Earl of March

Earl of March is a title that has been created several times, respectively, in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derives from the "marches" or borderlands between England and either Wales (Welsh Marches) or Scotland (Scottish Marches), and it was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those districts.^[1] Later, however, the title came to be granted as an honorary dignity, and ceased to carry any associated power in the marches.

The Scottish earldom is extant in its own right, and it is held by James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss and 9th Earl of March.

The English earldom is today the main non-ducal subsidiary title of the Duke of Richmond. The current duke's eldest son, named Charles like his father, enjoys it as a courtesy title.

Earls of March in the Peerage of Scotland

(Peerage of Scotland)
Creation date11th centuryCreated byMalcolm III of ScotlandPeeragePeerage of ScotlandFirst holderPatrick de Dunbar, 8th Earl of MarchPresent holderJames Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss and 9th Earl of MarchRemainder tothe 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten.

The Earls of March on the Scottish border were descended from Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria, but being soon afterwards deprived of this position he fled to Scotland, where Máel Coluim III, King of Scotland, welcomed him and granted him Dunbar and the adjoining lands.^[2] His successors controlled the Marches, but Earl of March was only assumed as an alternative title to that of Earl of Dunbar by Patrick de Dunbar, 8th Earl of March. The last of his successors was George de Dunbar, 11th Earl of March and Dunbar, whose honours and lands were forfeited to the Crown. He retired to England and died in obscurity.

Following his forfeiture, the next creation of the Earldom of March was for Alexander Stuart, Duke of Albany. At the death of his successor John, the dukedom and earldom became extinct. The next creation was for Robert Stuart, but at his death, the earldom again became extinct.

The most recent Scottish creation of the Earldom of March was in 1697 for Lord William Douglas, second son of the William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry. He was also created Lord Douglas of Neidpath, Lyne and Munard, and Viscount of Peebles, with remainder to heirs male of his body, failing which to his other heirs male and of tailzie.^[3] He was succeeded by his son, also William, who married Anne Douglas-Hamilton, 2nd Countess of Ruglen. They were both succeeded by their son, another William, who became 3rd Earl of March and 3rd Earl of Ruglen.

In 1768 the third earl was created Baron Douglas of Amesbury, and in 1778 he succeeded his first cousin twice removed, Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry, as fourth Duke of Queensberry. The duke died childless in 1810, however, and his titles were inherited by several different individuals. The earldom of Ruglen and barony of Douglas of Amesbury became extinct. The dukedom of Queensberry was inherited by his second cousin once removed, Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch (see the Duke of Buccleuch for later history of this title). The marquessate and earldom of Queensberry passed to his kinsman Sir Charles Douglas, 5th Baronet (see the Marquess of Queensberry for later history of these titles). The earldom of March and its two subsidiary titles were inherited by his second cousin once removed Francis Wemyss-Charteris, later the eighth Earl of Wemyss.

Scottish Earls of March, first Creation

See Earl of Dunbar, for which "Earl of the March" is used as an alternate title

Scottish Earls of March, second Creation (1455)

• Alexander Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany (c. 1455–1485)
• John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (1481–1536)

Scottish Earls of March, third Creation (1581)

With subsidiary title Lord (of) Dunbar (1581)

• Robert Stuart, 1st Earl of March (died 1586)

Scottish Earls of March, fourth Creation (1697)

• William Douglas, 1st Earl of March (1673–1705), second son of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry
• William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March (d. 1731)
• William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry and 3rd Earl of March (1724–1810)
• Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss and 4th Earl of March (1772–1853)

See Earl of Wemyss and March for later holders of the title.

v t e Marquesses of Queensberry and Dukes of Buccleuch, Dover, Monmouth, and Queensberry

