| Earldom of Malmesbury | |
|---|---|
  Arms:Azure a Chevron Erminois between three Hedgehogs Or on a Chief Argent the Eagle of Prussia displayed Sable beaked legged and langued Gules on the breast the Cypher F.R. and over it the Electoral Cap grasping in the dexter claw a Sceptre and in the sinister a Mound all Or and on each wing a Trefoil slipped of the last | |
| Creation date | 29 December 1800 |
| Creation | First |
| Created by | George III |
| Peerage | Peerage of Great Britain |
| First holder | James Harris, 1st Baron Malmesbury |
| Present holder | James Carleton Harris |
| Heir apparent | James Hugh Carleton Harris, Viscount FitzHarris |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount FitzHarris Baron Malmesbury |
| Status | Extant |
| Seat | Greywell Hill House |
| Former seat | Heron Court |
Earl of Malmesbury is a title in thePeerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1800 for the diplomatJames Harris, 1st Baron Malmesbury.[1] The son of the grammarian and politicianJames Harris, he served as Ambassador toSpain,Prussia,Russia andFrance and also representedChristchurch in theHouse of Commons. Harris had been createdBaron Malmesbury, ofMalmesbury in theCounty of Wiltshire, in 1788.[2] He was madeViscount FitzHarris, of Hurn Court in theCounty of Southampton, at the same time as he was given the earldom. The earldom and viscountcy were the last creations in the peerage of Great Britain, future titles being made in thepeerage of the United Kingdom which took effect three days later.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He sat asMember of Parliament forHelston,Horsham,Heytesbury andWilton. His eldest son, the third Earl, was a prominentConservative politician. He served asForeign Secretary in 1852 and from 1858 to 1859 and was alsoLord Privy Seal andLeader of the House of Lords. Lord Malmesbury died childless and was succeeded by his nephew, the fourth Earl. He was the son of Admiral the Hon.Sir Edward Harris, second son of the second Earl. His eldest son, the fifth Earl, served as aLord-in-waiting (government whip in theHouse of Lords) from 1922 to 1924 in theConservative administrations ofBonar Law andStanley Baldwin and was later Chairman of theHampshire County Council. He was succeeded by his only son, the sixth Earl. He wasLord Lieutenant of Hampshire from 1973 to 1982. As of 2010, the titles are held by his only son, the seventh Earl, who succeeded in 2000.
Two other members of the Harris family have also gained distinction. The aforementioned the Hon.Sir Edward Harris (1808–1888), second son of the second Earl, was anadmiral in theRoyal Navy, held several diplomatic posts and represented Christchurch in Parliament. The Right Reverend the Hon. Charles Amyand Harris (1813–1874), third son of the second Earl, was a clergyman and served asBishop of Gibraltar from 1868 to 1873.
The present family seat is Greywell Hill House, nearOdiham,Hampshire. The former seat was Heron Court (or Hern Court or Hurn Court) atHurn, nearChristchurch, Dorset (although within the historic county boundaries of Hampshire).
James Carleton Harris, 7th Earl of Malmesbury (born 19 June 1946) is the son of the 6th Earl and his wife the Hon. Diana Claudia Patricia Carleton, and was formally styled Viscount FitzHarris between 1950 and 2000. He was educated atEton College andSt Andrew's University. On 14 June 1969 he married Sally Ann Rycroft, daughter ofSir Richard Newton Rycroft, 7th Baronet. On 11 November 2000 he succeeded to his father's peerages. With his wife he has five children:[3]
The heir apparent's heir is his son James Michael Oswald Harris (b. 1999).[3]
On 22 December 1716,Philip Wharton, 1st Duke of Wharton was createdDuke of Northumberland, Marquess of Woburn, Earl of Malmesbury and Viscount Winchendon, all in theJacobite Peerage of England. The peerages, such as they were, became extinct on his death on 1 June 1731.[4]
| Ancestors of Earl of Malmesbury | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
