Baron Walpole

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Walpole coat of arms: Or, on a fesse between two chevrons sable three crosses crosslet of the field.[1]

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[edit]

Robert Walpole,
1st Earl of Orford

Grants[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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, 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)[edit]

Earls of Orford, Viscounts Walpole, Barons Walpole of Houghton (1742)[edit]

Barons Walpole of Wolterton (1756)[edit]

  • 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[edit]

Barons Walpole of Walpole and Barons Walpole of Wolterton following reversion[edit]

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[edit]

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

See also[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

Notes

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

References

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

References[edit]

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