Earl of Jersey

Earldom of Jersey
Quarterly, 1st and 4th, argent on a cross gules five escallops or (for VILLIERS); 2nd and 3rd, gules a chevron engrailed ermine between three eaglets argent gorged or (for CHILD)
Creation date	13 October 1697
Created by	King William III
Peerage	Peerage of England
First holder	Edward Villiers, 1st Viscount Villiers
Present holder	William Child Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey
Heir apparent	George Child Villiers, Viscount Villiers
Remainder to	1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles	Viscount Grandison (Ireland) Viscount Villiers (England) Baron Villiers (England)
Seat(s)	Radier Manor
Former seat(s)	Osterley Park
Motto	Fidei coticula crux (Latin for 'The cross is the touchstone of faith')

Earl of Jersey is a title in the Peerage of England. It is held by a branch of the Villiers family, which since 1819 has been the Child Villiers family.

History

Coat of arms of the 3rd Earl of Jersey at Middleton Stoney church, impaled with the arms of Egerton, his in-laws

Monument of the 9th Earl of Jersey, showing the family's current arms

The earldom was created in 1697 for the statesman Edward Villiers, 1st Viscount Villiers, Ambassador to France from 1698 to 1699 and Secretary of State for the Southern Department from 1699 to 1700. He had already been created Baron Villiers, of Hoo in the County of Kent, and Viscount Villiers, of Dartford in the County of Kent, in 1691, also in the Peerage of England.

A member of the prominent Villiers family, he was the grandson of Sir Edward Villiers, brother of Sir William Villiers, 1st Baronet, of Brooksby, and half-brother of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey and John Villiers, 1st Viscount Purbeck. He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He represented Kent in the House of Commons from 1705 to 1708. On his death, the titles passed to his eldest son, the third Earl. In 1766, he succeeded his second cousin John Villiers, 1st Earl Grandison, as sixth Viscount Grandison through a special remainder in the letters patent.

His son, the fourth Earl, was a politician and served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, as Master of the Buckhounds and as Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners. He was succeeded by his son, the fifth Earl. He was a Tory politician and served as Lord Chamberlain of the Household and as Master of the Horse. Lord Jersey married Sarah Sophia (died 1867), daughter of John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland, and his wife Sarah Anne (died 1793), daughter of Robert Child. Through this marriage, the private bank Child & Co. came into the Villiers family.

On account of the considerable wealth brought to the family through this marriage, in 1819, Lord Jersey assumed by Royal licence the surname and arms of Child, and since then the branch of the family has been known as Child-Villiers. On his death, the titles passed to his son, the sixth Earl. He sat as Conservative Member of Parliament for Rochester, Minehead, Honiton and Weymouth and Melcombe Regis and Cirencester. He succeeded in the earldom on 3 October 1859 and died on 24 October 1859, having held the title for only twenty-one days. Lord Jersey married Julia, daughter of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, in 1841.

He was succeeded by his son, the seventh Earl. He served in the second Conservative administration of Lord Salisbury as Paymaster General from 1889 to 1890 and was Governor of New South Wales from 1890 to 1893. On his death in 1915, the titles passed to his eldest son, the eighth Earl. He served briefly under David Lloyd George as a Lord-in-waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) from January to August 1919. In 1923, he sold Child & Co to Glyn, Mills & Co. His son, the ninth Earl, was a Major in the Royal Artillery (TA).

As of 2017 the titles are held by the latter's grandson, the tenth Earl, who succeeded in 1998. He is the eldest son of George Henry Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1948–1998), eldest son of the ninth Earl. Lord Jersey is an actor, writer and producer, known professionally as William Villiers.

The heirs apparent to the earldom alternate the use of the two viscomital titles as their courtesy title. The tenth Earl was briefly styled Viscount Grandison between the deaths of his father, Viscount Villiers, and his grandfather, the ninth Earl, and so the next heir is therefore styled Viscount Villiers.

The present family seat is Radier Manor, on the island of Jersey. Previous family seats were Middleton Park in Oxfordshire and Osterley Park in Middlesex.

The Earls of Jersey are also in remainder of the title of Duke of Marlborough, for being descendants of one of the daughters of his daughters, by primogeniture, and their heirs male of the 1st Duke.

The parish church of All Saints at Middleton Stoney, near Middleton Park, is the burial place of most of the Earls of Jersey.

Earl of Clarendon

Another member of the family to gain distinction was the Hon. Thomas Villiers, second son of the second Earl. He was created Earl of Clarendon in 1776 (see this title for more information on this branch of the family).

Jacobite earldoms of Jersey

In April 1716, two Jacobite earldoms of Jersey were created by the Old Pretender, the first for Barbara, née Chiffinch, the widow of the first Earl of the 1697 creation, and the other for their eldest son (who succeeded as second Earl of the 1697 creation) with the subsidiary titles Viscount Dartford and Baron Hoo. The first became extinct on the Countess's death in 1735.

