Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 6.djvu/488

474 p. 41, line 11; to "1897" add "c.c." an. subjoin this note (marked "aa") on that page.

The instances of peerages being conferred on females, down to the accession of George III. are as under: (1) THE DUKEDOM OF NORFOLK, which by Richard II. was conferred, 29 Sep. 1397, on his cousin, Margaret, suo jure Countess of Norfolk, widow, born Plantagenet, da. and eventually sole h. of Thomas, Earl of Norfolk, a yr. s. of Edward I. This was "for her whole life" [only], the same title being, at the same date, conferred on her grandson and h. ap. Thomas (Mowbray), Earl of Nottingham. This access of dignity appears to be more of the nature of a recognition of her existing right to the Earldom of that County than an actual creation of a peerage de noro.

The Earldom of Salisbury, which by Act of Parl. 1513 was restored to the Lady Margaret Pole, widow, born Plantagenet, da. and eventually sole heir of George, Duke of Clarence, br. of Edward IV. (who was the maternal grandfather of the reigning King) cannot certainly be considered as a creation.

(2.) THE MARQUESSATE OF PEMBROKE, bestowed, 1 Sep. 1582, on the Lady Anne Boleyn, Spinster, by her then lover and future husband, Henry VIII., with a rem. to the heirs male of her body. This is the first case of a woman (who was a commoner) being raised to the peerage.

The Barony of Le Despencer, which in 1604 was assigned to Dame Mary Fane, widow, born Nevill, was, of course, not a creation de novo, but the termination of a Barony in abeyance; so also was the Barony of Oyle which in like manner was assigned in 1628 to Dame Catherine Cavendish, widow, born Ogle.

(8.) THE EARLDOM OF BUCKINGHAM, bestowed 1 July 1618, by James I. on Dame Mary Villiers, widow, mother of George (Villiers), Marquess and Earl [and afterwards, 1623, Duke] of Buckingham. In this case, as in that of Norfolk, the dignity was for life only, the heir ap. of the grantee possessing the same title.

(4.) THE VISCOUNTCY OF MAIDSTONE, bestowed 8 July 1623 by James I., on Dame Elizabeth Finch, widow. born Henenge, and the EARLDOM OF WINCHILSEA, bestowel, 12 July 1628 by Charles I., on the same Lady with, in each case, a rein. of the dignity to the heirs male of her body.

The Dukedom of Buckingham, obtained 27 Aug. 1627 from Charles I., by George (Villiers), the then Duke, for his da., Lady Mary Villiers, in reversion contingent upon his death without issue male, can hardly be reckoned, inasmuch, as owing to the birth and survival of such issue, it never took effect.

(5.) THE EARLDOM OF RIVERS, bestowed 21 April 1641, on Elizabeth. Dow. Viscountess Savage, widow, born Darcy, she being da. and coheir of Thomas (Darcy), Earl Rivers. This creation was for life only, her son John (Savage), Earl Rivers, having already inherited that Earldom from his maternal grandfather, under the spec. rem. in its creation.

(6.) THE DUKEDOM OF DUDLEY, bestowed 23 May 1644 on Dame Alice Dudley, born Leigh, wife of Sir Robert Dudley. The creation was (also) for life only.

Since the Restoration, peerages were more frequently bestowed on females, namely, nine English peerages by Charles II., two by James II., and (of Peerages of Great Britain), five by George I. and three by George II., vix., (7), 29 May 1660, conferred on the da. in law of the late and the mother of the then Earl; (8), 14 July 1660; (9) the , 7 May 1663; (10) , 3 Aug 1670; (11), 19 Aug. 1673; (12) , 17 March 1673/4; (13) {sc|The Barony of Belaster of Osgodby}}, 1 April 1674; (14) , 28 Oct. 1679; (15), 6 Sep. 1680; (16) , 20 Jan. 1695/6; (17) , 5 Oct. 1688, being the same patent in which the grantee's son received the same dignity; (18), 1 Jan. 1714:5; (19) , 26 Jan. 1716/7: (20) , 19 March 1719; (21) , 6 April 1722; (22), 7 April 1722; (23) , 24 March 1739/40; (24) , 18 Oct. 1749, and (25), 21 May 1760.