Lord Onslow bears the subsidiary titles of Viscount Cranley, of Cranley in the County of Surrey (1801), in the Peerage of the UK, and Baron Onslow, of Onslow in the County of Shropshire and of Clandon in the County of Surrey (1716), and Baron Cranley, of Imber Court in the County of Surrey (1776), in the Peerage of Great Britain. He is also twice (1660, 1674) an English baronet.
The 7th and current Earl is the only hereditary peer to have appeared as a panellist on Have I Got News For You
EARL OF ONSLOW, a title borne by an English family claiming descent from Roger, lord of Ondeslowe in the liberty of Shrewsbury in the 13th century.
Richard Onslow (1528-1571), solicitor-general and then Speaker of the House of Commons in the reign of Elizabeth, was grandfather of Sir Richard Onslow (1601-1664), who inherited the family estate on the death of his brother, Sir Thomas Onslow, in 1616.
Sir Arthur's son, Sir Richard (1654-1717), was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1708 to 1710, and chancellor of the exchequer in 1715.
Onslow did not mean to become an artist, even less a composer: studying the piano was only part of his education, as well as mathematics, History, fencing, horse riding, drawing (two of his brothers devoted themselves to painting), etc. In his parent's opinion, it was more a drawing-room gift than a professional ability.
Onslow's lyric scores were dense and unusually complex for the audience, and since their libretto were not of great value (a redhibitory defect in those days, especially in France), the operas were praised out of regards only, although the critics loved them and although Berlioz himself enthusiastically defended the Duke of Guise.
Onslow was very involved in the modest musical life of his province: his most important project was the foundation of a Philharmonic Society in 1839.
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