Earl of March

Earldom of March
(Peerage of Scotland)
Earldom of March; (Peerage of Scotland)
	; Arms of the Dunbar Earls of March
Creation date	11th century
Created by	Malcolm III of Scotland
Peerage	Peerage of Scotland
First holder	Patrick de Dunbar, 8th Earl of March
Present holder	James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss and 9th Earl of March
Remainder to	the 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten.

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

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.

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.

References

^ McNeill 1911, p. 685.
^ McNeill 1911, p. 687.
^ McNeill 1911, p. 688.
^ James Douglas, 3rd Marquess of Queensberry, a homicidal maniac, was excluded from the line of succession to the Dukedoms of Queensberry and Dover when his father — the 2nd Duke of Queensberry — surrendered all of his titles except the Marquessate and its subsidiary titles back to the Crown and obtained a new grant with the same precedence for the surrendered titles that altered the succession to his second son and then the heirs male and female of the 1st Earl of Queensberry. The succession of the Marquessate continued in remainder to the heirs male of the 1st Earl of Queensberry.
^ McNeill 1911, p. 686.