Heathcote baronets facts for kids
A baronetcy is a special hereditary title given by the British King or Queen. It's like being a knight, but the title can be passed down through the family. Two different families named Heathcote received this title in 1733. Both of these titles still exist today! Some members of the first Heathcote family later received even higher titles, like Baron Aveland and Earl of Ancaster, but these specific titles have since ended.
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The Heathcote Baronets of London
The first Heathcote baronetcy, from London, was created on January 17, 1733. The first person to receive this honor was Gilbert Heathcote. He was a very important person in London, serving as the Lord Mayor of London in 1711. He was also one of the people who helped start the Bank of England, which is a very famous bank.
His son, the second Baronet, became a Member of Parliament, representing areas like Grantham and Bodmin in the House of Commons. This means he helped make laws for the country.
The third Baronet, also named Gilbert, continued to serve as a Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury. His son, the fourth Baronet, represented Lincolnshire and Rutland in Parliament. He was part of the Whig Party, which was a political group at the time.
When the fourth Baronet passed away, his son, the fifth Baronet, inherited the title. He also served as a Member of Parliament for several areas, including Boston and Rutland. He was also the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, which is a representative of the King or Queen in a county.
Baron Aveland and Earl of Ancaster
In 1856, the fifth Baronet received an even higher title: Baron Aveland. This made him a member of the Peerage of the United Kingdom, a group of high-ranking nobles. Lord Aveland married Clementina Drummond-Willoughby, who was also a Baroness in her own right.
Their son, Gilbert Henry Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, inherited both his father's title (Baron Aveland) and his mother's title (Baroness Willoughby de Eresby). In 1872, he added the surnames Willoughby and Drummond to his own. He also served as a Member of Parliament, this time for the Liberal Party.
In 1892, a very old family title, the Ancaster title, was brought back for him, and he became the Earl of Ancaster. This was another very important noble title.
His son, the second Earl, also served as a Member of Parliament and was the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland. The third Earl, Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, also served in Parliament and as Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire. In 1951, he was called to the House of Lords (the upper house of Parliament) early, using one of his father's titles.
Sadly, the third Earl's only son, Timothy, went missing at sea in 1963. Because of this, when the Earl died in 1983, the titles of Baron Aveland and Earl of Ancaster ended. However, the original Heathcote Baronetcy continued. It was passed to a relative, the ninth Baronet, who was a Brigadier in the British Army. He lived to be 100 years old and passed away in 2014. His son then became the tenth Baronet.
The Earls of Ancaster also held a very important ceremonial role called the Lord Great Chamberlainship.
Heathcote baronets, of London (1733)
- Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet (1652–1733)
- Sir John Heathcote, 2nd Baronet (1689–1759)
- Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 3rd Baronet (died 1785)
- Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 4th Baronet (1773–1851)
- Sir Gilbert John Heathcote, 5th Baronet (1795–1867) (became Baron Aveland in 1856)
Barons Aveland (1856)
- Gilbert John Heathcote, 1st Baron Aveland (1795–1867)
- Gilbert Henry Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Baron Aveland (1830–1910) (became Earl of Ancaster in 1892)
Earls of Ancaster (1892)
- Gilbert Henry Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster (1830–1910)
- Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster (1867–1951)
- Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster (1907–1983)
- Timothy Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, Lord Willoughby de Eresby (1936–1963)
Heathcote baronets, of London (1733; continued)
- Sir Gilbert Simon Heathcote, 9th Baronet (1913–2014)
- Sir Mark Simon Robert Heathcote, 10th Baronet (born 1941)
The person who is expected to inherit the baronetcy next is the eldest son of the 10th Baronet, Alistair Robert Heathcote (born in 1977).
The Heathcote Baronets of Hursley
The second Heathcote baronetcy was created on August 16, 1733, for William Heathcote of Hursley in Southampton. He also served as a Member of Parliament for Buckingham and Southampton.
Several later Baronets from this family also served in Parliament. The third Baronet, Sir William Heathcote, represented Hampshire. The fourth Baronet, Sir Thomas Freeman-Heathcote, was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Hampshire. He also added the surname Freeman to his name.
The fifth Baronet, Sir William Heathcote, was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Hampshire and Oxford University. He was also made a member of the Privy Council, a group of important advisors to the King or Queen.
Some members of this family had careers in other fields. The ninth Baronet, Sir Francis Heathcote, became an Anglican Bishop in British Columbia, Canada. Henry Heathcote, a son of the third Baronet, became an admiral in the Royal Navy, which is a very high rank in the navy. Another son, Gilbert Heathcote, also had a naval career.
The first Baronet, Sir William Heathcote, married Lady Elizabeth Parker. Her father was the Earl of Macclesfield. Because of this marriage, all the male descendants of Sir William and Lady Elizabeth could potentially inherit the titles of Earl of Macclesfield and Viscount Parker if there were no other male heirs in that family.
Heathcote baronets, of Hursley (1733)
- Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet (1693–1751)
- Sir Thomas Heathcote, 2nd Baronet (1721–1787)
- Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Baronet (1746–1819)
- Sir Thomas Freeman-Heathcote, 4th Baronet (1769–1825)
- Sir William Heathcote, 5th Baronet (1801–1881)
- Sir William Perceval Heathcote, 6th Baronet (1826–1903)
- Sir William Arthur Heathcote, 7th Baronet (1853–1924)
- Sir Gilbert Redvers Heathcote, 8th Baronet (1854–1937)
- Sir Francis Cooke Caulfeild Heathcote, 9th Baronet (1868–1961)
- Sir Leonard Vyvyan Heathcote, 10th Baronet (1885–1963)
- Sir Michael Perryman Heathcote, 11th Baronet (1927–2007)
- Sir Timothy Gilbert Heathcote, 12th Baronet (born 1957)
See also
- Baron Willoughby de Eresby
- Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
- Earl of Macclesfield
