Earl of Wemyss

thumb|Neidpath Castle

Earl of Wemyss ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1633. The Scottish Wemyss family had possessed the lands of Wemyss in Fife since the 12th century. Since 1823 the earldom has been held with the Earldom of March, created in 1697. The holder of the title is sometimes known as the Earl of Wemyss and March, but the titles are distinct.

History

In 1625 John Wemyss was created a Baronet, of Wemyss in the County of Fife, in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. In 1628 he was raised to the Peerage of Scotland as Lord Wemyss of Elcho, and in 1633 he was further honoured when he was made Lord Elcho and Methel and Earl of Wemyss, also in the Peerage of Scotland. He later supported the Scottish parliament against Charles I, and died in 1649. He was succeeded by his son David, the second Earl.

In 1810, upon the death of William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry and 3rd Earl of March, Francis Wemyss-Charteris succeeded as fourth Earl of March, fourth Viscount of Peebles and fourth Lord Douglas of Neidpath, Lyne and Munard as the lineal heir male of the aforementioned Lady Anne Douglas, sister of the first Earl of March (see below). On his accession to these titles he assumed the surname of Charteris-Wemyss-Douglas. In 1821 he was created Baron Wemyss, of Wemyss in the County of Fife, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In 1826 he also obtained a reversal of the attainder of the earldom of Wemyss via the (7 Geo. 4. c. 49 ) and became the eighth Earl of Wemyss.

thumb|Elcho Castle

thumb|Townhouse at 64 Queen Street, Edinburgh

He was succeeded by his son, the ninth Earl of Wemyss and fifth Earl of March. He served as Lord-Lieutenant of Peeblesshire from 1853 to 1880. When he died the titles passed to his son, the tenth Earl. He represented Gloucestershire and Haddingtonshire in the House of Commons for many years. He was succeeded by his fifth but eldest surviving son, the eleventh Earl. He sat as Conservative Member of Parliament for Haddingtonshire and Ipswich and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire from 1918 to 1937. the titles are held by the thirteenth Earl of Wemyss and ninth Earl of March, who succeeded in 2008. He is also Chief of Clan Charteris.

Several other members of the Wemyss, later Charteris, family, have also gained distinction. William Wemyss (1760–1822), son of the Hon. James Wemyss (1726–1786), third son of the fifth Earl, was a Lieutenant-General in the Army. His elder son James Erskine Wemyss (1789–1854) was a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy and the grandfather of Admiral of the Fleet Rosslyn Erskine-Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss (12 April 186424 May 1933), known as Sir Rosslyn Wemyss between 1916 and 1919. William Wemyss (1790–1852), younger son of the aforementioned William Wemyss, was a Lieutenant-General in the Army. William Binfield Wemyss (1810–1890), son of James Wemyss (1778–1849), younger son of the aforementioned the Hon. James Wemyss, was a General in the Army. The Hon. Frederick William Charteris (1833–1887), third son of the ninth Earl, was a captain in the Royal Navy. The Hon. Sir Evan Edward Charteris (1864–1940), sixth son of the tenth Earl, was a historian, biographer and barrister and notably published biographies of John Singer Sargent and of Edmund Gosse. The Hon. Martin Michael Charles Charteris, second son of the aforementioned Captain Hugo Francis Charteris, Lord Elcho, eldest son of the eleventh Earl, was private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II and was created a life peer as Baron Charteris of Amisfield in 1978. Hugo Charteris (1922–1970), grandson of the eleventh Earl, was a renowned post-war novelist and screenwriter. His son, Jamie Charteris, became a successful cartoonist.

The family seat is Gosford House near Longniddry, East Lothian. The family also owns Stanway House in Gloucestershire, Neidpath Castle near Peebles and Elcho Castle near Perth.

