Lord Aston of Forfar

Lord Aston of Forfar

Lord Aston of Forfar was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. The barony was created on 28 November 1627 for Sir Walter Aston, Bt, who had been previously created Baronet of Tixall Hall, Staffordshire (in the Baronetage of England) on 22 May 1611.

On the death of the 5th Lord, on 24 August 1751, the Tixall Baronetcy became extinct. The title fate of the Aston of Forfar barony is unclear, however.

Sir John Bernard Burke believed the original letters patent stated that on the failure of the 1st Lord's line, the title should pass to his brother and his heirs. The barony is thought to have passed to a distant relative: Philip Aston, the great-great grandson of the 1st Lord's brother, who was styled as the 6th Lord during his lifetime. Later research, however, has shown there may have been a more senior descendant, meaning the 6th and 7th Lords were probably not entitled to the title, despite being styled as "Lord Aston of Forfar" during their life times.

George Cokayne, however, acknowledges the assumption of the title by the 8th and 9th Lords as "possibly lawful"; with the 8th Lord receiving recognition by King George III.

The first Lords were staunchly Roman Catholic and used their power to make Tixall a safe haven for Catholics. They were also staunch Royalists, which meant that the Crown was usually prepared to tolerate their religious beliefs. The 2nd Lord Aston was accused of recusancy, but the charges were quickly dropped; during the Popish Plot, the 3rd Lord Aston was sent to the Tower of London, but in due course was released without charge.

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