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Munster, Earl of (UK, 1831 - 2000)

Creation: let. pat. 4 Jun 1831

Extinct: 30 Dec 2000

Family name: FitzClarence

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Arms:

The Royal Arms of King William IV (without the Escutcheon of the Arch Treasurer of the Holy Roman Empire, and without the Crown of Hanover) debruised by a Baton Sinister Azure charged with three Anchors Or

Crest:

On a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Lion statant guardant crowned with a Ducal Coronet Or and gorged with a Collar Azure charged with three Anchors Gold

Supporters:

On the dexter side a Lion guardant ducally crowned Or, and on the sinister side a Horse Argent, each gorged with a Collar Azure charged with three Anchors Gold

Motto:

Nec Temere Nec Timide (Neither rashly nor fearfully)

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Unusually for the sons of King George III, his third son, William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, achieved a large degree of domestic stability with his long-term mistress, Dorothy Bland (b. 1762; d. 5 Jul 1816), the famous comic actress who was known as "Mrs Jordan" (although there never had been a "Mr Jordan"). They had ten children between 1794 and 1807, and the Duke of Clarence and St Andrews continued to care for his children and former mistress even after he had been persuaded by his father in 1818 into marriage with Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. Within a year of succeeding his brother on the Throne as King William IV he had created his eldest son by Mrs Jordan Earl of Munster and granted his other surviving children by her the rank of a marquess's daughter or younger son. His children by Mrs Jordan were:

1. Lord George Augustus Frederick FitzClarence, later 1st Earl of Munster

2. Henry Edward FitzClarence (b. 27 Mar 1795; dvp. Sep 1817)

3. Lt Gen Lord Frederick FitzClarence GCH, granted by Royal Warrant 24 May 1831 with his younger siblings except for the Countess of Erroll and the Viscountess Falkland (who had married husbands of higher or similar rank) the style and precedence of the younger son or the daughter of a Marquess  (b. 9 Dec 1799; d. 30 Oct 1854), mar. 19 May 1821 Lady Augusta Boyle (d. 28 Jul 1876), 1st surv. dau. by his first wife of George [Boyle], 4th Earl of Glasgow, and had issue:

1a. Augusta Georgiana Frederica FitzClarence (d. 18 Oct 1855)

4. Rear Admiral Lord Adolphus FitzClarence GCH, Naval ADC to his cousin Queen Victoria, Ranger of Windsor Home Park (b. 18 Feb 1802; d. 17 May 1856)

5. Rev Lord Augustus FitzClarence, Chaplain to his cousin Queen Victoria, Rector of Maple Durham, co. Oxford (b. 1 Mar 1805; d. 14 Jun 1854), mar. 2 Jan 1845 Sarah Elizabeth Catherine Gordon (d. 23 Mar 1901), 1st dau. of Maj Lord Henry Gordon (by his wife Louisa Payne), 4th son of George [Gordon], 9th Marquess of Huntly, and had issue:

1a. Augustus FitzClarence (b. 13 Feb 1849; d. 16 Oct 1861)

2a. Henry Edward FitzClarence (b. 19 Jan 1853; d. 19 Feb 1930), mar. 11 Jun 1879 Mary Isabel Templer Parsons (d. 17 Jul 1932), only dau. of John Parsons, and had issue:

1b. Capt Augustus Arthur Cornwallis FitzClarence (b. 16 Mar 1880; dsp. in action 28 Jun 1915), mar. 7 Apr 1910 Lady Susan Yorke (b. 7 May 1881; mar. (2) 23 Jun 1920 Wyndham Birch DSO MBE, 2nd son of Sir Arthur Birch KCMG), only dau. of John Manners [Yorke], 7th Earl of Hardwicke, by his wife Edith Mary Oswald, 2nd dau. of Alexander Oswald of Auchencruive

1a. Cynthia Adela Victoria FitzClarence (b. 7 Feb 1887; d. 19...), mar. 11 Jun 1908 Maj Roland George Orred MC (d. 20 Jun 1963), son of Maj John Cavendish Orred, of Tranmere, Runcorn, co. Chester, and had issue

1a. Dorothea FitzClarence (d. 15 May 1870), mar. 17 Mar 1863 Capt Thomas William Goff, of Oakport, co. Roscommon (d. 3 Jun 1876), and had issue

2a. Eva FitzClarence (d. 2 Mar 1918)

3a. Beatrix FitzClarence (d. 18 Mar 1909)

4a. Mary FitzClarence (dvp. an infant 14 Mar 1858)

