Earl of Litchfield
| Earl of Lichfield | |
|---|---|
 
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| Creation date | 15 September 1831 |
| Creation | Third |
| Monarch | William IV |
| Peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
| First holder | Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield |
| Present holder | Thomas Anson, 6th Earl of Lichfield |
| Heir apparent | Thomas Anson, Viscount Anson |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount Anson Baron Soberton |
| Status | Extant |
| Armorial motto |
NIL DESPERANDUM (Despair of nothing) |
Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England (1645 and 1674) and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1831). The third creation is still extant and is held by members of the Anson family.
The first creation, in the Peerage of England, was in December 1645 by King Charles I for Charles Stewart (1639–1672). Before that, Lord Bernard Stewart, youngest son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, was to be created Earl of Lichfield by Charles I for his actions at the battles of and Naseby but died before the creation could be implemented. Charles Stewart, the son of Bernard's younger brother George, who had been killed at the Battle of Edgehill, was instead created Earl of Lichfield in December 1645, soon after the Battle of Rowton Heath. Charles Stewart's cousin, who held the titles of Duke of Richmond and Earl of Lennox through the first Duke of Lennox's eldest son James, died aged eleven in 1660 with Charles Stewart as his heir. The 1st Earl of Lichfield of the 1645 creation thus succeeded as 3rd Duke of Richmond and 6th Duke of Lennox. In that same year he was created Hereditary Great Chamberlain of Scotland, Hereditary Great Admiral of Scotland, and Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset. On 15 April 1661 he was invested with the Order of the Garter. He married Frances Teresa Stuart, the celebrated beauty and alleged former mistress of King Charles II. In disgrace with the king, Charles was sent into exile as ambassador to Denmark, where he drowned on 12 December 1672. All of the English and Scottish titles that had been bestowed upon the male heirs became extinct.
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