Earl of March Facts for Kids

Earl of March is a special title that has been created many times in both Scotland and England. The word "March" here means the "marches" or borderlands. These were areas between England and either Wales (Welsh Marches) or Scotland (Scottish Marches).

Long ago, this title was held by powerful feudal families who owned land in these border areas. They had a lot of power there. But over time, the title became more of an honorary award, like a special badge, and didn't come with the same power over the borderlands anymore.

Today, the Scottish Earl of March title still exists. It is held by James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss and 9th Earl of March.

In England, the Earl of March title is now a secondary title of the Duke of Richmond. The current Duke of Richmond's oldest son, who is also named Charles, uses it as a courtesy title. This means he uses it out of tradition, but it's not his main title.

Earls of March in Scotland
Earls of March in England
See also

Earls of March in Scotland

Quick facts for kids Earldom of March (Peerage of Scotland)
Arms of the Dunbar Earls of March
Creation date	11th century
Monarch	Malcolm III of Scotland
Peerage	Peerage of Scotland
First holder	Patrick de Dunbar, 8th Earl of March
Present holder	James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss and 9th Earl of March
Remainder to	the 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten.

The first Earls of March in Scotland came from a person named Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria. He lost his position in England and went to Scotland. There, King Máel Coluim III welcomed him and gave him land in Dunbar.

His family controlled the Scottish borderlands. However, the title Earl of March was only officially used by Patrick de Dunbar, 8th Earl of March. The last Earl from this family was George de Dunbar, 11th Earl of March. He lost his titles and lands to the King and moved to England.

After this, the Earldom of March was created again for different people. First, it was given to Alexander Stuart, Duke of Albany. When his son John died, the title ended. Then, it was given to Robert Stuart, but it ended again when he died.

The most recent Scottish creation of the Earldom of March happened in 1697. It was given to Lord William Douglas. He was the second son of the William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry. He also received other titles like Lord Douglas of Neidpath and Viscount of Peebles.

His son, also named William, inherited the titles. This William married Anne Douglas-Hamilton. Their son, another William, became the 3rd Earl of March.

In 1768, the third Earl was also made Baron Douglas of Amesbury. In 1778, he became the fourth Duke of Queensberry. This Duke died in 1810 without children. Because of this, his titles were passed to different people. The Earldom of March went to his distant cousin, Francis Wemyss-Charteris, who later became the eighth Earl of Wemyss.

Scottish Earls of March, First Creation

This title was an alternate name for the Earl of Dunbar.

Scottish Earls of March, Second Creation (1455)

Alexander Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany (c. 1455–1485)
John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (1481–1536)

Scottish Earls of March, Third Creation (1581)

This creation also included the title Lord (of) Dunbar.

Robert Stuart, 1st Earl of March (died 1586)

Scottish Earls of March, Fourth Creation (1697)

William Douglas, 1st Earl of March (1673–1705)
William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March (died 1731)
William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry and 3rd Earl of March (1724–1810)
Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss and 4th Earl of March (1772–1853)

For more information on later holders of this title, see Earl of Wemyss and March.

Earls of March in England

The Earls of March in England were connected to the Welsh Marches. This was a border area between England and Wales. The first Earl was Roger Mortimer. He lost his title in 1330 because of treason.

However, his descendant, Roger, managed to get the title back eighteen years later. After the fifth Earl died, there were no more direct heirs from the first Earl's family. So, the title passed to Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York.

Duke Richard then passed the title to his son, Edward. This Edward later became King Edward IV. When he became King, the Earldom of March title became part of the Crown. This means it was held by the King and not a separate person.

The next time the English Earldom of March was created was in 1479. It was given to Edward Plantagenet, Duke of Cornwall. In 1483, he became King Edward V, and the title again merged with the Crown.

Later, the title was given to Esme Stewart, the third Duke of Lennox. His family held the title until the sixth Duke died, and then both the Earldom and Dukedom ended.

The most recent English creation of the title was for Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and Lennox. His family has held the English Earldom of March ever since.

English Earls of March, First Creation (1328)

Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March (1287–1330) (title lost in 1330)
Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March (1328–1360) (title restored in 1348/1354)
Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March (1351–1381)
Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March (1374–1398)
Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March (1391–1425)
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March (1411–1460)
Edward Plantagenet, 4th Duke of York, 7th Earl of March (1442–1483) (became King in 1461)

English Earls of March, Second Creation (1479)

Edward, Duke of Cornwall (1470–1483?) (became King in 1483)

English Earls of March, Third Creation (1619)

Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox (1579–1624)
James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond (1612–1655)
Esmé Stewart, 2nd Duke of Richmond (1649–1660)
Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond (1639–1672)

English Earls of March, Fourth Creation (1675)

This title is now held by the Duke of Richmond. His oldest son, currently Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox (born 1994), uses it as a courtesy title, Earl of March and Kinrara.

Earl of March facts for kids

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