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'{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} [[File:Earl of Darnley COA.svg|thumb|200px|Arms of Bligh, Earls of Darnley; [[blazon]]: ''[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]], a griffin segreant [[Or (heraldry)|or]] armed and langued gules between three crescents [[argent]]''<ref>Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.322</ref>]] '''Earl of Darnley''' is a [[Hereditary peer|hereditary title]] that has been created three times, twice in the [[Peerage of Scotland]] and once in the [[Peerage of Ireland]]. denika is mad done by shaneice The first creation in the Scots Peerage came in 1580 in favour of [[Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox|Esme Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox]], who was created [[Duke of Lennox]] at the same time. See the latter title for more information on this creation of the [[earldom]]. The title of Lord Darnley had previously been held by John Stewart, head of the house of [[Stewart of Darnley]] and first [[Earl of Lennox]] (1488). The second creation in the Peerage of Scotland came in 1675 in favour of [[Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond]]. He was made Duke of Lennox at the same time. For more information on this creation, see the [[Duke of Richmond]]. The only creation in the [[Peerage of Ireland]] was in 1725 to [[John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley]], descended from a prominent Devon family via a cadet branch which had settled in [[County Meath]], [[Ireland]]; he was the son of [[The Right Honourable|the Rt Hon]] Thomas Bligh who was in turn the son of John Bligh, of Plymouth, a [[Commissioner of Customs and Excise]] despatched to Ireland in search of forfeited estates, and in turn his father was William Bligh, a prosperous Plymouth merchant. John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley, married Theodosia Hyde, 10th [[Baron Clifton|Baroness Clifton]] (of [[Leighton Bromswold]]), great-granddaughter of [[George Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny|Lord George Stuart]], younger son of [[Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox|Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox, also 3rd Earl of Darnley]] (see the [[Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold]] and the [[Duke of Lennox]] for earlier history of these titles). He represented [[Athboy (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|Athboy]] in the [[Irish House of Commons]] from 1709 to 1721. In 1721 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as '''Baron Clifton of Rathmore''', in the County of Meath.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=5977 |date=29 July 1721 |page=2}}</ref> In 1723 the Darnley title held by his wife's ancestors (which had become extinct on the death of [[Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond|Charles Stewart, 6th Duke of Lennox and 6th Earl of Darnley]] in 1672) was revived when he was created '''Viscount Darnley''', of [[Athboy]] in the County of Meath, in the Peerage of Ireland.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=6135 |date=2 February 1723 |page=4}}</ref> In 1725 Bligh was further honoured when he was advanced as '''Earl of Darnley''', in the County of Meath, also in the Peerage of Ireland.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=6378 |date=1 June 1725 |page=2}}</ref> He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He had already succeeded his mother in 1722 as eleventh '''Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold''' in the [[Peerage of England]]. Lord Darnley served as a [[Lord of the Bedchamber]] to [[Frederick, Prince of Wales]], but died unmarried in 1747, aged 31. He was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Earl. He had earlier represented Athboy in the Irish House of Commons and [[Maidstone (UK Parliament constituency)|Maidstone]] in the [[British House of Commons]]. On his death the titles passed to his eldest son, the fourth Earl. In 1828 he presented a claim as [[heir-general]] to the dukedom of Lennox, but the House of Lords did not come to any decision on the matter. He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the fifth Earl. He was elected as [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Canterbury]] and served as [[Lord Lieutenant of County Meath]]. On the death of his grandson, the seventh Earl (who had succeeded his father in 1896), the barony of Clifford of Leighton Bromswold separated from the Irish titles when it devolved upon the late Earl's daughter and only child, the ten-month-old Lady Elizabeth Bligh, who became the seventeenth holder of the [[Hereditary peer|barony by writ of summons]]. Lord Darnley was succeeded in the Irish titles by his younger brother, the eighth Earl. A talented and successful [[cricketer]] who captained [[Marylebone Cricket Club|MCC]], he sat in the [[House of Lords]] as an [[Representative peer|Irish Representative Peer]] from 1905 to 1927. On his death the titles passed to his only son, the ninth Earl. In 1937 he succeeded his first cousin The Lady Clifton (who died unmarried) in her ancient English barony by writ of summons being her heir-general, as eighteenth '''Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold'''. He was by his only son from his third marriage with ''Rosemary, Dowager Countess