1. Lady Sophia FitzClarence (b. Aug 1796; d. 10 Apr 1837), mar. 13 Aug 1835 Philip Charles [Shelley Sidney later Sydney], 1st Baron De L'Isle and Dudley, and had issue

2. Lady Mary FitzClarence (b. 19 Dec 1798; d. 13 Jul 1864), mar. 19 Jun 1824 Gen Charles Richard Fox MP, Receiver-General of the Duchy of Lancaster, illegitimate son of Henry Richard [Fox later Vassall Fox], 3rd Baron Holland, by his mistress and subsequent wife Elizabeth, Lady Webster

3. Lady Elizabeth FitzClarence (b. 17 Jan 1801; d. 16 Jan 1856), mar. 4 Dec 1820 William George [Hay], 18th Earl of Erroll, and had issue

4. Lady Augusta FitzClarence (b. 17 Jun 1803; d. 8 Dec 1865), mar. (1) 5 Jul 1827 Hon John Kennedy later Kennedy-Erskine of Dun, 2nd son of Archibald [Kennedy], 1st Marquess of Ailsa, and (2) 24 Aug 1836 Adm Lord John Frederick Gordon later Halyburton GCH MP, 3rd son of George [Gordon], 9th Marquess of Huntly, and had issue by her first husband

5. Lady Amelia FitzClarence (b. 21 Mar 1807; d. 2 Jul 1858), mar. 27 Dec 1830 as his first wife Lucius Bentinck [Cary], 10th Viscount of Falkland, and had issue

George Augustus Frederick [FitzClarence], 1st Earl of Munster

1st illegit. son of King William IV, by his mistress Dorothy Bland (known professionally as "Mrs Jordan"), 2nd dau. of Francis Bland, an actor

born

29 Jun 1794

mar.

18 Oct 1819 Mary Wyndham (d. 3 Dec 1842), sister of George [Wyndham], 1st Baron Leconfield, and 2nd illegitimate dau. of George O'Brien [Wyndham], 3rd Earl of Egremont, by his mistress and later wife Elizabeth Iliffe, dau. of Rev ..... Iliffe, of Westminster School

children

1. Hon William George FitzClarence, later 2nd Earl of Munster

2. Capt Hon Frederick Charles George FitzClarence later FitzClarence-Hunloke, of Wingerworth Hall, co. Derby (b. 1 Feb 1826; dsp. 17 Dec 1878), mar. 2 Dec 1856 his first cousin Hon Adelaide Augusta Wilhelmina Sydney (dsp. 29 Sep 1904), 1st dau. of Philip Charles [Shelley Sidney later Sydney], 1st Baron De L'Isle and Dudley (by his wife Lady Sophia FitzClarence, 1st dau. of King William IV by his mistress Dorothy Bland), 1st son and heir of Sir John Shelley Sidney, 1st Bt., of Penshurst Place, co. Kent, by his wife Henrietta Hunloke, dau. of Sir Henry Hunloke, 4th Bt., of Wingerworth Hall, co. Derby

3. Capt Hon George FitzClarence RN (b. 15 Apr 1836; d. 24 Mar 1894), mar. 5 Jul 1864 Lady Maria Henrietta Scott (d. 27 Jul 1912), 1st dau. of John Henry [Scott], 3rd Earl of Clonmell, and had issue:

1a. Brig Gen Charles FitzClarence VC (b. 8 May 1865; d. 12 Nov 1914), mar. 20 Apr 1898 Violet Spencer-Churchill (d. 22 Dec 1941), 4th dau. and cohrss. of Lt Col Lord Alfred Spencer-Churchill MP (by his wife Hon Harriet Louisa Hester Gough-Calthorpe, 3rd dau. of Frederick [Gough-Calthorpe later Gough], 4th Baron Calthorpe), 2nd son by his first wife of George [Spencer-Churchill], 6th Duke of Marlborough, and had issue:

1b. Edward Charles FitzClarence, later 6th Earl of Munster

1b. Joan Harriet FitzClarence (d. 6 Jan 1971), mar. 30 Mar 1933 Lt Cdr Francis Barchard RN (d. 25 Nov 1941), only son of Francis Barchard, of Horsted Place, co. Sussex, and had issue

2a. Capt Edward FitzClarence (b. 8 May 1865; d. 7 Aug 1897)

3a. Capt William Henry FitzClarence RN (b. 17 Feb 1868; dsp. 24 Nov 1921), mar. 11 Aug 1908 Hilda Charlotte Sankey (d. 3 Jan 1959), dau. of Richard Sankey, of South Hill, Hastingleigh, co. Kent

