Duke of Manchester
The Duke of Manchester is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Great Britain, created on 28 November 1719 for Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester, a prominent Whig politician and Chancellor of the Exchequer under William III and Queen Anne.[1] The dukedom represents the senior branch of the Montagu family, descended from Drogo de Montaigu, a Norman companion of William the Conqueror, with earlier peerages including the Earldom of Manchester (created 1626) and Baron Montagu of Kimbolton (1620).[2] Subsidiary titles borne by the duke include Viscount Mandeville and Baron Montagu of Kimbolton, with the family seat historically at Kimbolton Castle in Huntingdonshire (now Cambridgeshire).[3] Successive dukes have included colonial administrators, such as the 5th Duke, who served as Governor-General of India (1848–1856), and military figures, though the family line has been marked by recurrent financial mismanagement leading to the sale of ancestral estates and titles passing through lines affected by bankruptcy.[2][4] The current holder, Alexander Charles David Drogo Montagu, 13th Duke of Manchester (born 11 December 1962), succeeded his father Angus in 2002 and resides primarily in the United States, maintaining business interests amid the dukedom's diminished holdings.[5]Origins and Title Creation
Historical Context and Precedence
The creation of the dukedom of Manchester on 28 April 1719 reflected the political strategies of King George I to reward Whig loyalists during the fragile early phase of Hanoverian rule. Following his accession on 1 August 1714, George I, imported from the Electorate of Hanover under the provisions of the Act of Settlement 1701—which prioritized Protestant succession over Catholic claimants closer in blood—faced persistent Jacobite challenges to his legitimacy. To secure parliamentary and aristocratic support, the king elevated key figures who had backed the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the subsequent Whig dominance, using peerage promotions as instruments of patronage in a system where the monarch retained prerogative over titles despite growing ministerial influence.[6] Charles Montagu, circa 1662–1722, the 4th Earl of Manchester since inheriting from his father Robert in October 1683, embodied this alignment. A Whig aristocrat from a family ennobled as Viscount Mandeville in 1620 and Earl of Manchester in 1626 for parliamentary service under James I, Montagu held diplomatic posts including ambassador-extraordinary to Venice from 1697 to 1699, during which he commissioned artworks from Italian masters like Marco Ricci and Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, importing them to England and advancing cultural exchange. Post-1714, he served as Postmaster General from 1715 and in the royal household, roles that underscored his administrative reliability amid South Sea Company speculations and factional Whig rivalries. His dukedom, granted without subsidiary titles, elevated an existing earldom rather than creating a new line, a pragmatic choice for a holder already prominent in Huntingdonshire estates like Kimbolton Castle.[7][8][9] Precedents for such elevations drew from late Stuart practices, where dukedoms—ranking above marquesses in peerage precedence and conferring ceremonial priority in the House of Lords—honored sustained loyalty or exceptional service rather than mere royal kinship. William III's 1702 creation of the Duke of Marlborough for John Churchill's military victories against France set a model for non-royal dukedoms tied to national defense, while Anne's 1715 promotion of Thomas Pelham-Holles to Duke of Newcastle rewarded Treasury mastery. George I followed suit, issuing four comparable honors: Wharton in 1715 for Whig leadership (later extinct due to attainder), Portland in 1716 for diplomatic ties, and Chandos on 29 April 1719—coinciding closely with Manchester—for financial services via the Pay Office. These acts, concentrated in 1715–1719, countered Tory opposition and Jacobite plots like the 1715 rising, prioritizing causal political utility over hereditary entitlement alone, though Montagu's case emphasized continuity from his grandfather Edward's Civil War command of Parliamentarian forces.[10][3]Establishment of the Dukedom