Lord Scott of Buccleuch, 1606 Walter Scott c. 1565–1611 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch Earl of Buccleuch and Lord Scott of Whitchester and Eskdaill, 1619 Viscount Drumlanrig and Lord Douglas of Hawick and Tibbers, 1628 Earl of Queensberry, 1633 Walter Scott c. 1606–1633 1st Earl of Buccleuch William Douglas (c. 1582 – c. 1639–1640) 1st Earl of Queensberry King Charles II 1630–1685 Francis Scott 1626–1651 2nd Earl of Buccleuch James Douglas d. 1671 2nd Earl of Queensberry William Douglas d. 1673 Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Doncaster, Duke of Buccleuch (1st creation) and Earl of Dalkeith, 1663 Duke of Buccleuch (2nd creation), 1663 Marquess of Queensberry and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar, 1682 Marquess of Dumfriesshire, 1683 Duke of Queensberry, 1684 Baronet Douglas of Kelhead, 1668 James Scott 1649–1685 Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Doncaster, Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith Anne Scott 1651–1732 1st Duchess of Buccleuch, 4th Countess of Buccleuch Mary Scott 1647–1661 3rd Countess of Buccleuch William Douglas 1637–1695 1st Duke of Queensberry, Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar, 3rd Earl of Queensberry Lady Catherine Douglas James Douglas 1639–1708 1st Baronet of Kelhead Dukedoms of Monmouth and Buccleuch (1st creation) and earldoms of Buccleuch and Doncaster forfeit, 1663 Duke of Dover and Marquess of Beverley, 1708 Earl of March, 1697 James Scott 1674–1705 styled Earl of Dalkeith James Douglas 1662–1711 2nd Duke of Queensberry, 1st Duke of Dover and Marquess of Beverley, 2nd Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar William Douglas d. 1705 Earl of March William Douglas d. 1733 2nd Baronet of Kelhead Earl of Doncaster restored, 1743 Earl of Solway, 1706 Francis Scott 1695–1751 2nd Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 2nd Earl of Doncaster Jane Douglas 1701–1729 James Douglas 1697–1715 3rd Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar Charles Douglas 1698–1778 3rd Duke of Queensberry, 2nd Duke of Dover and Marquess of Beverley, 4th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar, Earl of Solway William Douglas 1696–1731 Earl of March John Douglas c. 1708–1778 3rd Baronet of Kelhead Excluded from succession to the dukedoms of Queensberry and Dover[4] Dukedom of Dover and Marquessate of Beverley, and earldom of Solway extinct, 1778 Francis Scott 1721–1750 styled Earl of Dalkeith Henry Douglas 1722–1754 styled Earl of Drumlanrig Charles Douglas 1726–1756 styled Earl of Drumlanrig William Douglas 1724–1810 4th Duke of Queensberry, 5th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar, Earl of March Henry Scott 1746–1812 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 5th Duke of Queensberry William Douglas c. 1730–1783 4th Baronet of Kelhead George Scott 1768 styled Earl of Dalkeith Charles William Henry Montagu-Scott 1772–1819 4th Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 6th Duke of Queensberry Charles Douglas 1777–1837 6th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar John Douglas 1779–1856 7th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar George Henry Scott 1798–1808 Lord Scott of Whitchester Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott 1806–1884 5th Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 7th Duke of Queensberry Archibald William Douglas 1818–1858 8th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar William Henry Walter Montagu Douglas Scott 1831–1914 6th Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 8th Duke of Queensberry Henry John Montagu-Scott 1832–1905 Baron Montagu of Beaulieu John Sholto Douglas 1844–1900 9th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar Walter Henry Montagu Douglas Scott 1861–1886 styled Earl of Dalkeith John Charles Montagu Douglas Scott 1864–1935 7th Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 9th Duke of Queensberry Francis Archibald Douglas 1867–1894 styled Viscount Drumlanrig, Baron Kelhead Percy Sholto Douglas 1868–1920 10th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar Walter John Montagu Douglas Scott 1894–1973 8th Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 10th Duke of Queensberry Francis Archibald Kelhead Douglas 1898–1954 11th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar Walter Francis John Montagu Douglas Scott 1923–2007 9th Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 11th Duke of Queensberry David Harrington Angus Douglas b. 1929 12th Marquess of Queensberry, Marquess of Dumfriesshire, and Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar Richard Walter John Montagu Douglas Scott b. 1954 10th Duke of Buccleuch and Earl of Dalkeith, 12th Duke of Queensberry Sholto Francis Guy Douglas b. 1967 styled Viscount Drumlanrig Lord Torquil Oberon Tobias Douglas b. 1978 Walter John Francis Montagu Douglas Scott b. 1984 styled Earl of Dalkeith Willoughby Ralph Montagu Douglas Scott b. 2016 Lord Eskdaill

Earls of March in the Peerage of England

The Earls of March on the Welsh Marches were descended from Roger Mortimer,^[5] as there had been no single office in this region since the Earl of Mercia. He forfeited his title, which was in the Peerage of England, for treason in 1330, but his grandson Roger managed to have it restored eighteen years later. With the death of the fifth Earl, however, there remained no more Mortimers who were heirs to the first Earl, and the title passed to the fifth earl's nephew, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. Duke Richard passed the title on to his son Edward, who would later become King Edward IV, causing the earldom of March to merge into the Crown.

In the Peerage of England, the next creation of the earldom came when Edward Plantagenet, Duke of Cornwall was made Earl of March in 1479. In 1483, he succeeded as King Edward V, and the earldom merged in the crown. Later that year, however, his uncle Richard of Gloucester acceded to the throne as Richard III. The fate of the young Edward and his brother, Richard has never been confirmed.

The next English creation was in favour of Esme Stewart, the third Duke of Lennox. His successors bore the earldom, until the death of the sixth Duke, when both the earldom and the dukedom became extinct. The last English creation was in favour of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and Lennox. His successors have borne the English earldom of March since then.

English Earls of March, first Creation (1328)

• Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March (1287–1330) (forfeit 1330)
• Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March (1328–1360) (restored 1348 (barony), 1354 (earldom))
• Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March (1351–1381)
• Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March (1374–1398)
• Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March (1391–1425)
• Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March (1411–1460)
• Edward Plantagenet, 4th Duke of York, 7th Earl of March (1442–1483) (became King in 1461)

English Earls of March, second Creation (1479)

• Edward, Duke of Cornwall (1470–1483?) (proclaimed King in 1483)

English Earls of March, third Creation (1619)

• Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox (1579–1624)
• James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond (1612–1655)
• Esmé Stewart, 2nd Duke of Richmond (1649–1660)
• Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond (1639–1672)

English Earls of March, fourth Creation (1675)

• The title is now held by the Duke of Richmond, and is used as a courtesy title by his heir apparent, currently Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox (born 1994), Earl of March and Kinrara.

See also

• Marcher Lords – English title for the Welsh Marches
• List of Marcher lordships

References

• McNeill, Ronald John (1911). "March, Earls of" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 685–688.