Baron Heytesbury (pronounced 'Hetsbury'),[1] ofHeytesbury in the County ofWiltshire,[2] is a title in thePeerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1828 for the prominent politician and diplomatSir William à Court, 2nd Baronet, who later served asAmbassador to Russia and asViceroy of Ireland. His son, the second Baron, sat asMember of Parliament for theIsle of Wight. On his marriage in 1837 to Elizabeth Holmes, daughter of Sir Leonard Worsley Holmes, Lord Heytesbury assumed the additional surname of Holmes. His son the 4th baron commanded a battalion in theWiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) and was for a time in command of62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot.[3] As of 2010[update], the titles are held by his great-great-great-grandson, the seventh Baron, who succeeded his father in 2004.
Thebaronetcy, of Heytesbury House in the County of Wiltshire,[4] was created in theBaronetage of Great Britain on 4 July 1795 for the first Baron's father,William à Court. He was acolonel in the army and representedHeytesbury in theHouse of Commons. His father,William Ashe-à Court, was ageneral in the army and also sat as a Member of Parliament for therotten borough ofHeytesbury.
A junior line of the family has attained fortune and fame in Australia, thanks to the business empire ofRobert Holmes à Court, who was of South African birth, and his Western Australian wifeJanet, formerly one of Australia's richest women. Their vast business interests are managed throughHeytesbury Pty Ltd, a company named after the family peerage.
Barons Heytesbury line of succession |
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