Earl of Halifax

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Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
Coat of Arms of the Earls of Halifax (fourth award)

Earl of Halifax is a hereditary British title of nobility named after the city of Halifax in Yorkshire . The title has been awarded four times so far.

In addition, the title of Viscount Halifax and the title Baron Halifax and Marquess of Halifax were created twice .

Awards

The title was first bestowed in 1679 in the Peerage of England to Sir George Savile, 4th Baronet . He was a major politician and later played an important role during the Glorious Revolution . The title expired in 1700 with the death of George Savile's son, who had no male descendants.

The second award took place in 1714 in the Peerage of Great Britain to Charles Montagu . Among other things, he led the negotiations between England and Scotland, which led to the Act of Union 1707 . Montagu died the following year. The title expired because it had no male descendants.

Just a month later, the earliest dignity was re-established and bestowed on George Montagu , the next of kin, a nephew of Charles Montagu. His son, the second earl, died in 1771 again without a male descendant, so that the title became void again.

In 1944 the title was finally awarded for the fourth time, this time in the Peerage of the United Kingdom to Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax . At this point in time, he had already had a long political career in prominent offices. He was Viceroy of India (1926-1931) and Foreign Minister (1938-1940).

Subordinate title

Before Wood was appointed Viceroy of India, the king bestowed on him the dignity of Baron Irwin , of Kirby Underdale in the County of York , as is customary in similar cases . This title is now listed as a subordinate title.

At the death of his father in 1934 Wood had already inherited his title Viscount Halifax , of Monk Bretton in the West Riding of the County of York, as well as the dignity of a baronet , of Barnsley in the County of Yorkshire. The Viscount was bestowed in 1866 on Charles Wood , the earl's grandfather, also an important politician of his time. His grandfather, Francis Wood , had been promoted to baronet in 1784. Both titles are therefore associated with the earliest dignity.

The Heir Apparent has the courtesy title of Lord Irwin .

Other titles

The previous awards were also associated with other titles.

The great-grandfather of George Savile, who had the same name, had already been made Baronet, of Thornhill, in 1611. The Earl himself had been promoted to Viscount Halifax and Baron Savile , of Eland in the County of York in 1668 . In 1682 he became Marquess of Halifax . All titles except for the baronet lapsed with the death of the son of Savile in 1700, while the latter did not disappear until 1784 with the death of the eighth baronet.

Charles Montagu had already been raised to the nobility in 1700 as Baron Halifax , of Halifax in the County of York. This title was linked to a special succession clause in such a way that the nephew George, who later became the first earl of the award in 1715, could inherit the title if his uncle died without male descendants. This clause then led in 1715 to the fact that this title, unlike the earliest dignity and the title of Viscount Sudbury, which was conferred at the same time in 1714, did not expire at the death of Charles Montagu.

George Montagu, the nephew, received the title of Viscount Sudbury with the earliest title conferred in 1715 . This, like the inherited barony, also expired in 1771.

List of Barons and Viscounts of Halifax and Earls and Marquesses of Halifax

Viscounts Halifax, first bestowal (1668)

Earls of Halifax, first bestowal (1679)

Marquesses of Halifax (1682)

Earls of Halifax, second bestowal (1714)

Barons Halifax (1701)

Earls of Halifax, third bestowal (1715)

Viscounts Halifax, second award (1866)

Earls of Halifax, fourth award (1944)

The heir to the title is the son of the current earl, James Charles Wood, Baron Irwin (* 1977). His title heir is his son, the Hon. Rex Patrick Wood (* 2010).

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  • Charles Kidd, David Williamson (Eds.): Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. Comprises Information concerning the Royal Family, the Peerage, and Baronetage. St Martin's Press et al., New York NY et al. 1990, ISBN 0-312-04640-5 .
  • Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page