Earl of Romney

Earldom in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Earl of Romney
2nd creation

Arms of Marsham: Argent, a Lion passant Gules, between two Bendlets Azure. Crest: A Lion's Head erased Gules. Supporters: On either side a Lion Azure, semée of Crosses-Crosslet Or, gorged with a Naval Crown Or.

Creation date| 22 June 1801; 223 years ago (1801-06-22)
Creation| Second
Created by| King George III
Peerage| Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder| Charles Marsham, 1st Earl of Romney
Present holder| Julian Marsham, 8th Earl of Romney
Heir apparent| David Marsham, Viscount Marsham
Subsidiary titles| Viscount Marsham
Baron Romney
Baronet 'of Cuchston'
Status| Extant
Seat(s)| Gayton Hall
Former seat(s)| Mote House
Motto| NON SIBI SED PATRIÆ
(For country not self)
Earl of Romney
1st creation

Arms of Sydney: Or, a Pheon Azure, a Crescent for difference. Crest: A Porcupine Azure, quilled, collared and chained Or, a Crescent for difference. Supporters: Dexter: A Lion Azure, collared and chained Or, ducally crowned per pale Argent and Gules, a Crescent for difference; Sinister: A Lion guardant Argent, ducally crowned Or, a Crescent for difference.

Creation date| 8 April 1694; 330 years ago (1694-04-08)
Creation| First
Created by| William III and Mary II
Peerage| Peerage of England
First holder| Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney
Last holder| Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney
Subsidiary titles| Viscount Sydney
Baron Milton
Status| Extinct
Extinction date| 8 April 1704
Motto| QUO FATA VOCANT
(Whither the Fates call / Where destiny calls)

Earl of Romney (pronounced "Rumney") is a title that has been created twice.

It was first created in the Peerage of England in 1694 in favour of the soldier and politician Henry Sydney. He had been made Baron Milton and Viscount Sydney at the same time in 1689.[1] Sydney was the younger son of Robert Sydney, 2nd Earl of Leicester. He never married and the titles became extinct on his death in 1704.

It was created for the second time in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1801 in favour of Charles Marsham, 3rd Baron Romney. The Marsham family descends from Sir John Marsham, one of the six Clerks of the Court of Chancery from 1638 to 1644 and from 1660 to 1680. In August 1663 he was created a Baronet, of Cuckston in the County of Kent, in the Baronetage of England.[2] His grandson, the fourth Baronet (who succeeded his nephew), was also a Clerk of the Court of Chancery and represented Maidstone in the House of Commons. His son, the fifth Baronet, also sat as Member of Parliament for Maidstone and served as Governor of Dover Castle. In 1716 he was raised to the Peerage of Great Britain as Baron of Romney, of Romney in the County of Kent.[3]

His grandson, the aforementioned third Baron, represented Maidstone and Kent in Parliament and served as Lord Lieutenant of Kent. In 1801 he was created Viscount Marsham, of The Mote in the County of Kent, and Earl of Romney, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.[4] He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He was Member of Parliament for Hythe and Downton. His son, the third Earl, represented Kent West in the House of Commons. He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl, who held political office in the second Conservative government of Lord Salisbury as a Lord-in-waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) from 1889 to 1892.

The line of his eldest son, the fifth Earl, failed on the death of the latter's son, the sixth Earl, in 1975. The late Earl was succeeded by his first cousin, the seventh Earl. He was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Reginald Hastings Marsham, second son of the fourth Earl. As of 2010[update] the titles are held by his first cousin once removed, the eighth Earl, who succeeded in 2004. He is the son of Colonel Peter William Marsham, son of Sydney Edward Marsham, youngest son of the fourth Earl.

The family seat was at Mote House, near Maidstone, Kent, but since 1891 it has been the Gayton Hall Estate at Gayton near Kings Lynn, Norfolk.

