Earl of Huntingdon
Arms of Hastings:Argent, amaunch sable
Creation date	1065(first creation) 1529(current creation)
Created by	Edward the Confessor(first creation) Henry VIII(current creation)
Peerage	Peerage of England
First holder	Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria
Present holder	William Hastings-Bass, 17th Earl of Huntingdon
Heir presumptive	The Hon. John Peter Robin Hood Hastings-Bass
Remainder to	heirs male of the body (lawfully begotten)
Subsidiary titles	None, invented courtesy title "Viscount Hastings" used by heir apparent
Seats	Hodcott House,Berks;Sharavogue,King's Co.
Motto	In veritae victoria ("Victory is in truth")

Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in thePeerage of England. The medieval title (1065 creation) was associated with the ruling house ofScotland (David of Scotland).

The seventh and most recent creation dates to 1529. In this lineage, the current holder of the title isWilliam Hastings-Bass, 17th Earl of Huntingdon (b. 1948).

InEnglish folklore, the title has been associated withRobin Hood, whose true name is often given as"Robert of Huntingdon", though alternatively Robin is said to be from Locksley or Loxley.

Huntingdonshire was part of theKingdom of East Anglia, inhabited by a group known as theGyrwas from about the 6th century.^{[citation needed]} It fell to theDanes in the 9th century, but was re-conquered underEdward the Elder in 915. Anearldom of Huntingdon was established shortly after, and it was one of the seven earldoms ofSaxon England during the reign of kingEdward the Confessor.

It was created forBeorn Estrithson, cousin toHarold Godwinson (later King Harold).^{[citation needed]}The earldom at that time carried extensive powers and covered a wide area of theEast Midlands, covering the counties ofNorthamptonshire andBedfordshire as well asHuntingdonshire.

In 1065 the earldom passed toWaltheof, son ofSiward, Earl of Northumbria. Waltheof kept his title following theConquest in 1066, and even after his rebellion in 1067, and marriedJudith,King William's niece. However, after the second rebellion in 1076, he was executed and the earldom was reduced in size and power.

The earldom was inherited by Waltheof's daughterMaud, countess of Huntingdon, and passed to her husbands in turn, firstSimon de Senlis and thenDavid King ofScotland.

Following her death, and during the reigns ofMatilda andStephen and the anarchy that ensued, the earldom was the subject of dispute between Maud's sonsSimon II andHenry of Scotland, and was held by both at various times. In the reign ofHenry II, following the death of Simon II, it was settled on the Scottish house, and the sons of Prince Henry: firstMalcolm,^[1] thenWilliam, thenDavid. With the death of David's childless sonJohn in 1237, the title was not passed on and became extinct.

• Waltheof (d. 1076)
• Judith of Lens, Countess of Huntingdon (c.1055–after 1086)
• Maud, Countess of Huntingdon (c.1074–1130/31)
  • m.Simon I de Senlis, Earl of Huntingdon-Northampton (died c.1111)
  • m.David I of Scotland (c. 1084–1153)
• Henry, Earl of Northumbria (1114–1152)
• Simon II de Senlis, Earl of Huntingdon-Northampton (4th Earl) (c.1098–1153)
• Malcolm IV of Scotland (1141–1165)
• William I of Scotland (c.1142–1214)
• Simon III de Senlis (succeeded in 1174, upon the forfeiture by William who had succeeded as king of Scotland.)
• David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon (8th Earl) (1144–1219)
• John of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon (9th Earl) (1207–1237)

• William de Clinton, Earl of Huntingdon (1304–1354)

• Guichard d'Angle, Earl of Huntingdon (d. 1380) (Life Peerage)

• John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter, 1st Earl of Huntingdon (c.1352–1400) (forfeit 1400)
• John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon (1395–1447) (restored 1416)
• Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon (1430–1475) (forfeit 1461)

• seeMarquess of Dorset, third creation (1475)

• William Herbert (1451–1491) (created Earl in compensation for surrendering theEarldom of Pembroke toEdward IV).