Earls of Jersey (1697)

• Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey (1656–1711)
• William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey (died 1721)
• William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey (died 1769)
  • Frederick William Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1734–1742)
• George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey (1735–1805)
• George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey (1773–1859)
• George Augustus Frederick Child-Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey (1808–1859)
• Victor Albert George Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey (1845–1915)
• George Henry Robert Child-Villiers, 8th Earl of Jersey (1873–1923)
• George Francis Child-Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (1910–1998)
  • George Child Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1948–1998)
• (George Francis) William Child-Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey (born 1976)

The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, George Henry William Child-Villiers, Viscount Villiers (born 2015)

Arms

Coat of arms of Child Villiers, Earls of Jersey

Crest 1st, A lion rampant argent ducally crowned or; 2nd, On a rock proper, an eagle rising argent ducally gorged or, holding in the beak an adder proper, and charged on the breast, for distinction, with an ermine spot. Escutcheon Quarterly 1st and 4th Argent, on a cross gules five escallops or (Villiers); 2nd and 3rd Gules, a chevron engrailed ermine between three eaglets argent ducally gorged or, and in the chief point for distinction an escallop or (Child). Supporters Two lions argent ducally crowned or and gorged with a plain collar gules charged with three escallops or. Motto Fidei coticula crux (The cross is the test of faith).

Family tree

Earls of Bolingbroke and Earls of Jersey with subsidiary and courtesy titles

Oliver St John d.  1437 Margaret Beauchamp c. 1410–before 1482 John Beaufort 1404–1444 1st Duke of Somerset John St John d. c. 1482 Oliver St John d. c. 1497 Margaret Beaufort 1443–1509 Countess of Richmond and Derby John St John c. 1450–after 1502 John St John 1473–1512 King Henry VII 1457–1509 John St John d. c. 1562 John St John 1473–1512 Baron St John of Bletso, 1559 Oliver St John c. 1522–1582 1st Baron St John of Bletso Nicholas St John d. 1589 Viscount Grandison of Limerick, 1620 Baron Tregoz of Highworth, 1626 John St John d. 1596 2nd Baron St John of Bletso Oliver St John c. 1540–1618 3rd Baron St John of Bletso John St. John c. 1552–1594 Oliver St. John c. 1560–1630 1st Viscount Grandison and Baron Tregoz of Highworth Barony of Tregoz extinct, 1630 Earl of Bolingbroke, 1624 St John Baronet, of Lydiard Tregoze, 1611 Oliver St John c. 1580–1646 1st Earl of Bolingbroke, 4th Baron St John of Bletso Rowland St John 1588–1645 John St John 1585–1648 1st Baronet St John of Lydiard Tregoze Barbara St John Edward Villiers c. 1585–1626 St John Baronets, of Woodford, 1660 Oliver St John 1603–1642 5th Baron St John of Bletso Paulet St John d. 1638 Oliver St John c. 1624–1662 1st Baronet St John of Woodford Oliver St John 1612/1613 – November 1641 or 1642 Walter St John 1622–1708 3rd Baronet St John of Lydiard Tregoze William Villiers 1614–1643 2nd Viscount Grandison John Villiers c. 1616–1659 3rd Viscount Grandison George Villiers 1618–1699 4th Viscount Grandison Edward Villiers 1620–1689 Viscount St John and Baron St John of Battersea, 1716 Viscount Villiers, 1691 Earl of Jersey, 1697 Oliver St John before 1634–1688 2nd Earl of Bolingbroke, 6th Baron St John of Bletso Paulet St John 1634–1711 3rd Earl of Bolingbroke, 7th Baron St John of Bletso St Andrew St John c. 1650–1709 2nd Baronet St John of Woodford John St John 1638–1657 2nd Baronet St John of Lydiard Tregoze Henry St John baptized 1652–1742 1st Viscount St John and Baron St John of Battersea, 4th Baronet St John of Lydiard Tregoze Barbara Palmer 1640–1709 Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Castlemaine, Baroness Nonsuch King Charles II 1630–1685 Edward FitzGerald-Villiers c. 1654–1693 Edward Villiers c. 1656–1711 1st Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers Earldom of Bolingbroke extinct, 1711 Viscount Bolingbroke and Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, 1712 Earl Grandison, 1721 Oliver St John c. 1683–1710 3rd Baronet St John of Woodford St Andrew St John c. 1685–1711 4th Baronet St John of Woodford William St John d. 1720 9th Baron St John of Bletso, 6th Baronet St John of Woodson Rowland St John d. 1722 10th Baron St John of Bletso, 7th Baronet St John of Woodson John St John d. 1757 11th Baron St John of Bletso, 8th Baronet St John of Woodson Henry St John 1678–1751 1st Viscount Bolingbroke and Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze John Villiers c. 1684–1766 1st Earl Grandison, 5th Viscount Grandison William Villiers c. 1682–1721 2nd Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers Earldom Grandison extinct, 1766 Paulet St Andrew St John 1711–1714 8th Baron St John of Bletso, 5th Baronet St John of Woodford John St Andrew St John 1725–1767 12th Baron St John of Bletso, 9th Baronet St John of Woodson John St John 1702–1748 2nd Viscount St John and Baron St John of Battersea William Villiers d. 1769 3rd Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers, 6th Viscount Grandison Frederick St John 1732–1787 3rd Viscount St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, and Baron St John of Battersea, 5th Baronet of Lydiard Tregoze George Bussy Villiers 1735–1805 4th Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers, 7th Viscount Grandison Henry Beauchamp St John 1758–1805 13th Baron St John of Bletso, 10th Baronet St John of Woodson St Andrew St John 1759–1817 14th Baron St John of Bletso, 11th Baronet St John of Woodson George Richard St John 1761–1824 4th Viscount St John, 3rd Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, and Baron St John of Battersea, 5th Baronet of Lydiard Tregoze Ferdinand St. John 1804–1865 George Child Villiers 1773–1859 5th Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers, 8th Viscount Grandison St Andrew Beauchamp St John 1811–1874 15th Baron St John of Bletso, 12th Baronet St John of Woodson Henry St John 1786–1851 5th Viscount St John, 4th Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, and Baron St John of Battersea, 6th Baronet of Lydiard Tregoze Canon Maurice William Ferdinand St. John 1827–1914 George Augustus Frederick Child Villiers 1808–1859 6th Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers, 9th Viscount Grandison St Andrew St John 1840–1887 16th Baron St John of Bletso, 13th Baronet St John of Woodson Beauchamp Moubray St John 1844–1912 17th Baron St John of Bletso, 14th Baronet St John of Woodson Henry Mildmay St John 1820–1899 6th Viscount St John, 5th Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, and Baron St John of Battersea, 7th Baronet of Lydiard Tregoze Henry Percy St John (1854–1921) Victor Albert George Child Villiers 1845–1915 7th Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers, 10th Viscount Grandison Henry Beauchamp Oliver St John 1876–1920 18th Baron St John of Bletso, 15th Baronet St John of Woodson Moubray St Andrew Thornton St John 1877–1934 19th Baron St John of Bletso, 16th Baronet St John of Woodson Rowland Tudor St John Vernon Henry St John 1896–1974 7th Viscount St John, 6th Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, and Baron St John of Battersea, 8th Baronet of Lydiard Tregoze Geoffrey Robert St. John 1889–1972 George Henry Robert Child Villiers 1873–1923 8th Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers, 11th Viscount Grandison John Moubray Russell St John 1917–1976 20th Baron St John of Bletso, 17th Baronet St John of Woodson Andrew Beauchamp St John 1918–1978 21st Baron St John of Bletso, 18th Baronet St John of Woodson Kenneth Oliver Musgrave St John 1927–2010 8th Viscount St John, 7th Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, and Baron St John of Battersea, 9th Baronet of Lydiard Tregoze George Francis Child-Villiers 1910–1998 9th Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers, 12th Viscount Grandison Anthony Tudor St John b. 1957 22nd Baron St John of Bletso, 19th Baronet St John of Woodson Henry FitzRoy St John 1957–2011 9th Viscount St John, 8th Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, and 8th Baron St John of Battersea, 10th Baronet of Lydiard Tregoze George Henry Child Villiers 1948–1998 styled Viscount Villiers Nicholas Alexander Mowbray St John b. 1974 10th Viscount St John, 9th Viscount Bolingbroke, Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, and Baron St John of Battersea, 12th Baronet of Lydiard Tregoze George Francis William Child Villiers b. 1976 10th Earl of Jersey and Viscount Villiers, 13th Viscount Grandison Oliver Beauchamp St John b. 1995 George Henry William Child Villiers b. 2015 styled Viscount Villiers