The Dukedom of Manchester in the Peerage of Great Britain was established by letters patent issued on 28 April 1719 under the Great Seal, granting the title to Charles Montagu, who had previously held the earldom of Manchester created in 1626.[11] Montagu, born around 1656, was a seasoned Whig statesman with prior roles including ambassador to Venice (1697–1699) and service in the household of the newly acceded King George I from 1714 onward.[3] The elevation reflected the Hanoverian monarch's practice of advancing loyal supporters to higher ranks in the peerage, thereby influencing the composition of the House of Lords amid ongoing political alignments following the 1714 succession.[12] The patent specified the dukedom's precedence and entailed succession in the male line, mirroring standard provisions for such creations to ensure hereditary transmission alongside the subsidiary titles of Viscount Mandeville and Baron Montagu of Kimbolton. George I's grant occurred during a period of peerage expansions, with the king issuing multiple high titles to consolidate Whig dominance after the Tory setbacks of the prior reign. Montagu assumed the dukedom shortly before his death on 20 January 1722, passing it to his son William Montagu as the 2nd Duke.[11] This establishment marked the culmination of the Montagu family's ascent from baronial origins, building on Edward Montagu's procurement of the original barony in 1620 through judicial and political service under James I.Hereditary Lineage
Viscounts Mandeville (1620 Creation)
The viscountcy of Mandeville was created in the Peerage of England on 19 December 1620 for Sir Henry Montagu (c. 1563–1642), a prominent lawyer and judge who had recently acquired Kimbolton Castle in Huntingdonshire, formerly associated with the medieval Mandeville family; the title reflected this local connection.[13][14] Montagu, who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1613 until his ennoblement and briefly as Lord High Treasurer from July 1620 to January 1621, was simultaneously created Baron Montagu of Kimbolton.[14] The creation occurred amid King James I's efforts to balance court factions, with Montagu's elevation rewarding his judicial loyalty and fiscal expertise amid growing royal debts.[14] Montagu held the viscountcy until his death on 7 November 1642, after which it passed to his son Edward Montagu (1602–1671), who had been styled Viscount Mandeville since his father's advancement to Earl of Manchester on 6 February 1626; Edward succeeded as 2nd Earl and thereby held the title in substance until his own death in 1671.[13][14] With the earldom's creation, the viscountcy became a subsidiary peerage of the earls (and later dukes) of Manchester, no longer conferring independent parliamentary summons but retained for precedence and inheritance.[13] Since then, the title has been used exclusively as a courtesy designation for the eldest living son and heir apparent of the head of the family, passing informally upon the father's succession or the holder's death or attainment of the higher title.[15] Notable courtesy holders include Robert Montagu (baptised 25 April 1634–1683), grandson of the 1st viscount and styled Viscount Mandeville from 1642 until succeeding as 3rd Earl in 1671; he served as MP for Huntingdonshire (1660–1679) and held colonial patents in New England.[15] Later examples encompass William Montagu (1700–1739), styled from 1722 and who succeeded as 2nd Duke, and subsequent heirs through the 19th and 20th centuries, reflecting the title's enduring role in denoting presumptive succession amid the family's political, military, and colonial involvements.[16] The viscountcy remains extant as part of the Duke of Manchester's honours, with the current courtesy holder dependent on verified genealogical claims within the Montagu line.[16]Earls of Manchester (1626 Creation)
The earldom of Manchester in the Peerage of England was created on 7 February 1626 for Henry Montagu, a prominent lawyer and judge who had been elevated to Viscount Mandeville and Baron Montagu of Kimbolton on 7 November 1620.[13] Montagu, born circa 1563, served as Recorder of London from 1603, Attorney-General from 1613 to 1616, and Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1616 to 1621, before becoming Lord Treasurer and later Lord Privy Seal.[14] He died on 7 November 1642, having aligned with the Royalist cause in the emerging conflicts of the English Civil War.[13]| Portrait | Title | Name | Birth–Death | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Earl | Henry Montagu | c. 1563 – 1642 | 1626–1642 | |
| 2nd Earl | Edward Montagu | 1602–1671 | 1642–1671 | |
| 3rd Earl | Robert Montagu | 1634–1683 | 1671–1683 | |
| 4th Earl | Charles Montagu | c. 1660–1722 | 1683–1719 |
Dukes of Manchester (1719 Creation)
The dukedom of Manchester was created on 28 April 1719 in the Peerage of Great Britain for Charles Montagu, previously 4th Earl of Manchester, who had served as ambassador to Venice (1697–1698, 1706–1708) and Paris (1699–1701), Secretary of State for the Southern Department (1702), and Lord Great Chamberlain.[20][21] Montagu, born circa 1662, died on 20 January 1721/22 and was succeeded by his son.[20] The title has descended through the male line of the Montagu family, with thirteen dukes holding the peerage as of 2025; it remains extant, though some later holders faced personal and financial controversies, including multiple divorces and disputed successions resolved by courts.[20] The subsidiary titles include Viscount Mandeville and Baron Montagu of Kimbolton.[20]| Duke | Name | Lifespan | Notable details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Charles Montagu | c. 1662 – 20 January 1721/22 | Created Duke 1719; Privy Councillor; married Hon. Doddington Greville (d. 1690); succeeded by eldest son.[20] |