The title was re-created for George Hastings,^[2] 3rdBaron Hastings, 5th Baron Hungerford, 6th Baron Botreaux and 3rd Baron de Moleyns. He fought in the French Wars ofHenry VIII, and was part of the royalist suppression of the rebellion known as thePilgrimage of Grace.^[2] In 1529 the King created himEarl of Huntingdon in the Peerage of England. His eldest son, thesecond Earl, was alieutenant-general and served as Commander-in-Chief of the Army. Lord Huntingdon marriedCatherine, daughter and co-heiress ofHenry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, son ofSir Richard Pole andMargaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, daughter and sole heiress ofGeorge, Duke of Clarence, brother ofKing Edward IV.^[2] On his death the titles passed to his son, thethird Earl. He was a possibleheir presumptive to the crown through his mother, thoughElizabeth I never acknowledged his claim officially. Lord Huntingdon was one of the custodians ofMary, Queen of Scots, and also served as President of theCouncil of the North.^[2] He was succeeded by his younger brother, thefourth Earl. He representedDerbyshire andLeicestershire in theHouse of Commons and served asLord-Lieutenant of Rutland andLeicestershire.^{[citation needed]}

When he died the titles passed to his grandson, thefifth Earl. He was the son ofFrancis Hastings, Lord Hastings (d. 1595).^[2] Lord Huntingdon was also Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire and Rutland. He was succeeded by his eldest son, thesixth Earl.^[2] He sat asMember of Parliament for Leicestershire. His son, theseventh Earl,^[2] and also served as Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire andDerbyshire. He was succeeded by his eldest son, theeighth Earl. He carried theSceptre at the Coronation ofQueen Anne but died at an early age.^{[citation needed]} He was succeeded by his half-brother, theninth Earl.^[2] He carried theSword of State at the Coronation ofKing George II.^{[citation needed]} His son, thetenth Earl, was a courtier and notably served asMaster of the Horse. He had no legitimate male issue and on his death in 1789 the earldom became dormant.^{[citation needed]} He was succeeded in the baronies of Hastings, Hungerford, de Moleyns and Botreaux by his sisterLady Elizabeth, wife ofThe 1st Earl of Moira.^[2]

The earldom was assumed by the tenth Earl's distant relative (his fifth cousin once removed) Reverend Theophilus Henry Hastings. He was the great-great-great-grandson of Sir Edward Hastings (d. 1603), younger son of the second Earl.^[2] He is by some sources considered as thede jure eleventh Earl while some sources do not include him in the numbering of the Earls. On his death, the claim passed to his nephew Hans Francis Hastings, son of George Hastings. He was allowed to take his seat in the House of Lords as the Earl of Huntingdon in 1819.^[2] Depending on the sources he is numbered as the eleventh or twelfth Earl. Lord Huntingdon served asGovernor of Jamaica from 1822 to 1824.^[2]

Hans' great-great-grandson, the sixteenth (or fifteenth Earl), was an artist, academic andLabour politician. He died without male issue in 1990 and was succeeded by his first cousin once removed, the seventeenth (or sixteenth) and (As of 2017^[update]) present holder of the title. He is the uncle of television presenterClare Balding and eldest son ofCaptain Peter Robin Hood Hastings Bass (1920–1964) (who assumed the additional surname of Bass, which was that of his uncle by marriage,Sir William Bass, 2nd Baronet, bydeed poll in 1954), son of Aubrey Craven Theophilus Robin Hood Hastings (1878–1929), younger son of the fourteenth Earl.^{[citation needed]}

Several other members of the Hastings family may be mentioned. The Hon.Edward Hastings, third son of the first Earl, was createdBaron Hastings of Loughborough in 1558. Richard Hastings, a grandson of Sir Edward Hastings, younger son of the second Earl, was created a baronet in 1667 (seeHastings baronets). The Hon.Henry Hastings, second son of the fifth Earl, was createdBaron Loughborough in 1643.Lucy Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, wife of the sixth Earl, was a poet.Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, wife of the ninth Earl, was aMethodist leader and the founder of theCountess of Huntingdon's Connexion.Charles Hastings, illegitimate son of the tenth Earl, was a distinguished soldier and was created a baronet in 1806 (seeAbney-Hastings baronets). The Hon. George Fowler Hastings, second son of the twelfth (or eleventh) Earl, was avice-admiral in theRoyal Navy. Alexander Plantagenet Hastings (1843–1928), son of Captain the Hon. Edward Plantagenet Robin Hood Hastings (1818–1857), third son of the twelfth (or eleventh) Earl, was anadmiral in the Royal Navy. His son Edward George Godolphin Hastings (1887–1973) was acaptain in the Royal Navy.^{[citation needed]}

