfield
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, SL, PC was a British barrister, politician and judge noted for his reform of English law. Born to Scottish nobility, he was educated in Perth, Scotland before moving to London at the age of 13 to take up a place at Westminster School...
, third son of David Murray, 4th Viscount of Stormont (see the Viscount Stormont for earlier history of the family). He was Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1756 to 1788. Murray had already been created Baron Mansfield, in the County of Nottingham, in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1756, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body. The two earldoms were created with different remainders. The 1776 earldom was created with remainder to Lord Mansfield's niece Louisa Murray (née Cathcart), Viscountess Stormont (daughter of Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart), second wife of his nephew David Murray, 7th Viscount Stormont
David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield
David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield KT, PC , known from 1748 to 1793 as The Viscount Stormont, was a British politician. He succeeded to both the Mansfield and Stormont lines of the Murray family, inheriting two titles and two fortunes.-Life:Mansfield was the son of David Murray, 6th Viscount of...
, while the 1792 earldom was created with remainder to his nephew the Viscount Stormont.
Lord Mansfield was childless and on his death in 1793 the barony became extinct. He was succeeded in the 1776 earldom according to the special remainder by his niece Louisa, the second Countess, and in the 1792 earldom according to the special remainder by his nephew Lord Stormont, who became the second Earl. The latter was a noted politician in his own right and served as Lord Justice General, Secretary of State for the Northern Department
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
The Secretary of State for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of Great Britain up to 1782. Before the Act of Union, 1707, the Secretary of State's responsibilities were in relation to the English government, not the British. Even after the Union, there was...
and Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
. He was succeeded by his and the Countess of Mansfield's son, the third Earl. He was Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire
Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire.The official title of the office has varied over time as follows:* David Erskine, 9th Earl of Buchan 1713 – 1715* incomplete before 1794...
. On his death the titles passed to his son, the fourth Earl. He was a Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
politician and served as a Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
from 1834 to 1835 in the first administration of Sir Robert Peel. In 1843 he succeeded his grandmother the Countess of Mansfield (who had outlived her husband by forty-seven years) and became the third Earl of Mansfield of the 1776 creation as well.
He was succeeded by his grandson, the fifth Earl. He was the eldest son of William David Murray, Viscount Stormont. He died unmarried and was succeeded by his younger brother, the sixth Earl. His son, the seventh Earl, represented Perth
Perth (UK Parliament constituency)
Perth was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918, 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005. From 1832 to 1918 it was a burgh constituency. From 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005, it was a county constituency...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
and served as Lord Lieutenant of Perthshire
Lord Lieutenant of Perthshire
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Perthshire. The office was replaced by the Lord Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross in 1975.* John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl 17 March 1794 – 29 September 1830...
. the titles are held by his only son, the seventh Earl of Mansfield of the 1792 creation and the sixth Earl of Mansfield of the 1776 creation. He is also the fourteenth Viscount Stormont, the fourteenth Lord Scone and the twelfth Lord Balvaird
Lord Balvaird
Lord Balvaird is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1641 for Sir Andrew Murray. His son, the second Lord, succeeded as fourth Viscount Stormont in 1658 according to a special remainder in the letters patent...
. He also holds the titles of Earl of Dunbar, Viscount of Drumcairn and Lord Halldykes in the Jacobite peerage
Jacobite peerage
After the deposition by the English parliament in February 1689 of King James II and VII from the thrones of England and Ireland , he and his successors continued to create peers and baronets, which they believed was their right...
(see the Viscount Stormont for the background to these titles). Lord Mansfield held office in the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
as a Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
at the Scottish Office
Scottish Office
The Scottish Office was a department of the United Kingdom Government from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland...
from 1979 to 1983 and at the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
from 1983 to 1984.
The family seat is Scone Palace
Scone Palace
Scone Palace is a Category A listed historic house at Scone, Perthshire, Scotland. It was constructed in 1808 for the Earls of Mansfield by William Atkinson...
in Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
.
Earls of Mansfield, First Creation (1776)
- William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield and MansfieldWilliam Murray, 1st Earl of MansfieldWilliam Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, SL, PC was a British barrister, politician and judge noted for his reform of English law. Born to Scottish nobility, he was educated in Perth, Scotland before moving to London at the age of 13 to take up a place at Westminster School...
(1705–1793) - Louisa Murray, 2nd Countess of Mansfield (1758–1843)
- William David Murray, 4th Earl of Mansfield and MansfieldWilliam Murray, 4th Earl of Mansfield and MansfieldWilliam David Murray, 4th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield KT DL , was a British Conservative politician....
(1806–1898)- William David Murray, Viscount Stormont (1835–1893)
- William David Murray, 5th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield (1860–1906)
- Alan David Murray, 6th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield (1864–1935)
- Mungo David Malcolm Murray, 7th Earl of Mansfield and MansfieldMungo Murray, 7th Earl of Mansfield and MansfieldMungo David Malcolm Murray, 7th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield , styled Lord Scone from 1906 to 1935, was a Scottish Unionist Party politician....
(1900–1971) - William David Mungo James Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and MansfieldWilliam Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and MansfieldWilliam David Mungo James Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, DL, JP , styled Lord Scone until 1970, is a Scottish nobleman and Conservative politician....
(b. 1930)
The heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's eldest son Alexander David Mungo Murray, Viscount Stormont (b. 1956).
The second heir apparent is Lord Stormont's son the Hon. William Philip David Mungo Murray, Master of Stormont (b. 1988).
Earls of Mansfield, Second Creation (1792)
- William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield (1705–1793)
- David Murray, 2nd Earl of MansfieldDavid Murray, 2nd Earl of MansfieldDavid Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield KT, PC , known from 1748 to 1793 as The Viscount Stormont, was a British politician. He succeeded to both the Mansfield and Stormont lines of the Murray family, inheriting two titles and two fortunes.-Life:Mansfield was the son of David Murray, 6th Viscount of...
(1727–1796) - David William Murray, 3rd Earl of Mansfield (1777–1840)
- William David Murray, 4th Earl of MansfieldWilliam Murray, 4th Earl of Mansfield and MansfieldWilliam David Murray, 4th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield KT DL , was a British Conservative politician....
(1806–1898) (succeeded as Earl of Mansfield of the 1776 creation in 1843)
Dramatic recreations
- Let Justice Be Done Mixed Blessings Theatre Group. 2008 play featuring part of the Earl of Mansfield story