Lyttelton family

The Lyttelton family (sometimes also spelled Littleton) is a British aristocratic family. Over time, several members of the Lyttelton family were made knights, baronets and peers. Hereditary titles held by the Lyttelton family include the viscountcies of Cobham (since 1889) and Chandos (since 1954), as well as the Lyttelton barony (since 1794) and Lyttelton baronetcy (since 1618). Several other members of the family have also risen to prominence, particularly in the field of cricket.

The Littleton/Lyttelton family had its origins in South Lyttleton, near Evesham, Worcestershire. With the marriage of Elizabeth Littleton, sole daughter and heiress of Thomas de Littleton, Lord of Frankley, to Thomas Westcote, esquire, two of their sons, Sir Thomas and Edmund, took the surname Lyttleton or Littleton while two others, Nicholas and Guy, retained the surname of Westcote; Nicholas Westcote later married Agnes Vernon, the daughter and heiress of Edmund Vernon, and was ancestor of the Westcotes of Staffordshire, while Guy married the daughter of one Greenevill of Gloucestershire, and was ancestor of the Westcotes of Devon and Somerset.

Edmund Littleton died unmarried. Sir Thomas Littleton (c. 1407–1481), became a distinguished judge and legal writer, referred to as 'one of the great law luminaries of his country, and is immortalized by one work alone, his celebrated Treatise on Tenures. He was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1464, and inherited the Frankley estates from his mother. He was survived by three sons, William, Richard and Thomas, from whom originated three lines of Littleton/Lyttelton landed gentry in the West Midlands, all of which acquired baronetcies in the 17th century:

Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 1st Baronet of Frankley (1593–1650), devoted much time to developing his estates in Frankley, Halesowen, Hagley and Upper Arley, and later represented Worcestershire in the House of Commons. His son, the 2nd Baronet, sat as Member of Parliament for Lichfield. He was succeeded by his younger brother, the 3rd Baronet, who represented Bewdley in Parliament. He was succeeded by his son, the 4th Baronet. He was Member of Parliament for Worcester and Camelford. In 1708, the 4th Baronet married Christian Temple, daughter of Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet of Stowe. In 1718, her brother was created Baron Cobham, of Cobham in the County of Kent, and Viscount Cobham, with special remainder (in default of his own heirs male) to his sister Christian and her heirs male and in default of them to the heirs male of Christian. This latter remainder took effect in 1889 when her descendant Charles Lyttelton, 5th Baron Lyttelton succeeded as 8th Viscount Cobham.

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