The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held by the Beaumont and later by the Beauchamp families. The 14th earl was created Duke of Warwick in 1445, a title which became extinct on his early death the following year. The best-known earl of this creation was the 16th earl jure uxoris, Richard Neville, who was involved in the deposition of two kings, a fact which later earned him the epithet of "Warwick the Kingmaker". This creation became extinct on the death of the 17th earl in 1499.
The title was revived in 1547 for the powerful statesman John Dudley, 1st Viscount Lisle, who was later made Duke of Northumberland. The earldom was passed on during his lifetime to his eldest son, John, but both father and son were attainted in 1554. The title was recreated or restored in 1561 in favour of Ambrose Dudley, younger son of the Duke of Northumberland. However, Ambrose was childless and the earldom became extinct on his death in 1590.
It was created for a third time in 1618 for Robert Rich, 3rd Baron Rich, in spite of the fact that the Rich family was not in possession of Warwick Castle. From 1673, the earls also held the title of Earl of Holland. All of the titles became extinct on the death of the 8th earl in 1759.
The earldom was revived the same year in favour of Francis Greville, 1st Earl Brooke. The Greville family was in possession of Warwick Castle, and the title and castle were thereby re-united for the first time in over a century. The 1759 creation is extant and currently held by Guy Greville, 9th Earl of Warwick. However, Warwick Castle was sold by the family in 1978, and they currently live in Australia.
1088 creation
Bear and Ragged Staff ancient heraldic motif used by the Earls of WarwickArms of Newburgh/Beaumont Earls of Warwick, adopted c. 1200 – 1215 at start of the age of heraldry: Checky azure and or a chevron ermine[3][4]Arms of Beauchamp: Gules, a fesse between six cross crosslets orArms of Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick
This precedence was disputed however and with Henry's death in 1445, also without male issue, the dukedom was extinguished. The earldom went to his infant daughter, and on her death aged 5 a few years later passed to Henry's sister Anne de Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick and her husband Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, who "succeeded in right of his wife" but was subsequently "confirmed" in that title on 23 July 1449 which confirmation he thereafter resigned and was definitively created Earl of Warwick by letters patent dated 2 March 1450, with his wife being similarly created Countess of Warwick.[9] He is known to history as "Warwick the Kingmaker" and died without male issue in 1471, aged 42, when the Earldom fell into abeyance between his two daughters.[9] After Richard Neville's death the title was passed through his eldest daughter Isabel Neville to her husband George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, brother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III, who on 25 March 1472 by letters patent was created Earl of Warwick (and Earl of Salisbury).[10] Although he was so created, The Complete Peerage nevertheless terms him the 17th Earl of Warwick,[11] which suggests perhaps that the creation was considered a mere formality and confirmation of his inheritance. He was attainted and executed in 1478 whereupon his titles became forfeited.[11] His Earldom was forfeited and thus not able to be inherited by his son Edward Plantagenet, who did however manage to inherit it from his maternal grandmother Anne de Beauchamp (d.1492), wife of "Warwick the Kingmaker", who had been created Countess of Warwick by letters patent in 1450, at the same time her husband was created Earl of Warwick. He thus became Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, but on his beheading for treason in 1499 the title became forfeited.[11]
1547 creation
Arms of Dudley: Or, a lion rampant double-queued vert
The title was next conferred upon the powerful statesman and soldier John Dudley, 1st Viscount Lisle. He had already been created Viscount Lisle in right of his deceased mother, Elizabeth Grey, in 1543, and was made Earl of Warwick in the Peerage of England in 1547. In 1551 he was further honoured when he was created Duke of Northumberland. In January 1553 Parliament passed the earldom to his eldest son John, the second Earl. He died young in 1554, and having been attainted along with his father in August 1553, the title became extinct until it was revived in 1561 for his younger brother Ambrose, the third Earl. He served as Master-General of the Ordnance and Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire. On his death in 1590 the earldom became extinct.