## Earls of Romney, first creation

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Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, by John Baptist Medina

### Viscounts Sydney (1689)

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* Henry Sydney, 1st Viscount Sydney (1641–1704) (created Earl of Romney in 1694)

### Earls of Romney (1694)

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* Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney (1641–1704)

## Earls of Romney, second creation

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Engraving of Charles Marsham, 1st Earl of Romney, based on a picture by Sir William Beechey, 1803

### Marsham baronets, of Cuckston (1663)

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* Sir John Marsham, 1st Baronet (1602–1685)
* Sir John Marsham, 2nd Baronet (1637–1692)
* Sir John Marsham, 3rd Baronet (1679–1696)
* Sir Robert Marsham, 4th Baronet (1650–1703)
* Sir Robert Marsham, 5th Baronet (1685–1724) (created Baron Romney in 1716)

### Barons Romney (1716)

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* Robert Marsham, 1st Baron Romney (1685–1724)
* Robert Marsham, 2nd Baron Romney (1712–1794)
* Charles Marsham, 3rd Baron Romney (1744–1811) (created Viscount Marsham and Earl of Romney in 1801)

### Earls of Romney (1801)

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* Charles Marsham, 1st Earl of Romney (1744–1811)
* Charles Marsham, 2nd Earl of Romney (1777–1845)
* Charles Marsham, 3rd Earl of Romney (1808–1874)
* Charles Marsham, 4th Earl of Romney (1841–1905)
* Charles Marsham, 5th Earl of Romney (1864–1933)
* Charles Marsham, 6th Earl of Romney (1892–1975)
* Michael Henry Marsham, 7th Earl of Romney (1910–2004)
* Julian Charles Marsham, 8th Earl of Romney (b. 1948)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Lieutenant Colonel David Charles Marsham, Viscount Marsham (b. 1977), who served as commanding officer of 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards 2018–2023.[5][6]
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son, Hon. James Julian Marsham (b. 2014)

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Marquesses Townshend, Earls of Romney, and Baronets of Cuckston

| Shirley Baronet of Staunton Harold in the County of Leicester, 1611|

|

George Shirley
1559–1622
1st Baronet|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Baronet of Cuckston, 1663
Henry Shirley
1589–1633
2nd Baronet| | | | | | | | | | Robert Sidney
1595–1677
Earl of Leicester| | | | | | John Marsham
1602–1685
1st Baronet of Cuckston
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Earl of Romney (1st creation), 1694| | | | |
Charles Shirley
(1623–1646)
3rd Baronet| | Robert Shirley
1629–1656
4th Baronet| | | | | | Lady Lucy Sidney
1630–1685| | Henry Sydney
1641–1704
1st Earl of Romney| | John Marsham
1637–1692
2nd Baronet of Cuckston
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Earldom extinct, 1704| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Baron Ferrers of Chartley abeyance terminated, 1677| | | | | | | | | | | Baron Townshend, of Lynn Regis in the County of Norfolk, 1661
Viscount Townshend of Raynham in the County of Norfolk, 1682| | | | |
Seymour Shirley
1647–1667
5th Baronet| | Robert Shirley
1650–1717
Earl Ferrers, 14th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, 7th Shirley Baronet, of Staunton Harold| | | | | | Thomas Pelham
1653–1712| | Horatio Townshend
1630–1687
1st Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | John Marsham
1679–1696
3rd Baronet of Cuckston
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Robert Shirley
1668–1669
6th Baronet| | Robert Shirley
1673–1699| | | | | | Elizabeth Pelham
1681–1711| | Charles Townshend
1674–1738
2nd Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | Robert Marsham
1650–1703
4th Baronet of Cuckston

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Baron Romney, 1716
| | | | Elizabeth Compton
1694–1741
15th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley| | Charles Townshend
1700–1764
3rd Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | | | | | Thomas Townshend
1701–1780| | Robert Marsham
1685–1724
1st Baron Romney, 5th Baronet of Cuckston
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Baron Ferrers of Chartley resolved, 1749| | Marquess Townshend, 1787| | | | | | Baron Sydney of Chiselhurst in the County of Kent, 1783
Viscount Sydney (2nd creation) of St Leonards, 1789| | | | |
| | | | Charlotte Townshend
d. 1770
16th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley, Baroness Compton| | George Townshend
1724–1807
1st Marquess Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | | | | | Thomas Townshend
1733–1800
1st Viscount Sydney| | Robert Marsham
1712–1794
2nd Baron Romney