| 2nd | William Montagu | April 1700 – 21 October 1739 | Knight of the Bath; Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire; married Lady Isabella Montagu (d. 1786); died without issue, succeeded by brother.[20] |
| 3rd | Robert Montagu | c. 1710 – 10 May 1762 | Member of Parliament for Huntingdon; Vice-Chamberlain of the Household; married Harriet Dunch (d. 1764); succeeded by son.[20] |
| 4th | George Montagu | 6 April 1737 – 2 September 1788 | Member of Parliament for Higham Ferrers; Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire; ambassador to France; married Elizabeth Dashwood (d. 1837); succeeded by son.[20] |
| 5th | William Montagu | 21 October 1771 – 18 March 1843 | Governor of Jamaica (1821–1828); Postmaster General (1830–1834); married Lady Susan Gordon (d. 1828); succeeded by son.[20] |
| 6th | George Montagu | 9 July 1799 – 18 August 1855 | Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire; married twice: Millicent Sparrow (d. 1841) and Harriet Dobbs (d. 1907); succeeded by son from first marriage.[20] |
| 7th | William Drogo Montagu | 15 October 1823 – 22 March 1890 | Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire; Knight of St. Patrick; married Countess Louisa von Alten (d. 1894); succeeded by son.[20] |
| 8th | George Victor Drogo Montagu | 17 June 1853 – 18 August 1892 | Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire; married Consuelo Yznaga (d. 1909); succeeded by son.[20] |
| 9th | William Angus Drogo Montagu | 3 March 1877 – 9 February 1947 | Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard; Privy Councillor; married twice: Helena Zimmerman (div. 1931) and Kathleen Dawes (d. 1966); succeeded by son from first marriage.[20] |
| 10th | Alexander George Francis Drogo Montagu | 2 October 1902 – 23 November 1977 | Officer of the Order of the British Empire; married twice: Nell Vere Stead (d. 1966) and Elizabeth Taylor (d. 1998); succeeded by son.[20] |
| 11th | Sidney Arthur Robin George Drogo Montagu | 5 February 1929 – 3 June 1985 | Married twice: Adrienne Kertész (div. 1978) and Andrea Josselyn; died without legitimate issue, succeeded by brother.[20] |
| 12th | Angus Charles Drogo Montagu | 9 October 1938 – 25 July 2002 | Married four times, including Mary Eveline McClure (div. 1970); financial difficulties led to sale of family estates; succeeded by son.[20] |
| 13th | Alexander Charles David Drogo Montagu (b. 11 December 1962) | Living | Current holder; married three times: Marion Stoner (div. 1996), Wendy Buford (div. 2006, marriage later ruled bigamous), and Laura Smith (2007); legitimacy of children from second union upheld by New Hampshire court in 2007 despite bigamy.[20] |
Estates, Residences, and Symbols
Principal Seats and Properties
Kimbolton Castle, located in the village of Kimbolton in Huntingdonshire (now Cambridgeshire), served as the principal seat of the Earls and Dukes of Manchester from the family's acquisition in 1612 until its sale by the 10th Duke in 1950 for £12,500.[22] [23] Originally a medieval fortress substantially rebuilt in the early 17th century, it was later converted into a stately home with significant remodeling commissioned by the 1st Duke of Manchester from architect Sir John Vanbrugh in the early 1700s.[3] [23] The estate included extensive parkland, with 50 acres leased out alongside the castle by the 10th Duke in 1951 following the sale.[24] The Dukes also held Tandragee Castle in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, as a secondary property within their portfolio of estates, which was sold during the 1950s amid the family's financial difficulties.[25] This castle, constructed in the 19th century under the family's patronage, represented their interests in Irish lands acquired through marriage and inheritance.[26] By the mid-20th century, the disposal of these core properties marked the effective end of the family's traditional landed holdings in Britain and Ireland.[27]Heraldry and Coat of Arms
