| Earldom of Gainsborough | |
|---|---|
  Arms of Noel:Or, fretty gules a canton ermine. Crest: A Buck at gaze Argent, attired Or. Supporters: On either side a Bull Argent, armed and unguled proper, gorged with a Naval Crown Azure, therefrom a Chain reflexed over the back Gold, and pendent from the crown an Escutcheon Azure, charged with an Anchor erect, encircled by a Wreath of Laurel Or. | |
| Creation date | 16 August 1841 |
| Creation | Second |
| Created by | Queen Victoria |
| Peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
| First holder | Charles Noel, 3rd Baron Barham |
| Present holder | Anthony Noel, 6th Earl of Gainsborough |
| Heir apparent | Henry Noel, Viscount Campden |
| Remainder to | the 1st Earl'sheirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount Campden Baron Barham Baron Noel Baronet ‘of the Navy’ |
| Motto | Tout bien ou rien (All well or nothing) |
Earl of Gainsborough is a title that has been created twice, once in thePeerage of England and once in thePeerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation ended in extinction when the sixth Earl died without heirs. However, the title was revived in 1841 for a female-line relative.
Baptist Hicks was a wealthy textile merchant inLondon and also representedTavistock andTewkesbury in theHouse of Commons. In 1627 he was created abaronet, of Campden in the County of Gloucester, with remainder to heirs male of his body. One year later Hicks was raised to the peerage asBaron Hicks, ofIlmington in theCounty of Warwick, andViscount Campden, ofCampden in theCounty of Gloucester, with remainder to his son-in-law Edward Noel, husband of his daughter Juliana. On Lord Campden's death the baronetcy became extinct while he was succeeded in the barony and viscountcy according to the special remainder by his son-in-law, the second Viscount. He had earlier representedRutland in Parliament, and in 1617, twelve years prior to succeeding his father-in-law, he had himself been raised to the peerage asBaron Noel of Ridlington after being raised to a baronetcy, of Brook, in the county of Rutland in 1611.[1] His son, the third Viscount, also sat as aMember of Parliament for Rutland in 1640.
On his death the titles passed to his son, the fourth Viscount. He represented Rutland andHampshire and also served asLord Lieutenant of Hampshire and ofRutland. In 1681, one year before succeeding his father, he was createdBaron Noel, of Titchfield. The following year, one month after his father's death, he was further honoured when he was madeEarl of Gainsborough. Both titles were created with remainder, failing male issue of his own, to the male issue of his father. Lord Gainsborough's son, the second Earl, sat briefly as aMember of Parliament forHampshire. On his death the line of the first Earl failed. He was succeeded according to the special remainder by his cousin, the third Earl. He was the son ofBaptist Noel, the son of the third Viscount Campden from his fourth marriage and half-brother of the first Earl of Gainsborough. All titles became extinct on the death of his grandson, the sixth Earl, in 1798.
Another member of the Hicks family was Sir Michael Hicks (1543–1612), elder brother of the first Viscount Campden. He was the ancestor of the Hicks baronets of Beverston and of theEarls St Aldwyn.
The title was revived in 1841 for Charles Noel, Baron Barham. His grandfather,Charles Middleton was an Admiral in theRoyal Navy and also served asFirst Lord of the Admiralty. In 1781 he was created abaronet, of the Navy,[2] with remainder to his son-in-lawGerard Edwardes (who assumed the surname of Noel by Royal licence in 1798) and in 1805 he was raised to thePeerage of the United Kingdom asBaron Barham, ofBarham Court and ofTeston in theCounty of Kent, with remainder to his daughterDiana, wife of the aforementioned Gerard Edwardes.[3] Lord Barham was succeeded firstly in the baronetcy according to the special remainder by his son-in-law, the second Baronet. He was the son of Gerard Anne Edwardes (died 1773) and his wife Lady Jane Noel, daughter of Baptist Noel, 4th Earl of Gainsborough and sister of Henry Noel, 6th and last Earl of Gainsborough (see above). Gerard Anne Edwardes was the illegitimate son ofLord Anne Hamilton, younger son ofJames Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton. Sir Gerard Noel sat in theHouse of Commons for nearly fifty years, representingMaidstone andRutland.
Lord Barham was succeeded secondly in the barony according to the special remainder by his daughter Diana, the second Baroness. Both she and her husband were succeeded by their son,Charles Noel the third Baron and third Baronet. He representedRutland in Parliament. In 1841 the titles held by his father's ancestors was revived when he was createdBaron Noel, ofRidlington in theCounty of Rutland,Viscount Campden, ofCampden in theCounty of Gloucester, andEarl of Gainsborough, in theCounty of Lincoln.[4] His son, the second Earl, briefly representedRutland in Parliament and also served asLord Lieutenant of Rutland. The present holder of the titles is his great-great-grandson, the sixth Earl (the titles having descended from father to son).
The family seat isExton Hall, nearExton,Rutland.
Several other members of the Noel family have also gained distinction.William Noel, third son of the second Baronet and Lady Barham, was Member of Parliament for Rutland.Baptist Wriothesley Noel, tenth son of the second Baronet and Lady Barham, was an evangelical clergyman. His second sonErnest Noel was a politician.Gerard Noel, second son of the first Earl, was aConservative politician.Roden Noel, son of the first Earl by his fourth marriage, was a poet. His sonConrad Noel was a clergyman and prominentChristian Socialist.Lady Victoria Noel, daughter of the first Earl by his fourth marriage, was a philanthropist.
Theheir apparent is the present holder's son Henry Robert Anthony Noel, Viscount Campden (born 1977).[citation needed]
Nora Gainesborough, avampire, was depicted as the fictional "Countess of Gainsborough", and referred to as "Lady Gainsborough", in the HBO fantasy seriesTrue Blood (2008–2014). In the show, she is also depicted as one of the mistresses ofKing Charles II of England in 1665.[5][6]