Line of succession

• Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey (1656-1711)
  • William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey (died 1721)
    • William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey (1707-1769)
      • George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey (1735-1805)
        • George Child-Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey (1773-1859)
          • George Augustus Frederick Child-Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey (1808–1859)
            • Victor Albert George Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey (1845–1915)
              • George Henry Robert Child-Villiers, 8th Earl of Jersey (1873–1923)
                • George Francis Child-Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (1910–1998)
                  • George Child Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1948–1998)
                    • (George Francis) William Child-Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey (born 1976)
                      • (1) George Henry William Child-Villiers, Viscount Villiers (b. 2015)
                    • (2) Hon. Jamie Charles Child-Villiers (b. 1994)
                • Hon. Edward Masel Child-Villiers (1913-1980)
                  • (Edward) John Mansel Hugh Frampton Child-Villiers (1935-2002)
                    • (3) Alexander Child-Villiers (b. 1961)
                      • (4) Frederick Mansel Child-Villiers (b. 1990)
                      • (5) William Child-Villiers (b. 2003)
                  • (6) George Anthony Robert Child-Villiers (b. 1947)
    • Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1709–1786)
      • for further descendants, see the Earl of Clarendon

See also

• Jersey
• Duke of Buckingham (1623 creation)
• Earl of Anglesey (1623 creation)
• Viscount Purbeck
• Earl of Clarendon (1776 creation)
• Viscount Grandison
• Villiers baronets
• Osterley Park

References

Book cited

• Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921). Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy. London, UK: Dean & Son. p. 508.