Baron Walpole

Baron Walpole of Walpole in the County of Norfolk is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain.

Since 1797 holders also hold the title of Baron Walpole of Wolterton. Past holders have also held the titles Baron Walpole of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, Viscount Walpole and Earl of Orford (second creation; 1742 to 1797), and Earl of Orford (third creation; 1806 to 1931). One holder held the title of Baron Clinton from 1781 to 1791.

History

Grants

The title of Baron Walpole of Walpole in the County of Norfolk was created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1723 for Robert Walpole, in honour of and during the lifetime of his father Sir Robert Walpole, the de facto first Prime Minister of Great Britain,^[2] with special remainder, failing male issue, to his brothers Edward and Horace, in default of this to the heirs male of his father, and in default of this to the heirs male of his grandfather Sir Thomas Walpole.

On Sir Robert's retirement from the House of Commons in 1742, he received the titles Baron Walpole of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, Viscount Walpole and Earl of Orford, with the standard remainder.^{[n 1]}

The title of Baron Walpole of Wolterton in the County of Norfolk was created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1756 for Horatio Walpole, envoy to Paris and later The Hague, and younger brother of Sir Robert.

Early holders

When Sir Robert, the 1st Earl of Orford, died in 1745, he was succeeded by his eldest son, the aforementioned Robert, Lord Walpole of Walpole, who thus became the 2nd Earl of Orford. He had married Devonshire heiress Margaret Rolle in 1724. In 1751, she, by survival, became one of the co-heirs to the ancient Clinton barony, which was in abeyance. That abeyance was terminated in her favour in 1760, and she became the 15th Baroness Clinton.

The 2nd Earl of Orford was succeeded by his eldest son, the 3rd Earl. He notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk from 1757 to 1797. In 1781 he also succeeded his mother as 16th Baron Clinton. Lord Orford never married and on his death the barony of Clinton became dormant (see the Baron Clinton article for later history of this peerage), while the other titles were inherited by his uncle, the 4th Earl, at birth known as Horace Walpole, who was a politician and early expounder of the Neo-Gothic in architecture and the Gothic novel. He never married either and so on his death in 1797, three of his titles of different ranks became extinct, while he was succeeded as Baron Walpole of Walpole according to the special remainder by his cousin Horatio Walpole (known as the younger), who had already inherited his own father's title, Baron Walpole of Wolterton.

Horatio Walpole the Younger

As said, Horatio Walpole (the Younger) succeeded his father as Baron Walpole of Wolterton in 1757 and eventually as Baron Walpole of Walpole in 1797. He had earlier represented King's Lynn in Parliament. In favour with those in power, in 1806 the earldom of Orford was recreated for him.

Later holders

Horatio the younger's son sat as Member of Parliament for Wigan and King's Lynn before coming into his earldom. His grandson, the 4th Earl, briefly represented Wigan in the House of Commons.

The baronies of Walpole of Walpole and Walpole of Wolterton were inherited by the late 5th Earl's distant cousin, who was a male-line descendant of the Hon. Thomas Walpole, second son of the 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton. As of 2021^[update], the two remaining peerages are held by the 9th/7th Baron's grandson, the 11th/9th Baron Walpole. The 10/8th Baron was one of the ninety hereditary peers who remained in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act of 1999, and sat as a cross-bencher, until his retirement on 13 June 2017.

The family seat is Mannington Hall, near Itteringham, Norfolk.

Barons Walpole of Walpole (1723)

Robert Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Walpole (1701–1751) (succeeded as 2nd Earl of Orford in 1745)

Earls of Orford, Viscounts Walpole, Barons Walpole of Houghton (1742)

Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, 1st Viscount Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Houghton (1676–1745)
Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford, 2nd Viscount Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole of Houghton, 1st Baron Walpole of Walpole (1701–1751)
George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford, 3rd Viscount Walpole, 3rd Baron Walpole of Houghton, 2nd Baron Walpole of Walpole (1730–1791) (succeeded as 16th Baron Clinton in 1781)
Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, 4th Viscount Walpole, 4th Baron Walpole of Houghton, 3rd Baron Walpole of Walpole (1717–1797)

Barons Walpole of Wolterton (1756)

Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1678–1757)
Horatio Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1723–1809) (succeeded as 4th Baron Walpole of Walpole in 1797 and created Earl of Orford in 1806)

Earls of Orford (1806), Barons Walpole of Walpole and Barons Walpole of Wolterton

Horatio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, 4th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1723–1809)
Horatio Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford, 5th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 3rd Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1752–1822)
Horatio Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford, 6th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 4th Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1783–1858)
Horatio William Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, 7th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 5th Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1813–1894)
Robert Horace Walpole, 5th Earl of Orford, 8th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 6th Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1854–1931)

Barons Walpole of Walpole and Barons Walpole of Wolterton following reversion

Robert Henry Montgomerie Walpole, 9th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 7th Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1913–1989)
Robert Horatio Walpole, 10th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 8th Baron Walpole of Wolterton (1938–2021)
Jonathan Robert Hugh Walpole, 11th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 9th Baron Walpole of Wolterton (b. 1967)

The heir presumptive is the present holder's brother, the Hon. Benedict Thomas Orford Walpole (b. 1969).
The heir presumptive's heir apparent is his elder son, Thomas Walpole (b. 2003).