4a. Lionel Ashley Arthur FitzClarence (b. 30 Nov 1870; dspm. 19 Dec 1936), mar. 16 Jul 1913 Theodora Frances Maclean Jack (dspm. 12 Apr 1948), dau. of Evan A Jack, of South Kensington, London, and had issue:

1b. Mary Theodora Annette FitzClarence (b. 10 May 1914), mar. 1948 Adam Gluskiewicz, and has issue

1a. Annette Mary FitzClarence (b. 15 Jun 1873; d. 7 Jul 1970)

2a. Mary FitzClarence (b. 7 Aug 1877; d. 19 Feb 1939), mar. 5 Oct 1905 Maj Gen Frederick Drummond Vincent Wing CB (d. 2 Oct 1915), only son of Maj Vincent Wing by his wife Gertrude Elizabeth Vane, only dau. of Sir Francis Fletcher Vane, 3rd Bt.

4. Lieut Hon Edward FitzClarence (b. 8 Jul 1837; d. 23 Jul 1855)

1. Lady Adelaide Georgiana FitzClarence (b. c. 1826; d. 11 Oct 1888)

2. Lady Augusta Margaret FitzClarence (d. 5 Sep 1846), mar. Apr 1844 Baron Philip Knut de Bonde (d. 1871), and had issue

3. Lady Mary Gertrude FitzClarence (dvp. in infancy 1834)

died

20 Mar 1842

created

4 Jun 1831 Baron Tewkesbury, Viscount FitzClarence and Earl of Munster, with special remainder failing the heirs male of his body to his brothers by William IV in order of birth and their male descendants

suc. by

son

note

entered the Army 1807, Capt 1811, ADC to the Governor General of India 1815-18, Brevet Major 1818, Brevet Lt Col 1819, Major 1822, Lt Col 1824; ADC to his father 1830-37 and to his cousin Queen Victoria 1837-41; Lieutenant of the Tower of London 1831-33; Privy Councillor 1833; Constable of Windsor Castle 1833-42

William George [FitzClarence], 2nd Earl of Munster

born

19 May 1824

mar.

17 Apr 1855 his cousin Wilhelmina Kennedy-Erskine (d. 9 Oct 1906), only dau. of Hon John Kennedy later Kennedy-Erskine of Dun (by his wife Lady Augusta FitzClarence, 4th illegitimate dau. of King William IV), 2nd son of Archibald [Kennedy], 1st Marquess of Ailsa, by his wife Margaret Erskine, dau. of John Erskine of Dun

children

1. Hon Edward FitzClarence, styled Viscount FitzClarence (b. 29 Mar 1856; dvp. 20 Nov 1870)

2. Hon Lionel Fredrick Archibald FitzClarence (b. 24 Jul 1857; dvp. 1863)

3. Hon Geoffrey George Gordon FitzClarence, later 3rd Earl of Munster

4. Hon Arthur Falkland Manners FitzClarence (b. 1860; d. 1861)

5. Hon Aubrey FitzClarence, later 4th Earl of Munster

6. Hon William George FitzClarence (b. 17 Sep 1864; dspm. 4 Oct 1899), mar. 1887 Elizabeth Aline Williams (d. 5 Sep 1902), and had issue:

1a. Dorothy Margaret Aline FitzClarence (b. 23 Sep 1888; d. 19...), mar. 11 Sep 1909 Cecil Cadogan Elborough, yst. son of Alfred Louis Elborough, of Lancing, co. Sussex, and had issue

2a. Wilhelmina Violet Eileen FitzClarence (b. 17 Jul 1894; d. 19...), mar. 19 Jan 1918 Maj Cecil John Cokayne Maunsell, of Thorpe Malsor Hall, Kettering, co. Northampton (d. 11 Feb 1948), and had issue

7. T/Maj Hon Harold Edward FitzClarence MC, Governor of Manchester Prison (b. 15 Nov 1870; d. 28 Aug 1926), mar. 14 May 1902 Frances Isabel Eleanor Keppel (d. 1 Feb 1951), 1st dau. of Lt Col William Henry Augustus Keppel, of Lexham Hall, co. Norfolk, and had issue:

1a. Geoffrey William Richard Hugh FitzClarence, later 5th Earl of Munster

1a. Lady Wilhelmina Joan Mary FitzClarence, granted the rank and style of the daughter of an earl by Royal Licence 1928 (b. 17 Nov 1904), mar. (1) 21 Apr 1928 Col Oliver Birkbeck (d. 13 May 1952). 1st son of Edward Lewis Birkbeck, and (2) 28 Apr 1961 Lt Col Henry John Cator MC, only son of John Cator, of Woodbastwick Hall, co. Kent, and has issue by her first husband

