Marquess of Bute facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marquessate of the County of Bute |
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Arms of the Marquess of Bute: Quarterly, 1st & 4th, Or, a Fess chequy Azure and Argent within a Double-Tressure flory counterflory Gules (for Stuart); 2nd & 3rd,, Argent a Lion rampant Azure (for Crichton).
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| Creation date | 2 February 1796 |
| Monarch | King George III |
| Peerage | Peerage of Great Britain |
| First holder | John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute |
| Present holder | John Crichton-Stuart, 8th Marquess of Bute |
| Heir presumptive | Lord Anthony Crichton-Stuart |
| Remainder to | the 1st Marquess's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary titles | Lord Mount Stuart; Baron Cardiff; Viscount of Kingarth; Viscount Mountjoy; Earl of Bute; Earl of Windsor; Earl of Dumfries |
| Status | Extant |
| Seat(s) | Mount Stuart House |
| Former seat(s) | Cardiff Castle, Dumfries House, Castell Coch, House of Falkland, Luton Hoo |
| Motto | Over the centre Crest: NOBILIS EST IRA LEONIS (The wrath of the lion is noble) Over the dexter Crest: GOD SEND GRACE Over the sinister Crest: Avito viret honore (He flourishes in ancestral honour) |
| Currently the Earldom of Dumfries resides with the Marquesses of Bute. However, it can be inherited through the female line through an amendment to its original creation, and the title could be separated from the Marquessate of Bute should heirs presumptive to the titles of Bute and Dumfries, being male and female respectively, inherit. | |
The Marquess of the County of Bute, often called Marquess of Bute, is a special title in the Peerage of Great Britain. This important title was first given in 1796 to John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute.
Contents
A Look at the Bute Family History
The Bute family comes from John Stewart (1360–1449). He was the Sheriff of Bute. John was a son of Robert II of Scotland, a king of Scotland.
King Robert II gave John Stewart lands on the Isle of Bute, Arran, and Cumbrae. He was known as the 'Black Stewart' because of his dark hair.
Around 1385, John Stewart also received the job of hereditary Sheriff of Bute. This meant the job would pass down in his family.
Later, around the time of Mary, Queen of Scots, the family started spelling their name 'Stuart'. This was the spelling Mary used when she lived in France.
Early Titles and Important People
James Stuart, a descendant of the Black Stewart, was made a Baronet in 1627. This was a new type of noble title.
His grandson, the third Baronet, helped negotiate the union between Scotland and England. In 1703, he became the Earl of Bute, Viscount of Kingarth, and Lord Mount Stuart, Cumra and Inchmarnock. These were titles in the Peerage of Scotland.
The third Earl of Bute, John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, became a very important politician. He was a close friend of George III. He even served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762 to 1763.
Lord Bute's wife, Mary, also received a title. In 1761, she became Baroness Mount Stuart in her own right.
Their son, John Stuart, became the first Marquess of Bute. His eldest son, also named John, married Lady Elizabeth Penelope. She was the daughter and heir of the 6th Earl of Dumfries.
Their son, John, inherited the Earldom of Dumfries in 1803. He then inherited the Marquessate of Bute in 1814. He added the surname Crichton to Stuart.
The third Marquess, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, was a scholar and helped many charities. He became a Roman Catholic in 1868. Since then, the family has remained Catholic.
The current holder of the titles is John Crichton-Stuart, the 8th Marquess of Bute. He is the grandson of the 6th Marquess.
Bute Family's Welsh Connections
The Marquesses of Bute also have important family connections in Wales. This includes the family of Lord Herbert of Cardiff.
In 1766, Charlotte Jane, a granddaughter of Viscount Windsor, married John Stuart, Lord Mount Stuart. He was the son of the 3rd Earl of Bute. This marriage brought large estates in south Wales to the Bute family.
In 1776, John Stuart was given the title Baron Cardiff. This was to recognize his large Welsh estates. In 1796, he received even more honors. He was made Earl of Windsor, Viscount Mountjoy, and Marquess of Bute. These titles are also in the Peerage of Great Britain.
Other Important Roles
The Marquess of Bute is the hereditary keeper of Rothesay Castle. This special right was given to the family's ancestor, John Stewart, by King Robert II in the 14th century. The Crichton-Stuart family was in charge of keeping the castle in good repair until the 1960s.
This branch of the Stuart family also held the job of Hereditary High Steward of Scotland. This role is now held by the duke of Rothesay.
Family Members of Note
Many other members of the Bute family have achieved important things.
- James Stuart-Mackenzie, a younger son of the second Earl, was a member of parliament.
- James Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, second son of the third Earl, was a politician.
- Sir Charles Stuart, fourth son of the third Earl, was a famous soldier.
- William Stuart, fifth son of the third Earl, became Archbishop of Armagh.
- Lady Louisa Stuart, daughter of the third Earl, was a writer.
- Lord Evelyn Stuart, second son of the first Marquess, was a soldier and politician.
- Lord Henry Crichton-Stuart, third son of the first Marquess, was the father of Henry Villiers-Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Decies.
- Lord William Stuart, fourth son of the first Marquess, was a captain in the Royal Navy and a Member of Parliament.
- Lord George Stuart (1780–1841), fifth son of the first Marquess, was a rear-admiral in the Royal Navy.
- Lord Dudley Stuart, sixth son of the first Marquess, was a Member of Parliament.
- Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart, second son of Lord Mount Stuart, was a Member of Parliament for Cardiff.