The Earl possesses no subsidiary titles, but his eldest son uses the inventedcourtesy title ofViscount Hastings to avoid confusion, there already being aBaron Hastings.^{[citation needed]}

The family seat of the present line is atHodcott House, nearWest Ilsley, inBerkshire.^{[citation needed]}

• George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon (1488–1544)
• Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon (1514–1560)
• Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon (1536–1595)
• George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon (1540–1604)
• Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon (1586–1643)
• Ferdinando Hastings, 6th Earl of Huntingdon (1609–1656)
• Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon (1650–1701)
• George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon (1677–1705)
• Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon (1696–1746)
• Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon (1729–1789) (dormant)
• Theophilus Henry Hastings,de jure 11th Earl of Huntingdon (1728–1804)
• Hans Francis Hastings, 12th Earl of Huntingdon (1779–1828) (confirmed in title 1819)
• Francis Theophilus Henry Hastings, 13th Earl of Huntingdon (1808–1875)
• Francis Power Plantagenet Hastings, 14th Earl of Huntingdon (1841–1885)
• Warner Francis John Plantagenet Hastings, 15th Earl of Huntingdon (1868–1939)
• Francis John Clarence Westenra Plantagenet Hastings, 16th Earl of Huntingdon (1901–1990)
• William Edward Robin Hood Hastings-Bass, 17th Earl of Huntingdon (b. 1948)

Theheir presumptive is the present holder's brother the Hon. John Peter Robin Hood Hastings-Bass (b. 1954).
The heir presumptive's heir is his cousin Adam Francis Hastings (b. 1977), a great-great-great-grandson of the 12th Earl.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toEarls of Huntingdon.

• Baron Hastings
• Baron Hungerford
• Baron Botreaux
• Baron de Moleyns
• Hastings baronets
• Abney-Hastings baronets
• Britain's Real Monarch – argues that 3rd–10th Earls should have been the monarchs of England
• Countess of Huntingdon
  • Maud, Countess of Huntingdon
  • Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon

Coat of arms of the Earl of Huntingdon

Crest A Bull's Head erased Sable armed and ducally gorged Or. Escutcheon Argent a Maunch Sable. Supporters On either side a Man Tiger (or Lion guardant with Human Face) Or the Faces proper. Motto In Veritate Victoria (Victory is in Truth).

InEnglish folklore, the title has been associated withRobin Hood, whose true name is often given as"Robert of Huntingdon", though alternatively Robin is said to be from Locksley or Loxley. It was used in the 1980sITV TV seriesRobin of Sherwood starringJason Connery as Robert, who succeeds Robin of Loxley (Michael Praed) in the role of Robin Hood.

This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(October 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

•  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Huntingdon, Earls of".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 949.

• Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921).Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy.Fleet street,London, UK:Dean & Son. p. 491.

• Britannia
• Morris, Susan (20 April 2020).Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019.Debrett's; eBook Partnership.ISBN 978-1-9997-6705-1.John Debrett^{[page needed]}
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Hansard 1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Francis Theophilus Henry Hastings, 13th Earl of Huntingdon
• Hansard 1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Francis Power Plantagenet Hastings, 14th Earl of Huntingdon
• Hansard 1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Warner Francis John Plantagenet Hastings, 15th Earl of Huntingdon
• Hansard 1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by William Edward Robin Hood Hastings-Bass, 17th Earl of Huntingdon

• Earldoms in England before 1066
• Earldoms in the Peerage of England
• Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of England
• Noble titles created in 1337
• Noble titles created in 1377
• Noble titles created in 1388
• Noble titles created in 1471
• Noble titles created in 1479
• Noble titles created in 1529
• Robin Hood
• Forfeited earldoms in the Peerage of England
• Earls of Huntingdon

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