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| Earl of Uxbridge | |
|---|---|
| Name | Earl of Uxbridge |
| Creation date | 1784 |
| Monarch | George III |
| Peerage | Peerage of Great Britain |
| First holder | Henry Bayly Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge |
| Present holder | Marquess of Anglesey (title merged) |
| Status | Extant (subsidiary) |
Earl of Uxbridge
The title Earl of Uxbridge is a British peerage dignity created in the late 18th century during the reign of George III. It became associated with the Paget family and later merged with the Marquessate of Anglesey, connecting the earldom to a network of British aristocratic, military, and political history including engagements such as the Battle of Waterloo and offices like Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey. The earldom illustrates intersections among Peerage of Great Britain, landed estates in Middlesex, and hereditary titles conferred by royal patronage.
The earldom was created in 1784 in the Peerage of Great Britain for Henry Bayly Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge, who had already been raised to the Barony of Paget and the Viscountcy of Paget earlier in the 18th century. Its creation occurred in the aftermath of political realignments involving figures such as William Pitt the Younger and events like the American Revolutionary War settlement era. The Paget succession drew on antecedent connections to the House of Tudor through landed families of Wales and Middlesex, and the title’s patent referenced territorial designations that tied it to localities near Uxbridge in Middlesex (historic county).
The earldom’s early decades coincided with military and imperial expansion exemplified by contemporaries including Horatio Nelson, John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent, and commanders who served in the Napoleonic Wars. The 1st Earl’s descendants assumed military commands and parliamentary seats, reflecting the pattern of aristocratic service during the reigns of George III and George IV.
Holders of the earldom have included prominent members of the Paget family:
- Henry Bayly Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge (created 1784), previously Sir Henry Bayly, 10th Baronet? and inheritor of Paget baronetcies and family estates tied to the wider networks of Staffordshire and Anglesey. - Henry William Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge later elevated as Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey following his service at engagements such as the Battle of Waterloo, where he served alongside commanders including Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and faced adversaries like Napoleon Bonaparte. - Subsequent earls and marquesses in the Paget line have held parliamentary seats in constituencies such as Anglesey (UK Parliament constituency), served in ceremonial roles such as Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey, and interacted with figures including Benjamin Disraeli, William Ewart Gladstone, and peers from families like Cavendish and Howard.
The earldom became a subsidiary title of the Marquess of Anglesey; holders since the 19th century have borne multiple peerage dignities and intermarried with families linked to the Viscountcy of Hereford and other British noble houses.
The Paget family seat historically included grand country houses and estates such as Plas Newydd on Anglesey, which became associated with the Marquessate and the earldom. Plas Newydd’s collections and art patronage connected the family to cultural institutions and collectors like Sir Joshua Reynolds and collectors whose works are displayed in houses associated with National Trust properties.
Estates in the vicinity of Uxbridge and holdings in counties including Middlesex, Bedfordshire, and Staffordshire formed the economic base for the Paget household. Estate management linked the earldom to developments in rural improvement, agricultural change influenced by figures like Jethro Tull and parliamentary enclosure movements debated in the House of Commons during the 18th and 19th centuries.
As peers in the Peerage of Great Britain and later the Peerage of the United Kingdom by courtesy through the Marquessate, holders of the earldom sat in the House of Lords, influencing legislation alongside contemporaries such as Robert Peel, Lord Palmerston, and Earl Grey. Military distinction by holders at the Battle of Waterloo and other campaigns lent the family influence in defense and foreign policy debates involving statesmen like Viscount Castlereagh and diplomats connected to the Congress of Vienna.
Paget family members also represented constituencies in the House of Commons and held local offices including High Sheriff and Lord Lieutenant, engaging with county politics, reforms championed during the Reform Acts, and patronage networks that included families such as the Rothschilds and the Graftons.
The armorial bearings borne by Paget holders incorporate heraldic elements connected to earlier Paget baronets and allied families; these arms were displayed at seats like St Edwen's Church in Battle and in regimental colours of units commanded by Paget officers. Associated subsidiary titles have included the Viscountcy of Paget and baronies such as the Baron Paget of Beaudesert in older creations. Honors awarded to family members include knighthoods in orders like the Order of the Bath and decorations presented during royal ceremonies presided over by monarchs including Victoria.
The 2nd Earl’s prominent role at the Battle of Waterloo—serving under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and famously losing a limb in combat—crystallized the earldom’s military legacy, commemorated in regimental histories and memorials alongside figures such as Duke of Wellington and Marshal Ney. The family’s patronage of architecture, landscape design, and collections connected them to the Gothic Revival and to artists and architects like A. W. N. Pugin and John Nash.
Through marriages, holdings, and political service, the earldom’s legacy intersects with British aristocratic, military, and cultural history, leaving physical traces in estates such as Plas Newydd, parliamentary records in the House of Lords, and memorials in ecclesiastical settings linked to families like the Herberts and Stanleys.
Category:Peerage of Great Britain Category:British noble titles