- Lord Ninian Crichton-Stuart, second son of the third Marquess, was also a Member of Parliament for Cardiff. He sadly died early in the First World War.
- Lord Colum Crichton-Stuart, third son of the third Marquess, was a Member of Parliament for Northwich.
The oldest son and heir of the Marquess of Bute is usually called the Earl of Dumfries. Their heir is then called Lord Mount Stuart.
Family Coat of Arms
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Over the dexter Crest: GOD SEND GRACE, Over the sinister Crest: Avito viret honore (To flourish in an honourable ancestry)
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A family's coat of arms, or heraldic achievement, is like a special symbol. It shows their history and important family traits. The Marquess of Bute has a very detailed coat of arms. It includes a lion, a dragon, and a wyvern. These symbols represent different parts of the family's past.
The Family Home: Mount Stuart House
Mount Stuart House
Mount Stuart House is the main home of the Stuart family of Bute. It is located on the Isle of Bute. The land has been owned by the family since 1157.
A new house was built here in 1719 by James Stuart, 2nd Earl of Bute. In 1877, a fire damaged this house. However, most of the walls and contents were saved.
A new Victorian Mount Stuart House was then built. It was the first house in Scotland to have electric lighting throughout. It also had the world's first heated swimming pool!
Today, the Mount Stuart Trust manages the house as a business.
Former Family Homes
Dumfries House
In 1814, Dumfries House was inherited by John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute. This beautiful house stayed in the Crichton-Stuart family for 200 years.
The 3rd Marquess of Bute asked Robert Weir Schultz to design new parts of the house in 1885. The main family home was still Mount Stuart House.
In the late 20th century, the Dowager Marchioness of Bute, Lady Eileen, lived there. After her death in 1993, the house passed to her grandson, the 7th Marquess. He was known as John Bute, a racing driver.
In 2003, the 7th Marquess decided to sell Dumfries House. However, King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) helped save it. He arranged for a group of organizations to buy the house, its contents, and its large estate.
Cardiff Castle
The 3rd Marquess of Bute worked with architect William Burges to create two amazing Gothic revival castles in south Wales. One of these was Cardiff Castle.
Cardiff Castle was built on the site of an old Roman fort and a later Norman castle. It came into the Bute family in 1766 through marriage.
The 2nd Marquess of Bute was very important in developing south Wales. He helped make it one of the biggest coal exporters by building up the port and docks in Cardiff.
His son, John, the 3rd Marquess, was very rich. He started a big project in 1866 with William Burges to transform the castle. Burges designed amazing interiors with murals, stained glass, and beautiful wood carvings.
The project was finished by the 4th Marquess. After his death, the Bute family gave the castle and its parks to the city of Cardiff. Today, Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’s most popular places to visit.
Castell Coch
The ruins of Castell Coch were bought by the Earls of Bute in 1760. This happened when John, 3rd Earl of Bute, married Lady Charlotte Windsor. She shared her family's inheritance in south Wales.
The 2nd Marquess of Bute, who became wealthy from the Cardiff Docks, later inherited the castle. He even looked for iron ore there in 1827.
The 3rd Marquess of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, inherited Castell Coch in 1848 when he was a child. When he grew up, he was one of the richest men in the world. He was interested in many things, like history and old buildings.
Castell Coch was used for over 700 years. The 5th Marquess gave the castle to the British government in 1950.
Stuart Baronets of Bute (1627)
- Sir James Stuart, 1st Baronet (died 1662)
- Sir Dugald Stuart, 2nd Baronet (died 1670)
- Sir James Stuart, 3rd Baronet (died 1710) (became Earl of Bute in 1703)
Earls of Bute (1703)
- James Stuart, 1st Earl of Bute (died 1710)
- James Stuart, 2nd Earl of Bute (died 1723)
- John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (1713–1792)
- John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute (1744–1814) (became Marquess of Bute in 1796)
Marquesses of Bute (1796)
- John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute (1744–1814)
- John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute (1793–1848) (also became Earl of Dumfries in 1803)
- John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute (1847–1900)
- John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute (1881–1947)
- John Crichton-Stuart, 5th Marquess of Bute (1907–1956)
- John Crichton-Stuart, 6th Marquess of Bute (1933–1993)
- John Colum Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute (1958–2021)
- John Bryson Crichton-Stuart, 8th Marquess of Bute (born 1989)
The Current Marquess
John Bryson Crichton-Stuart, the 8th Marquess of Bute, was born on December 21, 1989. He is the son of the 7th Marquess.
He became the Marquess of Bute on March 22, 2021, after his father passed away. He also holds many other titles, including Earl of Dumfries and Earl of Bute. He is also the 14th Stuart baronet of Nova Scotia.
The person next in line to become Marquess of Bute is Lord Anthony Crichton-Stuart. He was born in 1961 and is the second son of the 6th Marquess.
The next person in line for the Earldom of Dumfries is Lady Caroline Crichton-Stuart. She was born in 1984 and is the eldest daughter of the 7th Marquess.
Barons Mount Stuart (1761)
- Mary Stuart, 1st Baroness Mount Stuart (1718–1794)
- John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute, 2nd Baron Mount Stuart (1744–1814) (became Marquess of Bute in 1796)
see above for further succession
See also
- Earl of Dumfries
- Viscount Windsor
- Earl of Wharncliffe
- Baron Stuart de Decies
- Baron Stuart of Wortley
- Stuart Baronets
- Clan Stuart of Bute
