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The title Earl of March has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or boundaries between England and either Wales or Scotland, and was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those border districts. Later, however, the title came to be granted as an honourary dignity, and ceased to carry any associated power in the marches.
Earls of March in the Peerage of Scotland
The Earls of March on the Scottish border were descended from Crinan, whose son Maldred married Algitha, daughter of Ughtred, earl of Northumberland, by Elgiva, daughter of the Saxon king Ethelred the Unready. Maldred’s son Cospatrick, or Gospatric, was made earl of Northumberland by William the Conqueror; but being soon afterwards deprived of this position he fled to Scotland, where Malcolm III, King of Scotland, welcomed him and granted him Dunbar and the adjoining lands. His successors controlled the marches, but the title Earl of March was only assumed by the eighth Earl of Dunbar. The last of his successors was the eleventh Earl of Dunbar and fourth Earl of March, who was executed on trumped up charges of treason, allowing his riches, lands and titles to be forfeit to the crown.
Following the forfeiture of the Earl of Dunbar, the next creation of the Earldom was for Alexander Stuart, Duke of Albany. At the death of his successor John, the dukedom and earldom became extinct. The next creation was for Robert Stuart, but at his death the earldom again became extinct.
The most recent Scottish creation of the Earldom of March was in 1697 for the Lord William Douglas, a younger son of the first Marquess of Queensberry. The third Earl, also named William Douglas, was Earl of March, and Marquess and Duke of Queensberry. At his death, however, each of the titles devolved upon a separate heir. The dukedom went to Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch. The marquessate went to Robert Douglas. Finally, the earldom of March went to Francis Wemyss-Chateris, who had previously succeeded to the title of Earl of Wemyss. Thereafter, the earldom of March in the Peerage of Scotland has remained united with the earldom of Wemyss.
Earls of March in the Peerage of England The Earls of March on the Welsh borders were descended from Roger Mortimer. He forfeit his title, which was in the Peerage of England, for treason in 1330, but his descendant Roger managed to have it restored eighteen years later. With the death of the fifth Earl, however, there remained no more Mortimers who were heirs to the first Earl, and the title passed to Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. At Richard's death, the titles passed to his son Edward, who would later become King Edward IV, causing the earldom of March to merge into the Crown.
In the Peerage of England, the next creation of the earldom came when Edward Plantagenet, Duke of Cornwall was made Earl of March in 1479. In 1483, he succeeded as King Edward V, and the earldom merged in the crown. Later that year, however, he was deposed and imprisoned in the Tower of London, and he was never again seen.
The next English creation was in favour of Esme Stewart, the third Duke of Lennox. His successors bore the earldom, until the death of the sixth Duke, when both the earldom and the dukedom became extinct. The last English creation was in favour of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and Lennox. His successors have borne the English earldom of March since then.
Scottish Earls of March, First Creation
Scottish Earls of March, Second Creation (1455)
Scottish Earls of March, Third Creation (1580) - Robert Stuart, 1st Earl of March (d. 1586)
Scottish Earls of March, Fourth Creation (1697) - William Douglas, 1st Earl of March (c. 1665-1705)
- William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March (c. 1696-1731)
- William Douglas, 5th Duke of Queensberry (1725-1810)
- Francis Wemyss Charteris Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss, 4th Earl of March (1772-1853)
For further Earls of March of this creation, see Earl of Wemyss
English Earls of March, First Creation (1328)
English Earls of March, Second Creation (1479)
English Earls of March, Third Creation (1619)
English Earls of March, Fourth Creation (1675) See Duke of Richmond and Lennox |
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