Marquess of Bristol

Marquess of Bristol is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the Hervey family since 1826. The Marquess's subsidiary titles are Earl of Bristol (created 1714), Earl Jermyn, of Horningsheath in the County of Suffolk (1826), and Baron Hervey, of Ickworth in the County of Suffolk (1703). The Hervey barony is in the Peerage of England, the earldom of Bristol in the Peerage of Great Britain and the Jermyn earldom in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Earl Jermyn is used as courtesy title by the Marquess's eldest son and heir. The Marquess of Bristol also holds the office of Hereditary High Steward of the Liberty of St Edmund (a liberty encompassing the entire former county of West Suffolk). The present holder of these titles is Frederick Hervey (born 19 October 1979), the 8th Marquess and 12th Earl of Bristol.

The Hervey (pronounced "Harvey") family has often been considered unconventional; the 18th-century phrase "When God created the human race, he made men, women and Herveys" is attributed variously to French philosopher Voltaire and to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. It has been read as a reference to the second Lord Hervey's noted originality and eccentricity, but has been applied to the family throughout the centuries. According to the Dictionary of National Biography, the Hervey family have been described as "active and brave, but reckless and overconfident ... greatly addicted to intrigue ...". Dr Johnson thought them good company: "If you will call a dog Hervey," he said, "I shall love him."

History

thumb|right|200px|[[John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey.]]

thumb|200px|[[Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol.]]

thumb|right|200px|[[Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol and Lord Bishop of Derry.]]

thumb|right|200px|[[Frederick Hervey, 1st Marquess of Bristol.]]

The early Herveys were of French origins in particular the Duke of Orleans and a son named Robert Fitz-Hervey who accompanied William the Conqueror in the Norman invasion of 1066. Then there was the son of the Bishop of Ely in 1109 who accompanied Richard Lionheart on crusades. Then there was also a sacrist at the Abbey of St. Edmunds in Bury between 1121 and 1136. and on 19 October 1714, he was further honoured when he was made Earl of Bristol in the Peerage of Great Britain. The 1st Earl of Bristol died in 1751. His two eldest sons (Carr and John) having died before him, he was succeeded in turn by three of his grandsons – all brothers and sons of the 1st Earl's second son John. On his death in 1859 the titles passed to his eldest son Frederick (1800–1864). The 2nd Marquess was a Tory politician and was Treasurer of the Household under Sir Robert Peel from 1841 to 1846. When he died, the marquessate passed to his eldest son, also named Frederick. Before succeeding as 3rd Marquess, he had represented the traditional family seat in parliament and also served as Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk. The 3rd Marquess died without male issue and was succeeded in turn by two of his nephews, the sons of Lord Augustus Hervey, second son of the 2nd Marquess. The 4th Marquess was a rear-admiral in the Royal Navy and also sat, as his uncle had done, as Conservative Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds. He had no sons and was succeeded in the Hervey titles and estates by his younger brother. The 5th Marquess The 6th Marquess's only son from his second marriage, Lord Nicholas Hervey, died at the age of 36 in 1998. From his third marriage, the 6th Marquess had three children: Frederick Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol,|RLMH=Rev.<br />Lord Manners Hervey<br />1866–1944|HH5M=Herbert Hervey<br /><br />1870–1960

Line of succession

15px Frederick William Hervey, 1st Marquess of Bristol (1769–1859)
15px Frederick William Hervey, 2nd Marquess of Bristol (1800–1864)
15px Frederick William John Hervey, 3rd Marquess of Bristol (1834–1907)
Lord Augustus Henry Charles Hervey (1837–1875)
15px Frederick William Fane Hervey, 4th Marquess of Bristol (1863–1951)
15px Herbert Arthur Robert Hervey, 5th Marquess of Bristol (1870–1960)
15px Victor Frederick Cochrane Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol (1915–1985)
15px (Frederick William) John Augustus Hervey, 7th Marquess of Bristol (1954–1999)
15px Frederick William Augustus Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol (born 1979)
(1) Frederick William Herbert Morley Hervey, Earl Jermyn (b. 2022)
Lord William Hervey (1805–1850)
Francis Arthur Hervey (1849–1905)
Alec Francis Hervey (1885–1949)
Ronald Frederick William Hervey (1919–1997)
(2) Timothy Hugh Hervey (b. 1960)
(3) Benjamin James William Peacham Hervey (b. 1997)
Rt. Rev. Lord Arthur Charles Hervey (1808–1894)
George Henry William Hervey (1843–1933)
Gerald Arthur Hervey (1881–1917)
Anthony Gerald Hervey (1915–2000)
(4) Gerald Edward Hervey (b. 1949)
(5) Simon Anthony Hervey (b. 1985)
(6) Peter David Edward Hervey (b. 2018)
(7) Christopher Symes Hervey (b. 1952)
(8) Toby James Symes Hervey (b. 1987)

Family seat

thumb|200px|Ickworth House in August 2007.

The Herveys lived at Ickworth House and Park in Ickworth, Suffolk, from the mid 15th century to 1998. The present-day facade of the house was built by the end of the 18th century under the 4th Earl of Bristol. The traditional burial place of the Hervey family is Ickworth Church, surrounded by the estate. The line of Herveys buried in the vault under the church and in the churchyard begins with Thomas Hervey (d. 1467, who was the first of this family to own Ickworth) and includes every Earl and Marquess of Bristol, as well as many of their daughters and wives. In 1956, on the death of the 4th Marquess (d. 1951), his widow gave the house and grounds to the National Trust in abatement of death duties on cash and personal effects as absolute owners since the as a precondition imposed by the death duties regime (see inheritance tax), tempered by the discretion of the National Trust in granting limited leasebacks on strict terms to ancestral owners. The family, through whoever is Marquess of Bristol, was given a 99-year lease to occupy the East Wing of Ickworth, upon paying yearly expenses and below market rent.

In 1998, the 7th Marquess surrendered the remaining term of the lease to the National Trust, partly for funds and partly to ward off threatened forfeiture based on his behaviour as tenant. He died in 1999 with minimal remaining assets. His heir, the Frederick Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol, spoke in 2001 of his anger at not being granted a new lease as it went against the original Letter of Wishes when the house was handed over to the National Trust. The National Trust converted the East Wing into a hotel. In 2009 Sir Simon Jenkins, the National Trust's new chairman, stated, "I think it is in our interest for the Marquesses of Bristol to be living there."

Notes

References

External links

Kidd, Charles & Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
"Why are so many hotels named 'Bristol'?"