Title succession chart

Title succession chart, Barons Walpole (of Walpole, of Houghton, and of Wolterton), Viscounts Walpole, and Earls of Orford (second and third creations).

Col.
Robert Walpole
1650–1700

Earl of Orford
(1742 creation)
Viscount Walpole

Baron Walpole
of Houghton

Baron Walpole
of Wolterton

Edward Walpole
1674–?

Burwell Walpole
1675–?

Robert Walpole
1st Earl of Orford
1st Baron Walpole
of Houghton
1676–1745
Prime Minister
of Great Britain

John Walpole
1677–?

Horatio Walpole
1st Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
1678–1757

Baron Walpole
of Walpole

Earl of Orford
(1806 creation)

Robert Walpole
2nd Earl of Orford
1st Baron Walpole
of Walpole
2nd Baron Walpole
of Houghton
1701–1751

Hon.
Sir Edward Walpole
1706–1784

Horace Walpole
4th Earl of Orford
3rd Baron Walpole
of Walpole
4th Baron Walpole
of Houghton
1717–1797

Horatio Walpole
1st Earl of Orford
4th Baron Walpole
of Walpole
2nd Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
1723–1809

Hon.
Thomas Walpole
1727–1803

Earldom, viscountcy
and barony Walpole
of Houghton extinct

George Walpole
3rd Earl of Orford
2nd Baron Walpole
of Walpole
3rd Baron Walpole
of Houghton
16th Baron Clinton
1730–1791

Edward Walpole
1737–1771

Horatio Walpole
2nd Earl of Orford
5th Baron Walpole
of Walpole
3rd Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
1752–1822

Maj.Gen. Hon.
George Walpole
1758–1835

Thomas Walpole
1755–1840

Horatio Walpole
3rd Earl of Orford
6th Baron Walpole
of Walpole
4th Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
1783–1858

Frederick Walpole
1786–?

John Walpole
1787–1859

Rev.
Thomas Walpole
1805–1881

Horatio Walpole
4th Earl of Orford
7th Baron Walpole
of Walpole
5th Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
1813–1894

Hon.
Henry Walpole
1818–1876

Cdr. Hon.
Frederick Walpole
1822–1876

Henry Vade-Walpole
1837–1913

Robert Walpole
5th Earl of Orford
8th Baron Walpole
of Walpole
6th Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
1854–1931

Clare Walpole
1858–1906

Thomas Vade-Walpole
1879–1915

Horatio Spencer Walpole
1881–1918

Earldom extinct

Baronies inherited from
the 5th Earl of Orford

Horatio Walpole
1891–1893

Robert Walpole
9th Baron Walpole
of Walpole
7th Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
1913–1989

Robert Walpole
10th Baron Walpole
of Walpole
8th Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
1938–2021

Jonathan Walpole
11th Baron Walpole
of Walpole
9th Baron Walpole
of Wolterton
born 1967

Hon.
Benedict Walpole
born 1969

Thomas Walpole
born 2003

Family tree: Earls of Bedford, Dukes of Bedford, Earls of Orford, and Earls Russell

King Edward III
1312–1377

John of Gaunt
1340–1399
Duke of Lancaster

King Henry IV
1367–1413

Joan Beaufort
c. 1379–1440
Countess of Westmorland

Duke of Bedford (1st creation), 1414
Duke of Bedford (2nd creation), 1433

King Henry V
1386–1422

John of Lancaster
1389–1435
Duke of Bedford

Dukedom of Bedford (1st creation) extinct, 1432
Dukedom of Bedford (2nd creation) extinct, 1435

Catherine of Valois
1401–1437

Owen Tudor
1400–1461

Cecily Neville
1415–1495
Duchess of York

Richard Neville
1400–1460
5th Earl of Salisbury

Duke of Bedford (5th creation), 1485

King Henry VI
1421–1471

Edmund Tudor
c. 1430–1456
1st Earl of Richmond

Jasper Tudor
c. 1431–1495
Duke of Bedford

King Edward IV
1442–1483

King Richard III
1452–1485

John Neville
c. 1431–1471
1st Marquess of Montagu

Dukedom of Bedford (5th creation) extinct, 1495

Duke of Bedford (4th creation), 1478

Duke of Bedford (3rd creation), 1470

King Henry VII
1457–1509

Elizabeth of York
1466–1503

George Plantagenet
1477–1479
Duke of Bedford

George Neville
c. 1457–1483
Duke of Bedford

Baron Russell, 1539
Earl of Bedford (3rd creation), 1551

Dukedom of Bedford (4th creation) extinct, 1479

Dukedom of Bedford (3rd creation) extinct, 1478

John Russell
c. 1485–1555
1st Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell

Francis Russell
1527–1585
2nd Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell

Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 1603

Edward Russell
1551–1572
Lord Russell

John Russell
c. 1553–1584
Lord Russell

Francis Russell
c. 1554–1585
Lord Russell

William Russell
c. 1558–1613
1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Edward Russell
1572–1627
3rd Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell

Francis Russell
1593–1641
4th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 2nd Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Duke of Bedford (6th creation) and Marquess of Tavistock, 1694
Baron Howland, 1695

William Russell
1616–1700
1st Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
5th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
3rd Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Edward Russell
1626–1665

Earl of Orford (1st creation), Viscount Barfleur and Baron of Shingay, in the County of Cambridge, 1697

Francis Russell
1638–1679
Lord Russell

William Russell
1639–1683
Lord Russell

Margaret Russell
1656–1702

Edward Russell
1652–1727
Earl of Orford

Robert Walpole
1650–1700

Attainted, 1683

Earldom of Orford (1st creation) extinct, 1727

Earl of Orford (2nd creation), Viscount Walpole and Baron Walpole of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, 1742

Baron Walpole of Wolterton in the County of Norfolk

Wriothesley Russell
1680–1711
2nd Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
5th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
6th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Robert Walpole
1676–1745
1st Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton

Horatio Walpole
1678–1757
1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton

Baron Walpole of Walpole in the County of Norfolk

Earl of Orford (3rd creation), 1806

Wriothesley Russell
1708–1732
3rd Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
5th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
7th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

John Russell
1710–1771
4th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
8th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
6th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Robert Walpole
1701–1751
2nd Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton,
1st Baron Walpole of Walpole

Horace Walpole
"Horatio"
1717–1797
4th Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton,
3rd Baron Walpole of Walpole

Maria Walpole
1725–1801

Horatio Walpole "the Younger"
1723–1809
1st Earl of Orford, 4th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole of Wolterton

Earldom of Orford (2nd creation) extinct, 1797

Francis Russell
1739–1767
styled Marquess of Tavistock

George Walpole
1730–1791
3rd Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton,
2nd Baron Walpole of Walpole

Francis Russell
1765–1802
5th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
9th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
7th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh,
7th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

John Russell
1766–1839
6th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
10th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
8th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

William Russell
1767–1840

Sophia Churchill
d. 1797

Horatio Walpole
1752–1822
2nd Earl of Orford, 5th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 3rd Baron Walpole of Wolterton

Earl Russell and Viscount Amberley, 1861

Francis Russell
1788–1861
7th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
11th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
9th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

George William Russell
1790–1846

John Russell
1792–1878
1st Earl Russell

Horatio Walpole
1783–1858
3rd Earl of Orford, 6th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 4th Baron Walpole of Wolterton

Baron Ampthill, 1881

William Russell
1809–1872
8th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
12th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
10th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Francis Charles Hastings Russell
1819–1891
9th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
13th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
11th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Odo William Leopold Russell
1829–1884
1st Baron Ampthill

John Russell
1842–1876
Viscount Amberley

Horatio Walpole
1813–1858
4th Earl of Orford, 7th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 5th Baron Walpole of Wolterton

Robert Walpole
1854–1931
5th Earl of Orford, 8th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 6th Baron Walpole of Wolterton

Earldom of Orford (3rd creation) extinct, 1931

George William Francis Sackville Russell
1852–1893
10th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
14th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
12th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Herbrand Arthur Russell
1858–1940
11th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
15th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
13th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

John Francis Stanley Russell
1865–1931
2nd Earl Russell

Bertrand Arthur William Russell
1872–1970
3rd Earl Russell

Hastings William Sackville Russell
1888–1953
12th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
16th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
14th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

John Ian Robert Russell
1917–2002
13th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
17th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
15th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

John Conrad Russell
1921–1987
4th Earl Russell

Conrad Sebastian Robert Russell
1937–2004
5th Earl Russell

Henry Robin Ian Russell
1940–2003
14th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
18th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
16th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

Andrew Ian Henry Russell
15th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland
19th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell,
17th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh
b. 1962

Nicholas Lyulph Russell
1968–2014
6th Earl Russell

John Francis Russell
b. 1971
7th Earl Russell

Henry Robin Charles Russell
b. 2005
styled Marquess of Tavistock

Notes and references

Notes

^ The standard remainder in Peerages of the United Kingdom and of England is to the heirs male of the grantee's body.

References

^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, Baron Walpole, p. 1128.
^ "No. 6168". The London Gazette. 26 May 1723. p. 1.

References

Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, ^{[page needed]}
Burkes Peerage and Baronetage (1939)
Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages ^{[self-published source]} ^{[better source needed]}