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The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess.The earldom was first created for Hervey le Breton , who married Sybilla, an illegitimate daughter of King Stephen. The title lapsed after Hervey lost his English lands during the Anarchy, since at that time one could not be an earl without the territory to support the dignity.
William le Scrope was created Earl of Wiltshire in 1397. He was executed during the events leading to the deposition of Richard II by Henry IV. The charter which granted his earldom limited its inheritance to heirs male, but not did not contain the usual additional limitation of his body. Thus in 1859 a collateral descendant attempted to claim the earldom, but the claim was rejected by the House of Lords.
The next creation was for James Butler , eldest son of the 4th Earl of Ormond. He fought on the Lancastrian side at the Battle of Towton, and afterwards was executed and posthumously attainted.
The earldom was next held by three members of the Stafford family, beginning with John, a younger son of the 1st Duke of Buckingham.
Anne Boleyn's father Thomas was the recipient of the next creation, but he died without issue.
Finally, in 1549/50 William Paulet was created Earl of Wiltshire. He was made Marquess of Winchester the next year, and his descendents continue to hold both titles.
1 Earl of Wiltshire, First Creation
- Hervey le Breton, Earl of Wiltshire (d. 1168)
2 Earl of Wiltshire, Second Creation ( 1397)
- William le Scrope, 1st Earl of Wiltshire ( 1350- 1399) (forfeit 1399)
3 Earl of Wiltshire, Third Creation ( 1449Events January 6 Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor. He will be the last in a line of rulers that can be traced to the founding of Rome. September 8 Battle of Tumu Fortress Oyirad Mongolians defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty army and capture Zhengt)
- James Butler, 1st Earl of Wiltshire ( 1420Events May 21 Treaty of Troyes. With the Burgundian faction dominant in France, King Charles VI of France acknowledges Henry V of England as his heir and as virtual ruler of most of France. May 25 Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of- 1461Events February 2 Battle of Mortimer's Cross Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of York defeat Lancastrians under Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke in Wales. February 17 Second Battle of St Albans The Earl of Warwick's army is defeated by a Lancastrian force) (forfeit 1461)
4 Earl of Wiltshire, Fourth Creation ( 1470Events May 15 Charles VIII of Sweden who had served three terms as King of Sweden dies. Sten Sture the Elder becomes Regent of Sweden. October A rebellion orchestrated by King Edward's former ally, the Earl of Warwick, forces the King to flee England to s)
- John Stafford, 1st Earl of WiltshireJohn Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire (November 24, 1420 May 8, 1473) was an English nobleman. He was the youngest son of Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham. In 1461 he was made a Knight of the Bath. He fought on the Yorkist side at the Battle of He (d. 1473Events Ottoman sultan Mehmed II defeats the White Sheep Turkmens lead by Uzun Hasan at Otlukbeli Axayacatl, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan invades the territory of neighboring Aztec city of Tlatelolco. The ruler of Tlatelolco is killed and replaced by a mili)
- Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of WiltshireEdward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire ( April 7, 1470 March 24, 1498/9) was an English nobleman. He was the only child of John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and succeeded his father as earl in 1473 when he was 3 years old. He was made a Knight of the ( 1469Events July 26 Battle of Edgecote Moor October 17 Prince Ferdinand of Aragon wed princess Isabella of Castile. This event would lead to a unified Spain in 1516. Sigismund of Austria sells upper-Elsass ( Alsace) to the Charles the Bold in exchange of aid i- 1499) (extinct)
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