Earls of Wemyss (1633)

John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss (died 1649)
David Wemyss, 2nd Earl of Wemyss (1610–1679)
Margaret Wemyss, 3rd Countess of Wemyss (1659–1705)
David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss (c. 1678–1720)
James Wemyss, 5th Earl of Wemyss (1699–1756)
David Wemyss, soi disant 6th Earl of Wemyss (1721–1787) (attainted 1746)
Francis Wemyss Charteris, soi disant 7th Earl of Wemyss (1723–1808)
Francis Wemyss Charteris Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss, 4th Earl of March (1772–1853) (restored 1826)
Francis Wemyss-Charteris, 9th Earl of Wemyss, 5th Earl of March (1795–1883)
Francis Richard Charteris, 10th Earl of Wemyss, 6th Earl of March (1818–1914)
Hugo Richard Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss, 7th Earl of March (1857–1937)
(Francis) David Charteris, 12th Earl of Wemyss, 8th Earl of March (1912–2008)
James Donald Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss, 9th Earl of March (born 1948)

The heir apparent is his only son (Francis) Richard Charteris, Lord Elcho (born 1984), a lawyer.

35px James Wemyss, 5th Earl of Wemyss
35px David Wemyss, (6th Earl of Wemyss) (1721–1787)
35px Francis Charteris, (7th Earl of Wemyss). (1723–1808)
Francis Charteris, Lord Elcho (1749–1808)
35px Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss, 4th Earl of March (1772–1853)
35px Francis Wemyss-Charteris, 9th Earl of Wemyss, 5th Earl of March (1795–1883)
35px Francis Charteris, 10th Earl of Wemyss, 6th Earl of March (1818–1914)
Francis Charteris (1844–1870)
Arthur Charteris (1846–1847)
Alfred Charteris, (1847–1873)
35px Hugo Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss, 7th Earl of March (1857–1937)
Hugo Charteris, Lord Elcho (1884–1916)
35px David Charteris, 12th Earl of Wemyss, 8th Earl of March (1912–2008)
Iain Charteris, Lord Elcho (1945–1954)
35px James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss, 9th Earl of March (born 1948)
(1). (Francis) Richard Charteris, Lord Elcho (born 1984)
35px Martin Charteris, Baron Charteris of Amisfield (1913–1999)
(2). Hon. Andrew Charteris (born 1947)
(3). Hon. Harold Charteris (born 1950)
Hon. Guy Charteris (1886–1967)
Hugo Charteris (1922–1970)
(4). Jamie Charteris (born 1958)
(5). Felix Charteris (born 1992)
Frederick Charteris (1833–1887)
Nigel Charteris (1878–1967)
John Charteris (1914–2006)
(6). Martin Charteris (born 1960)
(7). Michael Charteris (born 1990)
(8). Andrew Charteris (born 1992)
David Charteris (1920–2007)
(9) Nigel Charteris (born 1958)
(10) James Charteris (born 1992)
(11) Thomas Charteris (born 1998)
Hon. James Wemyss (1726–1786)
William Wemyss (1760–1822)
James Erskine-Wemyss (1789–1854)
James Erskine-Wemyss (1829–1864)
Randolph Erskine-Wemyss (1858–1908)
Michael Erskine-Wemyss (1888—1982)
David Wemyss of that Ilk (1920–2005)
(12). Michael Wemyss of that Ilk, younger (born 1947)
(13). Charles Wemyss (born 1952)
(14). James Michael Wemyss (born 1987)
(15). Andrew Wemyss (born 1925)
(16). Andrew Wemyss (born 1970)
(17). Jonathan Wemyss (born 2004)
35px Rosslyn Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss (1864–1933)

1–11 are in line for the Barony of Wemyss as well as the earldoms.

Earls of March (1697)

William Douglas, 1st Earl of March (c. 1665–1705)
William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March (c. 1696–1731)
William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry, 3rd Earl of March (1725–1810)
Francis Wemyss Charteris Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss, 4th Earl of March (1772–1853)

See above for further succession

Notes

References

Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,

External links

Gosford House from Gazetteer for Scotland
The Independent obituary: The Earl of Wemyss and March Monday, 15 December 2008.