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | Earl of Leicester (6th creation), 1784| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Earl of Romney (2nd creation) and Viscount Marsham of The Mote in the County of Kent, 1801
| | | | George Townshend
1753–1811
2nd Marquess Townshend, 1st Earl of Leicester, 5th Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend, 17th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, Baron Compton| | John Townshend
1757–1783| | | | | | John Townshend
1764–1831
2nd Viscount Sydney| | Charles Marsham
1744–1811
1st Earl of Romney and Viscount Marsham, 3rd Baron Romney
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | George Townshend
1778–1885
3rd Marquess Townshend, 2nd Earl of Leicester, 6th Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend, 18th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, Baron Compton| | John Townshend
1798–1863
4th Marquess Townshend, 7th Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | | | | | | Mary Elizabeth Marsham
1794–1847| | Charles Marsham
1777–1845
2nd Earl of Romney and Viscount Marsham, 4th Baron Romney

| | | | Barony Ferrers of Chartley and Barony Compton in abeyance and Earldom of Leicester (6th creation) extinct, 1885| | | | | | | Earl Sydney of Scadbury in the County of Kent, 1874| | | | | | | |
| | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | John Townshend
1805–1890
1st Earl Sydney, 3rd Viscount Sydney| | Charles Marsham
1808–1874
3nd Earl of Romney and Viscount Marsham, 5th Baron Romney
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Earldom of Sydney extinct, 1890| | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | John Villiers Stuart Townshend
1831–1899
5th Marquess Townshend, 8th Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | | | | | Charles Marsham
1841–1905
4th Earl of Romney and Viscount Marsham, 6th Baron Romney
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | John James Dudley Stuart Townshend
1866–1921
6th Marquess Townshend, 9th Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | Charles Marsham
1864–1933
5th Earl of Romney and Viscount Marsham, 7th Baron Romney| | Reginald Hastings Marsham
1865–1922| | Sydney Edward Marsham
1879–1952
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | George John Patrick Dominic Townshend
1916–2010
7th Marquess Townshend, 10th Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | Charles Marsham
1892–1975
6th Earl of Romney and Viscount Marsham, 8th Baron Romney| | Michael Marsham
1910–2004
7th Earl of Romney and Viscount Marsham, 9th Baron Romney| | Peter William Marsham
1913–1970
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Charles George Townshend
b. 1945
8th Marquess Townshend, 11th Viscount Townshend and Baron Townshend| | | | | | | | | | Julian Marsham
b. 1948
8th Earl of Romney and Viscount Marsham, 9th Baron Romney
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Thomas Charles Townshend
b. 1977
styled Viscount Raynham| | | | | | | | | | David Charles Marsham
b. 1977
styled Viscount Marsham
| | | | | | | | Heir apparent to the Marquess of Townshend| | | | | | | | | | Heir apparent to the Earl of Romney
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Rafe Thomas Townshend
b. 2014| | | | | | | | | | James Julian Marsham
b. 2014

## See also

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* Earl of Leicester (1618 creation)

## References

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1. ^ "No. 2443". The London Gazette. 11 April 1689. p. 2.
2. ^ Cokayne, George Edward, ed. (1903), Complete Baronetage volume 3 (1649-1664), vol. 3, Exeter: William Pollard and Co, retrieved 9 October 2018
3. ^ "No. 5445". The London Gazette. 23 June 1716. p. 2.
4. ^ "No. 15375". The London Gazette. 13 June 1801. p. 659.
5. ^ "No. 62413". The London Gazette. 18 September 2018. p. 16640.
6. ^ "No. 64035". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 April 2023. p. 8359.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, [page needed]
* John Burke A General and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage of the British Empire Volume 2 1832
* Obituary of Charles Marsham, 2nd Earl of Romney from the Gentleman's Magazine Published 1845 at Google Books
* Obituary of Michael Henry Marsham, 7th Earl of Romney at The Daily Telegraph, 9 June 2004 [1]

## External links

[edit]

* Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Michael Henry Marsham, 7th Earl of Romney

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Extant earldoms in the peerages of Britain and Ireland

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United Kingdom |

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Italics: This title is held by a peer who holds another earldom of higher precedence.
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