The coat of arms of the Duke of Manchester features a quartered escutcheon derived from the ancestral Montagu and Monthermer families. The blazon is: Quarterly, 1st and 4th: Argent, three fusils conjoined in fesse Gules (for Montagu); 2nd and 3rd: Or, an eagle displayed Vert beaked and membered Gules (for Monthermer).[1][24] This design reflects the inheritance through Margaret Monthermer, daughter of Ralph Monthermer, whose eagle arms were adopted by the Montagu line upon her marriage to John de Montagu in the 14th century.[28] The crest is a griffin's head couped, wings expanded Or, emerging from a ducal coronet.[24] Supporters consist of two eagles Vert, wings elevated, beaked and membered Gules, ducally gorged Or. The family motto, Tout bien ou rien ("All or nothing"), appears on a compartment beneath the shield, emphasizing a heritage of bold endeavor.[28] As holders of a British dukedom created in 1719, the Dukes of Manchester employ the standard coronet of rank: a circlet Or elevated with eight strawberry leaves.[29] This heraldry has remained largely unchanged since the elevation from the earldom, symbolizing continuity in the Montagu lineage originating from Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester, in 1626.[1] The arms are matriculated with the College of Arms, ensuring official recognition under English heraldic law.[29]Places of Burial
The Montagu family, holders of the Dukedom of Manchester, primarily inter their deceased members in the family vault at St Andrew's Church in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire (historically Huntingdonshire). This vault lies beneath the north chapel, accessed via an elaborate Gothic-style porch constructed in 1853.[30][31] Numerous Dukes and family members have been buried there, including Edward Montagu (died 1671), an early ancestor and lord of Kimbolton, who was interred in the family chapel on 13 May 1671.[17] The 8th Duke, George Victor Drogo Montagu (1853–1892), and the 9th Duke, William Angus Drogo Montagu (1877–1947), are also recorded as buried at Kimbolton.[32][33] Several Montagu monuments remain in the south chapel of the church.[34]Family Succession and Current Status
Genealogical Overview
The Dukedom of Manchester, created on 28 April 1719, has passed continuously in direct patrilineal descent through the Montagu family, with no failures in the male line among its holders. Originating from Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester (c. 1656 – 1722), the title incorporates subsidiary honours including the earldom of 1626 and viscounty of 1620. The family traces broader ancestry to medieval Norman roots, with the peerage line stemming from Sir Edward Montagu (c. 1485 – 1557), Chief Justice of the King's Bench. Notable genealogical patterns include strategic marriages to heiresses, such as the 8th Duke's union with Cuban-American Consuelo Yznaga (1853 – 1909) and the 9th Duke's to American Helena Zimmerman (1878 – 1937), which infused wealth but later correlated with estate dissipation.[20] The sequence of dukes reflects consistent primogeniture, though later generations saw expatriation to the United States and Australia, alongside personal and financial vicissitudes. The 13th and current Duke, Alexander Charles David Drogo Montagu (born 11 December 1962), succeeded his father, Angus Charles Drogo Montagu, 12th Duke (1938 – 2002), on 25 July 2002.[35][20] Due to the invalidity of his multiple marriages under English law—including a bigamous union—his children are illegitimate for purposes of peerage succession, rendering his younger brother, Lord Kimble William Drogo Montagu (born 1964), the heir presumptive.[20][36]| Duke | Name | Birth – Death | Succession Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Charles Montagu | c. 1662 – 20 January 1721/2 | Created Duke; son of 3rd Earl of Manchester; married Doddington Greville.[20] |
| 2nd | William Montagu | April 1700 – 21 October 1739 | Eldest son of 1st; married Lady Isabella Montagu; no surviving issue.[20][16] |
| 3rd | Robert Montagu | c. 1710 – 10 May 1762 | Brother of 2nd; married Harriet Dunch.[20] |
| 4th | George Montagu | 6 April 1737 – 2 September 1788 | Son of 3rd; married Elizabeth Dashwood.[20][37] |
| 5th | William Montagu | 21 October 1771 – 18 March 1843 | Son of 4th; married Susan Gordon, daughter of 4th Duke of Gordon.[20][38] |
| 6th | George Montagu | 9 July 1799 – 18 August 1855 | Son of 5th; two marriages.[20] |
| 7th | William Drogo Montagu | 15 October 1823 – 22 March 1890 | Son of 6th's first marriage; married Louisa von Alten.[20][39] |
| 8th | George Victor Drogo Montagu | 17 June 1853 – 18 August 1892 | Son of 7th; married Consuelo Yznaga.[20] |
| 9th | William Angus Drogo Montagu | 3 March 1877 – 9 February 1947 | Son of 8th; two marriages, including to Helena Zimmerman.[20][40] |
| 10th | Alexander George Francis Drogo Montagu | 2 October 1902 – 23 November 1977 | Son of 9th's first marriage; two marriages.[20][41] |
| 11th | Sidney Arthur Robin George Drogo Montagu | 5 February 1929 – 3 June 1985 | Son of 10th; two marriages, no issue.[20] |
| 12th | Angus Charles Drogo Montagu | 9 October 1938 – 25 July 2002 | Brother of 11th; four marriages.[20][42] |
| 13th | Alexander Charles David Drogo Montagu | 11 December 1962 – living | Eldest son of 12th; three marriages.[20][35] |