Earl of Bedford
Earl of Bedford is a hereditary British title of nobility awarded three times in the Peerage of England . The title is named after Bedford in England .
The family seat of today's Dukes is Woburn Abbey near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire .
Awards
For the first time the title was awarded in 1138 in the turmoil of the Civil War ( The Anarchy ) by King Stephen to Hugh de Beaumont . He was a younger son of Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester . The title was revoked around 1142.
In the second award, the title was created for the French nobleman Enguerrand VII. De Coucy . He was with Isabella of England , daughter of King Edward III. married. He was lord of Coucy from 1346 and, by marriage, Earl of Soissons . During the Hundred Years War he renounced his English titles and lands in favor of the Crown on the occasion of the coronation of King Richard II .
On January 19, 1551, the title was bestowed in third place on John Russell, 1st Baron Bedford . This was a close advisor to King Henry VIII and Edward VI. As early as March 9, 1539 he had been raised to Baron Russell , of Chenies in the County of Bedford . The future 4th Earl inherited the title of Baron Russell of Thornhaugh , of Thornhaugh in the County of Northampton , from his father, a younger son of the 2nd Earl of Bedford, in 1613 , which had been awarded to this on July 21, 1603. His son, the 5th Earl, were also elevated to Duke of Bedford and Marquess of Tavistock on May 11, 1694 , and Baron Howland , of Streatham in the County of Surrey on June 13, 1695 . The Earldom Bedford has since been a subordinate title of the respective duke.
List of the Earls of Bedford
Earl of Bedford, first bestowal (1138)
- Hugh de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Bedford (expired 1142)
Earl of Bedford, second bestowal (1366)
- Enguerrand de Coucy, 1st Earl of Bedford (1338–1398) (resigned 1377)
Earl of Bedford, third bestowal (1551)
- John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford (1485–1555)
- Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford (1527–1585)
- Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford (1572–1627)
- Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford (1593–1641)
- William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford , 5th Earl of Bedford (1616-1700)
- Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford , 6th Earl of Bedford (1680-1711)
- Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford , 7th Earl of Bedford (1708–1732)
- John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford , 8th Earl of Bedford (1710–1771)
- Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford , 9th Earl of Bedford (1765–1802)
- John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford , 10th Earl of Bedford (1766–1839)
- Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford , 11th Earl of Bedford (1788–1861)
- William Russell, 8th Duke of Bedford , 12th Earl of Bedford (1809–1872)
- Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford , 13th Earl of Bedford (1819-1891)
- George Russell, 10th Duke of Bedford , 14th Earl of Bedford (1852-1893)
- Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford , 15th Earl of Bedford (1858–1940)
- Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford , 16th Earl of Bedford (1888–1953)
- John Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford , 17th Earl of Bedford (1917–2002)
- Robin Russell, 14th Duke of Bedford , 18th Earl of Bedford (1940-2003)
- Andrew Russell, 15th Duke of Bedford , 19th Earl of Bedford (born 1962)
Heir Apparent is the son of the current owner, Henry Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (* 2005).
Literature and web links
- Hugh Chisholm : Bedford, Earls and Dukes of . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . Volume 3, Cambridge University Press, 1911, pp. 616 ff.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page