1618 creation
Arms of Rich: Gules, a chevron between three crosses botonée or
His eldest son, the third Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for Essex. He died without surviving male issue and was succeeded by his younger brother, the fourth Earl. He represented Sandwich and Essex in Parliament. On his death the line of the second Earl of Warwick failed and the titles were inherited by his first cousin Robert Rich, 2nd Earl Holland, who became the fifth Earl of Warwick as well. He was the son of the aforementioned Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland, younger son of the first Earl of Warwick (see the Earl of Holland for earlier history of this branch of the family). This line of the family failed on the early death of his grandson, the seventh Earl, in 1721. The late Earl was succeeded by his second cousin Edward Rich, the eighth Earl. He was the grandson of Cope Rich, younger son of the first Earl of Holland. On his death in 1759 all the titles became extinct.
Charles Rich, son of Sir Edward Rich, younger son of the second Baron Rich, was created a baronet in 1676 (see Rich baronets).
1759 creation
Arms of Greville: Sable, on a cross engrailed or five pellets all within a bordure engrailed of the second
The title was again created in 1759 when Francis Greville, 8th Baron Brooke was made Earl of Warwick in the Peerage of Great Britain.[13] In 1746 he had been created Earl Brooke, of Warwick Castle in the County of Warwick, in the Peerage of Great Britain.[14] The earldom and Warwick Castle were thereby re-united for the first time in over a century. In 1767 the Earl petitioned the House of Lords for permission to use just the more prestigious title and style of "Earl of Warwick" only, with the precedence of 1746. Such permission was never granted but the Earls nevertheless ceased to use the Brooke earldom in style, and have always been known (except in the House of Lords) simply as the Earl of Warwick.
The first Earl was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He represented Warwick in Parliament and served as a Lord of Trade and as Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire.[citation needed] His eldest son from his second marriage, the third Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for Warwick and held minor office in the second administration of Sir Robert Peel. He was also Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire.[citation needed] He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl. He represented Warwickshire South in the House of Commons.[citation needed] His eldest son, the fifth Earl, was Conservative Member of Parliament for Somerset East and served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex.[citation needed] As of 2018, the titles are held by the latter's great-great-grandson, the ninth Earl, who succeeded his father in 1996.[citation needed]
Guy David Greville, 9th Earl of Warwick, 9th Earl Brooke (born 1957)
Present peer
Guy David Greville, 9th Earl of Warwick (born 30 June 1957) is the son of the 8th Earl and his wife Sarah Anne Chester Beatty. He was educated at Eton College and the École des Roches in France and was styled as Lord Brooke between 1984 and 1996.[15]
He made a career in mining and property in Australia, where he was a founding shareholder in Windimurra Vanadium, serving as a director of the company from 1991 to 2009. He was also chairman of Central Asia Resources from 2008 to 2013.[16]
On 20 January 1996 he succeeded his father as Earl of Warwick (G.B., 1759), Earl Brooke of Warwick Castle (G.B., 1746), and Baron Brooke of Beauchamps Court (E., 1621).[15]
In 1981 he married firstly Susan McKinley Cobbold, daughter of George William McKinley Wilson, of Melbourne, Australia, formerly married to Nicholas Sydney Cobbold. They were divorced in 1992.[15][17] With his first wife he has one son:
"Riccardo, Earl of Warwick and governor of Boston" is a fictional character and lead role for tenor in the traditional setting of Giuseppe Verdi's opera, Un ballo in maschera.[20]
^Source: Arms of "Thomas, Earl of Warwick" stated in several 13th-century Rolls of Arms, incl. Collins' Roll, c. 1296
^For a discussion of the origin of these arms see G. E. Cokayne. The Complete Peerage, n.s., Vol. XII, Part 1, Appendix J, "The Warenne Group of Chequered Shields", pp.26-9
^Stephen Turnbull: The Book of the Medieval Knight, Arms and Armour, 1995, ISBN1-85409-264-2, p. 160
^Mason "Legends of the Beauchamps' Ancestors" Journal of Medieval History pp. 34–35
^Sanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327, Oxford, 1960, pp.75-6, Barony of Salwarpe
^Hutchins, John, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset, Vols. 1–4, 1815
