| Earldom of Belmore | |
|---|---|
  Arms: Quarterly: 1st, Quarterly I & IV, Gules, A Saltire Argent, in chief a Rose Or (Corry); II & III, Sable, a Cup Argent, issuing therefrom a Garland between two Laurel Branches Vert (Lowrey); 2nd, Gules, a Saltire Argent, on chief a Rose Or (Corry); 3rd, Argent, on a Bend Azure, three Buckles Or (Leslie); 4th, Or, a Lion rampant Gules, over all a Bendlet Sable (Abernethy).Crests: 1st, a Cock proper (Corry); 2nd, A Garland of Laurel between two Branches of Laurel proper (Lowry).Supporters: On either side a Tiger Cat guardant proper, ducally gorged and chained Or. | |
| Creation date | 20 November 1797 |
| Created by | George III |
| Peerage | Peerage of Ireland |
| First holder | Armar Lowry-Corry, 1st Viscount Belmore |
| Present holder | John Lowry-Corry, 8th Earl Belmore |
| Heir apparent | John Lowry-Corry, Viscount Corry |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount Belmore Baron Belmore |
| Status | Extant |
| Seat | Castle Coole |
| Motto | VIRTUS SEMPER VIRDIS (Virtue is always green) |
Earl Belmore is a title in thePeerage of Ireland that was created in 1797 forArmar Lowry-Corry, 1st Viscount Belmore,[1] who had previously representedCounty Tyrone in theIrish House of Commons. He had already been createdBaron Belmore, ofCastle Coole inCounty Fermanagh (now inNorthern Ireland), in 1781[2] andViscount Belmore in 1789,[3] also in the Peerage of Ireland. Born Armar Lowry, he was the son of Galbraith Lowry, Member of the Irish House of Commons for County Tyrone, and his wife Sarah, daughter of ColonelJohn Corry. In 1774, he assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Corry. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He represented County Tyrone in both theIrish andBritish House of Commons, sat in theHouse of Lords as anIrish representative peer from 1819 to 1841, and served asGovernor of Jamaica from 1828 to 1832.
His eldest son, the third Earl, representedCounty Fermanagh at Westminster. On his early death, the titles passed to his eldest son, the fourth Earl. He was an Irish Representative Peer between 1857 and 1913, and he served under theEarl of Derby asUnder-Secretary of State for the Home Department between 1866 and 1867. From 1867 to 1872, Lord Belmore wasGovernor of New South Wales. The line of the fourth Earl failed on the death of his younger son, the sixth Earl, in 1949, and he was succeeded by his first cousin once removed, the seventh Earl. He was the son of Major Adrian Lowry-Corry, fifth son of Admiral the Hon. Armar Lowry-Corry, himself the second son of the third Earl. As of 2014[update], the titles are held by his son, the eighth Earl, who succeeded in 1960.
Several other members of the Lowry-Corry family have also gained distinction. TheConservative politician the HonourableHenry Lowry-Corry,First Lord of the Admiralty from 1866 to 1867, was the second son of the second Earl. His younger son wasMontagu Corry, 1st Baron Rowton, private secretary toBenjamin Disraeli. The Honourable Armar Lowry-Corry (1836–1919), second son of the third Earl, was anadmiral in theRoyal Navy. The HonourableHenry Lowry-Corry, younger son of the third Earl, was also a politician.[citation needed]
The invented title ofViscount Corry is used as acourtesy title for the Earl's heir apparent. The family seat isCastle Coole, nearEnniskillen,County Fermanagh.[citation needed]
Theheir apparent is the present holder's son, John Armar Galbraith Lowry-Corry, Viscount Corry (born 1985).
