Marquess of Sligo

Marquess of Sligo is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for John Browne, 3rd Earl of Altamont. The Marquess holds the subsidiary titles of Baron Mount Eagle, of Westport in the County of Mayo (created 10 September 1760), Viscount Westport, of Westport in the County of Mayo (created 24 August 1768), Earl of Altamont, in the County of Mayo (created 4 December 1771), Earl of Clanricarde (created 1800) and Baron Monteagle, of Westport in the County of Mayo (created 20 February 1806). All these titles are in the Peerage of Ireland, except the Barony of Monteagle, which is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The latter peerage entitled the Marquesses to a seat in the House of Lords prior to the House of Lords Act 1999. The Earldom of Clanricarde was inherited by the sixth Marquess in 1916 according to a special remainder in the letters patent.

Marquessate of Sligo
Arms: Sable, three Lions passant in bend Argent, between four Bendlets Argent. Crest: An Eagle displayed Vert. Supporters: Dexter: A Talbot gorged with a Baron’s Coronet proper; Sinister: A Horse Argent.
Creation date29 December 1800
Monarch George III
PeeragePeerage of Ireland
First holderJohn Browne, 3rd Earl of Altamont
Present holderSebastian Browne, 12th Marquess of Sligo
Heir apparentChristopher Browne, Earl of Altamont
Remainder toHeirs male of the first Marquess's body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titlesEarl of Altamont
Earl of Clanricarde
Viscount Westport
Baron Mount Eagle
Baron Monteagle
StatusExtant
Former seat(s)Westport House
MottoSUIVEZ RAISON
("Follow the right")

History

The Browne family descends from Colonel John Browne, younger son of Sir John Browne, 1st Baronet, of The Neale, County Mayo, whose eldest son, the second Baronet, was the ancestor of the Barons Kilmaine. The baronetcy was created in 1636. Colonel John Browne's grandson John Browne represented Castlebar in the Irish House of Commons. He was created Baron Mount Eagle in 1760,[1] Viscount Westport in 1768 and Earl of Altamont in 1771,[2] the titles of Mount Eagle and Altamont deriving from Croagh Patrick near Westport. Both his son, the second Earl, and grandson, the third Earl, represented County Mayo in the Irish Parliament. In 1800 the latter was elected as one of the 28 original Irish Representative Peers and later that year he was created Marquess of Sligo.[3]

In 1806, he was made Baron Monteagle in the Peerage of the United Kingdom,[4] which gave the Marquesses an automatic seat in the House of Lords. He was succeeded by his son, the second Marquess. He was Lord Lieutenant of County Mayo from 1842 to 1845. Lord Sligo married Lady Hester Catherine de Burgh, eldest daughter of John Thomas de Burgh, 13th Earl of Clanricarde.

In 1800, Lord Clanricarde was given a new Earldom of Clanricarde, with remainder, failing heirs male of his own, to the heirs male of his two daughters.[5] Lord Sligo's younger son, the fourth Marquess, represented County Mayo in Parliament from 1857 to 1868. His nephew, the sixth Marquess, succeeded to the Earldom of Clanricarde (1800 creation) in 1916 on the death of his cousin Hubert George de Burgh-Canning, 2nd Marquess of Clanricarde. As of 2014 the titles are held by his great-nephew, the twelfth Marquess, who succeeded his first cousin in 2014. He is a property consultant living in Sydney, Australia.[6]

The family seat was Westport House, near Westport, County Mayo in Ireland. After the death of the 11th Marquess, it passed to his five daughters, in accordance to a private legislation passed by the Irish Senate in 1993.[7] Westport House was sold by Lord Sligo's daughters in October 2017, breaking the formal link between Westport House and the family which had been ongoing for 380 years. The house was sold to the Hughes family, a local family of entrepreneurs in Westport.

Barons Mount Eagle (1760), Viscounts Westport (1768), Earls of Altamont (1771)

Marquesses of Sligo (1800), Barons Monteagle (1806), Earls of Clanricarde (1916)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Christopher Ulick Browne, Earl of Altamont (b. 1988)

References
  1. "No. 10029". The London Gazette. 26 August 1760. p. 1.
  2. "No. 11196". The London Gazette. 16 November 1771. p. 3.
  3. "No. 15326". The London Gazette. 10 January 1801. p. 40.
  4. "No. 15889". The London Gazette. 15 February 1806. p. 192.
  5. "No. 15326". The London Gazette. 10 January 1801. p. 40.
  6. "Google Groups". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  7. "Marquess of Sligo, Jeremy Browne Altamont, dies at 75 - BBC News". Bbc.com. 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  8. Cracroft's Peerage. Archived 2011-06-12 at the Wayback Machine
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