Earls of Normanton

Earl of Normanton is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1806 for Charles Agar, 1st Viscount Somerton, Archbishop of Dublin. He had already been created Baron Somerton, of Somerton in the County of Kilkenny, in 1795 and Viscount Somerton, of Somerton in the County of Kilkenny, in 1800, also in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Normanton sat in the House of Lords from 1800 to 1809 as one of the 28 original Irish Representative Peers. His grandson, the third Earl, represented Wilton in Parliament from 1841 to 1852. In 1873 he was created Baron Somerton, of Somerley in the County of Southampton, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This peerage gave the Earls an automatic seat in the House of Lords. As of 2017^[update] the titles are held by the third Earl's great-grandson, the sixth Earl, who succeeded his father in 1967.

The first Earl of Normanton was the younger brother of James Agar, 1st Viscount Clifden and the nephew of the politician Welbore Ellis. The latter was in 1794 created Baron Mendip, with remainder to his nephews Lord Clifden, the future Lord Normanton and a younger brother of theirs. On Lord Mendip's death in 1802 the barony passed according to the special remainder to his great-nephew the second Viscount Clifden. The titles remained united until 1974, when the viscountcy became extinct. However, the barony of Mendip survived, and was inherited by the sixth Earl of Normanton, who became the ninth Baron Mendip as well.

The family seat is Somerley House, near Ringwood, Hampshire.

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