Earl of Rosse

Earl of Rosse is a British hereditary title of nobility, which was created twice in the Peerage of Ireland. He is now worn by the family Parsons.

Ancestral home of the family is Birr Castle in the town of Birr, County Offaly in Ireland.

Ceremonies

The title was first awarded in 1718 to Richard Parsons, 2nd Viscount Rosse, a prominent Freemason of his time. He went out with the death of his son in 1764.

The second award was presented in 1806 to Laurence Harman Parsons, 1st Viscount Oxmantown. This sat since 1800 as a representative peer in the House of Lords, after he had previously been a long time member of the Irish House of Commons. Given that the first Earl had no son, the title was awarded with a special mention that he could pass for lack of sons on the descendants in the male line of a nephew. This happened then also at the death of the Earl.

Subordinate title

The Earls of the first ceremony led the subordinate title Viscount Rosse, who had been awarded in 1681 the father of the first Earl. Also, this title became extinct in 1764.

The present Earl of Rosse leads the subordinate title of Baron Oxmantown ( created 1792), which was awarded to the first Earl. It is provided with an identical note to the succession as the earldom.

Both titles are also included in the Peerage of Ireland. The respective heir takes the courtesy title of Baron Oxmantown.

More titles

The later first Earl of the second ceremony had been raised in 1795 to Viscount Oxmantown. As this title, however, was awarded without the particular succession of note barony and earldom, he went out with his death in 1741.

Already the great-grandfather of the first Earl of the first award was in 1620 Baronet, of Bellamont levied. This title, which belonged to the Baronetage of Ireland, became extinct in 1741 also.

The present Earl is also a Baronet, of Birr Castle. The awarding of this title was in 1677 in the same Baronetage of an ancestor of the second Earl.

List of Earls of Rosse, Viscounts Oxmantown and Baronets, of Bellamont and of Birr Castle

Parsons Baronets, of Bellamont (1620 )

  • Sir William Parsons, 1st Baronet († 1650)
  • Sir William Parsons, 2nd Baronet († 1658)
  • Sir Richard Parson, 3rd Baronet (ca. 1657-1703 ) ( 1681 elevated to Viscount Rosse )

Viscounts Rosse ( 1681)

  • Richard Parsons, 1st Viscount Rosse (ca. 1657-1703 )
  • Richard Parsons, 2nd Viscount Rosse ( † 1741) (1718 elevated to Earl of Rosse )

Earl of Rosse, First Creation (1718 )

  • Richard Parsons, 1st Earl of Rosse († 1741)
  • Richard Parsons, 2nd Earl of Rosse (ca. 1716-1764 )

Parsons Baronets, of Birr Castle ( 1677)

  • Sir Laurence Parsons, 1st Baronet (ca. 1637-1698 )
  • Sir Sir William Parsons, 2nd Baronet († 1741)
  • Sir Laurence Parsons, 3rd Baronet ( 1707-1756 )
  • Sir William Parsons, 4th Baronet ( 1731-1791 )
  • Sir Laurence Parsons, 5th Baronet ( 1758-1841 ) ( followed in 1807 as Earl of Rosse after )

Earl of Rosse, Second Creation (1806 )

  • Laurence Harman Parsons, 1st Earl of Rosse ( 1749-1807 )
  • Laurence Parsons, 2nd Earl of Rosse ( 1758-1841 )
  • William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse ( 1800-1867 )
  • Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse ( 1840-1908 )
  • William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse ( 1873-1918 )
  • Lawrence Michael Harvey Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse ( 1906-1979 )
  • William Clere Leonard Brendan Willmer Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse ( b. 1936 )

The heir apparent is the son of the present Earl, Lawrence Patrick Parsons, Lord Oxmantown, (* 1969).

Swell

  • Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David ( ed.) Debrett 's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition ). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
  • Leigh Rayment 's Peerage Page
  • History of the Parsons Family ( version of 24 March 2007 at the Internet Archive )
  • Earldom
  • Earl of Rosse
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