1. Lady Lilian Adelaide Katherine Mary FitzClarence (b. 10 Dec 1873; d. 15 Jul 1948), mar. 17 Jan 1893 Capt William Arthur Edward Boyd (d. 6 Dec 1931), only surv. son of Curwen Boyd, of Merton Hall, co. Wigtown, and had issue

2. Lady Dorothea Augusta FitzClarence (b. 5 May 1876; d. 28 Jan 1942), mar. 20 Nov 1899 Maj Chandos Brydges Lee-Warner, of Tyberton Court, co. Hereford, and had issue

died

30 Apr 1901

suc. by

son

Geoffrey George Gordon [FitzClarence], 3rd Earl of Munster, DSO

born

18 Jul 1859

died

2 Feb 1902

suc. by

brother

Aubrey [FitzClarence], 4th Earl of Munster

born

7 Jun 1862

died

1 Jan 1928

suc. by

nephew

Geoffrey William Richard Hugh [FitzClarence], 5th Earl of Munster, KBE PC

born

17 Feb 1906

mar.

9 Jul 1928 Hilary Wilson (d. 1979), only child of Edward Kenneth Wilson, of Cannizaro Park, Wimbledon, co. Surrey, and Tranby Croft, co. York, by his wife Adela Mary Hacket, only dau. of George Algernon Beyron Disney Hacket, of Moor Hall, co. Warwick

died

s.p. 27 Aug 1975

suc. by

cousin

note

Government Whip 1932-38; Paymaster General 1938-39; Parliamentary Under-Secretary for War and Vice President of the Army Council 1939; ADC to Field Marshal Viscount Gort 1939-42; Parliamentary Under-Secretary India and Burma 1943-44, Home Office 1944 and 1945 and Colonial Office 1851-54; Privy Councillor 1954; Minister without Portfolio 1954-57; KBE 1957; Lord Lieutenant for Surrey 1957-73

Edward Charles [FitzClarence], 6th Earl of Munster

born

3 Oct 1899

mar. (1)

30 Jul 1925 (div. 1930) Monica Sheila Harrington Grayson (mar. (2) Robert W Symonds, of Tite Street, SW London;  d. 5 Oct 1958), 4th dau. of Lt Col Sir Henry Molyneux Grayson, 1st Bt., KBE by his first wife Dora Beatrice Harrington, dau. of Frederick Harrington, of Clanricarde Gardens, London

children by first wife

1. Hon Anthony Charles FitzClarence, later 7th Earl of Munster

1. Lady Mary Jill FitzClarence (b. 6 Feb 1928; d. 19...), mar. (1) 4 Jun 1953 (annulled 1960) Melvin Flyer, and (2) 28 Mar 1968 John Walter, 1st son of John Walter, of Hove, co. Sussex

mar. (2)

28 Sep 1939 Vivian Schofield (b. c. 1909; d. 7 Apr 2008), yst. dau. of Benjamin Schofield, of Greenroyde, Rochdale, co. Lancaster

died

15 Nov 1983

suc. by

son by first wife

note

Anthony Charles [FitzClarence], 7th Earl of Munster

born

21 Mar 1926

mar. (1)

28 Jul 1949 (div. 1966) Louise Marguerite Diane Delvigne, dau. of Louis Delvigne, of Liege, Belgium

children by first wife

1. Lady Tara Francesca FitzClarence (b. 6 Aug 1952), mar. 1979 Ross Jean Heffler, of 146 Ramsden Road, London SW12, and has issue

2. Lady Finola Dominique FitzClarence (b. 6 Dec 1953). mar. 1981 Jonathan Terence Poynton, of 1660 Lyon Street, San Francisco, California, USA, 2nd son of D R Poynton, of Woodford, co. Cheshire, and has issue

mar. (2)

18 Jun 1966 (div. 1979) Pamela Margaret Hyde (former wife of ..... Hyde), dau. of Arthur Spooner

only child by second wife

3. Lady Georgina FitzClarence (b. 1966)

mar. (3)

1979 (div. 19..) Dorothy Alexa Maxwell (d. 13 Jun 1995), yst. dau. of Lt Col Edward Boyd Maxwell OBE MC

mar. (4)

4 May 1997 Dr Halina Winska

died

s.p.m. 30 Dec 2000

note

On the death of the 7th Earl of Munster the Earldom of Munster, the Viscountcy of FitzClarence and the Barony of Tewkesbury all became extinct.

Last updated 12 May 2008

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