Earl of Halifax
Blazon Arms: Quarterly: 1st & 4th, Azure, three naked Savages ambulant in fess proper, in the dexter hand of each a Shield Argent, charged with a Cross Gules, and in the sinister a Club resting on the shoulder proper, on a Canton Ermine, three Lozenges conjoined in fess Sable (Wood); 2nd & 3rd, Paly bendy Or and Azure, a Canton Ermine (Buck).Crest: A naked Savage ambulant proper, in the dexter hand a Shield Sable, charged with a Griffin’s Head erased Argent and in the sinister a Club resting on the shoulder proper.Supporters: On either side a Griffin Sable, gorged with a Collar, pendant therefrom a Portcullis Or.
Creation date	11 July 1944
Creation	Fourth
Created by	King George VI
Peerage	Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder	Edward Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax
Present holder	Peter Wood, 3rd Earl of Halifax
Heir apparent	James Wood, Lord Irwin
Remainder to	the 1st Earl'sheirs male of the body
Subsidiary titles	Viscount Halifax Baron Irwin
Status	Extant
Seat	Garrowby Hall
Motto	I LIKE MY CHOICE

Earl of Halifax is a title that has been created four times in British history—once in thePeerage of England, twice in thePeerage of Great Britain, and once in thePeerage of the United Kingdom. The name of the peerage refers to the town ofHalifax inWest Yorkshire.

The first and fourth creations were elevations for the holders of the first and second creations of the titleViscount Halifax. The holder of the first creation was later granted the titleMarquess of Halifax. The second and third creations were for closely related male members of theMontagu family,landed gentry since theNorman Conquest, and spanned most of the years 1689–1771.

The fourth creation was in 1944 forLord Halifax, the formerviceroy of India (who was the 3rd Viscount Halifax before his elevation to the earldom). He was a prominent 1930s minister, who declined the possibility of becoming prime minister on the resignation ofChamberlain, in favour ofChurchill.

The first creation, in the Peerage of England in 1679, was forGeorge Savile, 1st Viscount Halifax. He had already been madeBaron Savile of Elland andViscount Halifax in 1668, and was later madeMarquess of Halifax (this creation of the earldom became extinct in 1700; seeMarquess of Halifax for more information).

The title was recreated in 1714 forCharles Montagu, 1st Baron Halifax,First Lord of the Treasury toGeorge I, along with the courtesy title ofViscount Sunbury. Both titles were created with remainder to heirs male. A member of the prominent Montagu family, he was the son of George Montagu, younger son ofHenry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester (see theDuke of Manchester article). Montagu had already been createdBaron Halifax, of Halifax in the County of York, in 1700, with remainder, failing heirs male of his own, to his nephew George, son and heir of his brotherEdward Montagu.

On Lord Halifax's death in 1715 the viscountcy and earldom became extinct. He was succeeded in the barony according to the special remainder by his nephewGeorge Montagu. Less than a month after his uncle's death, both titles were revived in his favour, making himEarl of Halifax andViscount Sunbury. He was succeeded by his son, thesecond Earl, who was a prominent statesman. However, on his death in 1771 all the titles became extinct.

The title was created for a fourth time in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1944 forEdward Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax, the formerForeign Secretary and formerViceroy of India. The Wood family descends from Francis Wood, ofBarnsley. His second son, Francis Wood, was created abaronet, of Barnsley in the County of York, in 1784, with remainder to his elder brother, the Reverend Henry Wood, and failing him to the sons of his younger brother, Charles Wood (who had died two years earlier). He was succeeded according to the special remainder by his nephew, the second Baronet (the son of Charles Wood).

His son,the third Baronet, was a prominentLiberal politician and served asChancellor of the Exchequer from 1846 to 1852, during which he became notorious for the policies he followed during theGreat Famine inIreland. In 1866 he was createdViscount Halifax, of Monk Bretton in the West Riding of the County of York, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.^[1] His aforementioned grandson, the third Viscount, was also a noted politician. In 1925, nine years before he succeeded his father, he was himself raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom asBaron Irwin, of Kirby Underdale in the County of York. In 1944 he was further honoured when he was madeEarl of Halifax. As of 2018^[update] the titles are held by his grandson, the third Earl, who succeeded his father in 1980.

Another member of the Wood family was theConservative politicianRichard Wood, Baron Holderness. He was the second son of the first Earl of Halifax.

The dynasticmotto is "I like my choice", originally "Perseverando" (Latin for "Persevering"), changed after the 1st Earl's decision to abandon his office in the household of the Prince of Wales.^[2]

The family seat is Garrowby Hall, nearGarrowby in theEast Riding of Yorkshire.

• George Savile, 1st Viscount Halifax (1633–1695) (createdEarl of Halifax in 1679)

• George Savile, 1st Earl of Halifax (1633–1695) (createdMarquess of Halifax in 1682)

• George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax (1633–1695)
• William Savile, 2nd Marquess of Halifax (1665–1700)

• Charles Montagu, 1st Baron Halifax (1661–1715) (createdEarl of Halifax in 1714)

• Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax (1661–1715)

• George Montagu, 2nd Baron Halifax (1685–1739) (createdEarl of Halifax in 1715)

• George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax (1685–1739)
• George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (1716–1771)

• Sir Francis Wood, 1st Baronet (1729–1795)
• Sir Francis Lindley Wood, 2nd Baronet (1771–1846)
• Sir Charles Wood, 3rd Baronet (1800–1885) (createdViscount Halifax in 1866)

• Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax (1800–1885)
• Charles Lindley Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax (1839–1934)
• Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax (1881–1959) (createdBaron Irwin in 1925 andEarl of Halifax in 1944)

• Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax (1881–1959)
• Charles Ingram Courtenay Wood, 2nd Earl of Halifax (1912–1980)
• (Charles Edward) Peter Neil Wood, 3rd Earl of Halifax (born 1944)

Theheir apparent is the present holder's only son, James Charles Wood, Lord Irwin (born 1977).
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his only son, Hon. Rex Patrick Wood (born 2010).

• Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921).Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy. 160A,Fleet Street, London, UK:Dean & Son. p. 433.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages^{[self-published source][better source needed]}
• Leigh Rayment's list of baronets –Baronetcies beginning with "W" (part 3)

• Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of England
• Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of Great Britain
• Earldoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
• Montagu family
• Wood family
• 1679 establishments in England
• Noble titles created in 1679
• Noble titles created in 1714
• Noble titles created in 1715
• Noble titles created in 1944
• Peerages created for UK MPs
• Earls of Halifax

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