| Viscountcy Brookeborough | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creation date | 5 July 1952 |
| Created by | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
| First holder | Sir Basil Brooke, 5th Baronet ‘of Colebrooke’ |
| Present holder | Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough |
| Heir presumptive | Hon. Christopher Brooke |
| Remainder to | The 1st Viscount’sheirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary titles | Baronet ‘of Colebrooke' |
| Status | Extant |
| Seat | Colebrooke Park |
| Motto | GLORIA FINIS (Glory to the end) |
Viscount Brookeborough, of Colebrooke in theCounty of Fermanagh, is a title in thePeerage of the United Kingdom.[1] It was created in 1952 for theUlster Unionist politician andPrime Minister of Northern Ireland,CaptainThe Rt. Hon.Sir Basil Brooke, 5thBt.,P.C. (N.I.),M.P.
The Brooke family descends from Sir Basil Brooke (born 1567),[2] a captain in theEnglish Army inIreland and Governor ofCounty Donegal in WestUlster, who was granted extensive lands in that county. His son, Sir Henry Brooke (died 1671), was granted the lands of and aroundAchadh Lon (renamed inEnglish asBrookeborough) inCounty Fermanagh, also in West Ulster. He wasGovernor of County Donegal and a Member of theIrish Parliament forBrookeborough. His son, Thomas Brooke (died c. 1696), of Colebrooke, County Fermanagh, was a Member of the Irish Parliament and supporter ofWilliam III andMary II. The estates were forfeited byJames II.
Next in line, the son,Henry Brooke (1671–1761), representedDundalk andCounty Fermanagh in theIrish Parliament. His younger son was Francis Brooke, of Colebrooke. His son, Henry Brooke, was created abaronet, of Colebrooke in the County of Fermanagh, in theBaronetage of the United Kingdom on 7 January 1822.[3] He was succeeded by his son, Arthur, the second Baronet. He wasConservativeMember of Parliament forCounty Fermanagh atWestminster.
On his death in 1854, the title passed to his eldest son, Victor, the third Baronet. He served as aDeputy Lieutenant and wasHigh Sheriff of County Fermanagh in 1867. His eldest son, Arthur, the fourth Baronet, was Sheriff of County Fermanagh in 1896 and a Deputy Lieutenant andJustice of the Peace for the county. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the aforementioned fifth Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage in 1952. His second but eldest surviving son, the secondViscount, was also a controversial politician. As of 2017[update] the titles are held by the latter's eldest son, the third Viscount, who succeeded in 1987. He is one of theninety elected hereditary peers that remain in theHouse of Lords after the passing of theHouse of Lords Act 1999, and sits as across-bencher.
Numerous other members of the Brooke family have also gained distinction.Arthur Brooke, uncle of the first Baronet, was created a baronet in 1764 (seeBrooke baronets). Sir Arthur Brooke (died 1843), brother of the first Baronet, was alieutenant-general in theBritish Army. Richard Prittie Brooke (died 1836), younger brother of the first Baronet, was amajor-general in theBritish Army. George Brooke, grandson of George Frederick Brooke, brother of the first Baronet, was created a baronet in 1903 (seeBrooke baronets, of Summerton).
George Augustus Frederick Brooke, younger son of the first Baronet, was the father of 1) Arthur Thomas Brooke (died 1893), acaptain in theRoyal Navy, 2) Henry Francis Brooke (1836–1880), abrigadier-general in the British Army, 3) Lionel Godolphin Brooke (1849–1931), a brigadier-general in theConnaught Rangers, and 4)Frank Brooke (1851–1920), a businessman and public servant. The latter was the grandfather of Frank Hastings Brooke (1909–1982), a major-general in the Federation Army of Malaya, and Oliver George Brooke (born 1911), abrigadier in the Welch Regiment.
Sir Harry Vesey Brooke (1845–1921), younger son of the second Baronet, was a Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace. Arthur Basil Brooke (1847–1884), younger son of the second Baronet, was the father of Sir Basil Vernon Brooke (1876–1945), arear admiral in theRoyal Navy, and ofSir Bertram Norman Sergison-Brooke (1880–1967), alieutenant-general in theBritish Army. The noted military strategist and commanderField MarshalThe 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, sometimeChief of the Imperial General Staff, was the sixth son of the third Baronet (see theViscount Alanbrooke for further history of this branch of the family).
Thefamily seat isColebrooke Park, nearEnniskillen,County Fermanagh.
Theheir presumptive is the present holder's brother, the Hon. Christopher Arthur Brooke (b. 1954).
The heir presumptive'sheir apparent is his son, Archie Alan John Brooke (b. 1991).
Sir Henry Brooke, 1st Baronet, of Colebrooke (1770–1834)Sir Arthur Brinsley Brooke, 2nd Baronet (1797–1854)Sir Victor Alexander Brooke, 3rd Baronet (1843–1891)Sir Arthur Douglas Brooke, 4th Baronet (1865–1907)
Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough (1888–1973)John Warden Brooke, 2nd Viscount Brookeborough (1922–1987)Lt-ColAlan Henry Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough (born 1952)Elected to remain in1999.Only those numbered(1) –(5) are in line to succeed to the Viscountcy, all others are only in line to succeed to the Baronetcy.
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Brooke baronets of Colebrooke 7 January 1822 | Succeeded by |