of Darnley'' (''née'' [[Beatrix Potter|Potter]], died 2005),<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/dec/23/thespin.cricket www.theguardian.com]</ref> the eleventh Earl, who succeeded his half-brother (the only son from the first marriage of the ninth Earl), in 1980. As of 2017 the title is held by his only son, the twelfth earl, who succeeded his father in that year. Several other members of the Bligh family have also attained distinction. Thomas Bligh (1654–1710), father of the first Earl, represented [[County Meath (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|County Meath]] as its MP in the Irish Parliament and was sworn of the [[Irish Privy Council]]. [[Thomas Bligh]], younger brother of the first Earl, was a general in the British Army and represented Athboy in the Irish House of Commons for sixty years. [[The Very Reverend]] Robert Bligh (c. 1704–1778), another younger brother of the first Earl,<ref>[http://www.thepeerage.com/p3374.htm#i33733 www.thepeerage.com]</ref> was an Anglican clergyman who became [[Dean of Elphin]].<ref>[http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/member/bligh-thomas-cherburgh-1761-1830 www.historyofparliamentonline.org]</ref> General [[Edward Bligh|the Hon. Edward Bligh]] (1769–1840), second son of the third Earl, was a [[General officer|general]] in the British Army. The Hon. William Bligh (1775–1845), third son of the third Earl, was a colonel in the Army. The Hon. [[John Duncan Bligh|Sir John Bligh]] (1798–1872), fourth son of the fourth Earl, was a diplomat and served as [[diplomatic rank|Envoy Extraordinary]] and [[Minister Plenipotentiary]] to [[Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover]]. [[Susan Bligh, Countess of Darnley]], the eleventh Earl's wife was appointed [[Lord Lieutenant]] of [[Herefordshire]] in 2008.<ref>"Lord-Lieutenant for Herefordshire". Downing Street website. 22 October 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.worcester.ac.uk/community/graduation-the-countess-of-darnley.html Countess of Darnley, CStJ bio]</ref> [[File:Church at Cobham, Kent.jpg|thumb| Collegiate Church of Cobham, Kent]] The family seat is [[Netherwood Manor]], near [[Tenbury Wells]], [[Worcestershire]]. The former was [[Cobham Hall]], near [[Gravesend, Kent|Gravesend]], [[Kent]], and the family still retains some property in the [[Cobham, Kent|village]]. ==Earls of Darnley (1581)== *see the [[Duke of Lennox|Duke of Lennox (1581 creation)]] ==Earls of Darnley (1675)== *see the [[Duke of Richmond|Duke of Richmond (1675 creation)]] ==Earls of Darnley (1725)== *[[John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley]] (1687–1728), who married, in 1713, [[Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon|Lady Theodosia Hyde]] *[[Edward Bligh, 2nd Earl of Darnley]] (1715–1747); second, and eldest surviving son of the 1st Earl *[[John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley]] (1719–1781); third son of the 1st Earl *[[John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley]] (1767–1831); eldest son of the 3rd Earl *[[Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley]] (1795–1835); second, and eldest surviving son of the 4th Earl *[[John Stuart Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley]] (1827–1896); eldest son of the 5th Earl *[[Edward Henry Stuart Bligh, 7th Earl of Darnley]] (1851–1900); eldest son of the 6th Earl *[[Ivo Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley|Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley]] (1859–1927); second son of the 6th Earl; he married [[Florence Bligh, Countess of Darnley|Florence Morphy (''qv'' Countess of Darnley, DBE)]] - did not succeed his brother as ''Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold'' as that title passed to his niece *[[Esme Ivo Bligh, 9th Earl of Darnley]] (1886–1955); eldest son of the 8th Earl (succeeded his cousin, [[Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold|Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold]], in 1937)<ref>[http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?DateList=&PathList=&SearchWords=Wales&Verbose=no&Boolean=&Mode=Search&IDX=100 www.medway.gov.uk]</ref> *[[Peter Stuart Bligh, 10th Earl of Darnley]] (1915–1980); eldest son of the 9th Earl *[[Adam Ivo Stuart Bligh, 11th Earl of Darnley]] (1941–2017); 2nd son of the 9th Earl by his 3rd wife, half-brother of the 10th Earl *[[Ivo Donald Bligh, 12th Earl of Darnley]] (b. 1968) The [[heir apparent]] is the present holder's eldest son Harry Robert Stuart Bligh, Lord Clifton (b. 1999) ==References== {{reflist}} === Notes === * [http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/darnley1725.htm www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk] * [http://www.burkespeerage.com/ www.burkespeerage.com] ==External links== *{{Hansard-contribs | mr-esme-bligh | Esme Ivo Bligh, 9th Earl of Darnley }} *{{Hansard-contribs | mr-peter-bligh | Peter Stuart Bligh, 10th Earl of Darnley }} *{{Hansard-contribs | mr-adam-bligh | Adam Ivo Stuart Bligh, 11th Earl of Darnley }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Darnley}} [[Category:Earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland]] [[Category:Irish landowners]] [[Category:Earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland]] [[Category:Noble titles created in 1580]] [[Category:Noble titles created in 1675]] [[Category:Noble titles created in 1725]]'