Earldom of Verulam
Arms of the Earl of Verulam

Blazon

Arms: Quarterly: 1st & 4th, Argent, on a Fess Sable, three Rowels of six-points Or, pierced Gules, in the dexter chief point an Ermine Spot (Grimston); 2nd, Sable, a Fess dancettée, between two Leopard’s Faces Or (Luckyn); 3rd, Argent, three Bugle Horns Sable, stringed Gules (Forrester) Crest: A Stag’s Head erased proper, attired Or. Supporters: Dexter: A stag reguardant proper, attired Or; Sinister: A Griffin reguardant Or.

Creation date24 November 1815
Created byThe Prince Regent (acting on behalf of his father King George III)
PeeragePeerage of the United Kingdom
First holderJames Grimston, 4th Viscount Grimston
Present holderJohn Grimston, 7th Earl of Verulam
Heir apparentJames Grimston, Viscount Grimston
Subsidiary titlesViscount Grimston (1719)
Viscount Grimston (1815)
Lord Forrester of Corstorphine
Baron Dunboyne
Baron Verulam
Baronet ‘of Little Waltham’
StatusExtant
Seat(s)Gorhambury House
MottoMEDIOCTRIA FIRMA
(Moderate things are stable)
The ruins of Old Gorhambury House, the ramshackle medieval family seat in England from the 1670s until the family built the new Gorhambury House
The "new" Gorhambury House was built by Viscount Grimston in 1777–84

Earl of Verulam is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for James Grimston, 4th Viscount Grimston. He was made Viscount Grimston (in the peerage of the United Kingdom) at the same time.[1] Verulam had previously represented St Albans (Roman Verulamium) in the House of Commons. In 1808 he had also succeeded his maternal cousin as tenth Lord Forrester (in the Peerage of Scotland). He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl.

Grimston was a Tory politician and held minor office in the first two governments of the Earl of Derby. His son, the third Earl, represented St Albans in Parliament as a Conservative. His grandson, the sixth Earl (who succeeded his elder brother) was nominated to the traditionally safe seat of St Albans for the party. As of 2017 the titles are held by his son, the seventh Earl, who succeeded in 1973.

The titles of Viscount Grimston and Baron Dunboyne had been created in 1719 in the Peerage of Ireland for William Grimston, Member of Parliament for St Albans.[2] Born William Luckyn, he was the great-nephew of Sir Samuel Grimston, 3rd Baronet, of Bradfield (a title which became extinct upon his death in 1700), whose surname he assumed on succeeding to his estates. In 1737 he also succeeded his elder brother as fifth Baronet of Little Waltham (see below). He was succeeded by his son, the second Viscount. He also represented St Albans in the House of Commons. His son, the third Viscount, was Member of Parliament for St Albans and Hertfordshire. In 1790 he was created Baron Verulam, of Gorhambury in the County of Hertford, in the Peerage of Great Britain.[3] He was succeeded by his son, the aforementioned fourth Viscount, who was created Earl of Verulam in 1815.

The Luckyn Baronetcy, of Little Waltham in the County of Essex, was created in the Baronetage of England in 1629 for William Luckyn. The second Baronet represented Harwich in Parliament. The fourth Baronet was succeeded by his younger brother, the aforementioned William Grimston, 1st Viscount Grimston.

Lord Verulam thus holds titles in England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

Another member of the Grimston family was Robert Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury. He was the son of Reverend Canon the Hon. Robert Grimston, third son of the second Earl of Verulam.

The family seat is Gorhambury House, near St Michael, Hertfordshire.

Luckyn, later Grimston baronets, of Little Waltham (1629)

Viscounts Grimston (1719)

Earls of Verulam (1815)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son James Walter Grimston, Viscount Grimston (b. 1978)
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son, the Hon. John Innes Archie Grimston (b. 2010).

See also

References

  1. ↑ "No. 17066". The London Gazette. 30 September 1815. p. 1997.
  2. ↑ "No. 5743". The London Gazette. 5 May 1719. p. 1.
  3. ↑ "No. 13210". The London Gazette. 19 June 1790. p. 373.

Sources

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