Marshal of England

adapted from William Berry: Encyclopaedia Heraldica

This title is of great antiquity and honour, and is now hereditary in the family of the Duke of Norfolk. William Fitz-Osborn, whose advice, aided by that of Roger de Montgomery, is said to have induced William, Duke of Normandy, to attempt the conquest of England, which proved successful. As a result, they were not only rewarded with a share of the spoil by rich grants of lands, but the Conqueror, in further proof of his esteem, advanced the first to the dignity of Earl of Hereford, and the latter was created Earl of Arundel, Chichester and Shrewsbury, at the same time constituting them his first marshals in the kingdom. Montgomery built the castle of Shrewsbury, and endowed the abbey of St Peter and St Paul there; built the church of Quadford, near Bridgenorth, in Shropshire, and at last became a shorn monk in the abbey of Shrewsbury, where he died about the year 1094; or, according to other historians, was slain by the Welsh between Cardiff and Brecknock. Fitz-Osborn, joint marshal with Montgomery, was constituted governor of Winchester Castle, and obtained a grant in fee of the Isle of Wight. He founded the two abbeys of Lira and Cormeiles in Normandy; and being sent in the year 1070 to assist Ernulph, Earl of Hainault in obtaining possession of the Earldom of Flanders, to which he laid claim, was slain in battle, together with Ernulph, by Robert de Frison, the competitor for the earldom, and was buried in the abbey of Cormeiles, which he had founded.

The successors to the Marshalsy of England are not accurately known; Hugo Grantemeisneil, Gulielmus filius Gulielmi, or Fitz-William, Robert Fitz-Ede, a natural son of King Henry I and Walter Giffard, Earl of Buckingham, have been severally named by different writers; but, however this might have been, it is certain that, in the year 1138, Giilbert de Clare, Lord of Striguil, surnamed Strongbow, was made Earl of Pembroke by King Stephen, and was seized in fee of the office of Marshal, probably by grant from that monarch, who, upon the treason of the Earl of Buckingham, in taking part with the Empress Maude, had seized the office into his own hands, and bestowed it upon the Earl of Pembroke, who was a great favourite; he died in 1148, and was succeeded in his office by his son Richard de Clare, who dying in 1175, or the following year, left issue only one daughter Isabella, who afterwards married William Marshal, and with her obtained the earldom of Pembroke and office of Marshal of England, from King Richard I before his coronation: dying in 1219.
He was succeeded in the title and office of Marshal by his eldest son William, who married Alienore, sister of King Henry III. and died without issue in 1231, being succeeded by his brother Richard, as Earl of Pembroke, and Marshal of England.
This Richard dying, in 1233, without issue, the office of Marshal of England descended to his next brother Gilbert Marshal, who was killed by accident in 1241, and, dying without issue, was succeeded by Walter, his next brother, as Earl of Pembroke and Marshal; but also dying without issue, in 1246, was succeeded by his brother Anselm in his titles and office, which he held but a short period, dying in the year following, also without issue. Thus the five sons of the first William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, having all died without issue, the earldom became extinct, but the office of Marshal of England then descended to their five sisters and coheirs.

Maud, the eldest, married first Hugh Bigod, the fourth Earl of Norfolk of that name, by whom she had issue three Sons; Roger, who succeeded as Earl of Norfolk, and Hugh and Ralph, who died without issue. She married secondly William, Earl Warren and of Surrey, who died in the year 1240, and by whom she had issue John, who succeeded his father in the earldom of Surrey, and Isabel, married to Hugh de Albini, Earl of Arundel.
Upon the death of Earl Anselm, each of his five sisters contended for the office of Marshal, which was at length allotted to Maud, the eldest, Countess of Warren and Norfolk, who appointed her son Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, to execute the office, which he performed until the death of his mother, in 1248, when he became Marshal of England in his own right. In the fifty-fourth of Henry III, he nominated his nephew Roger Bigod to be his deputy as Marshal, and dying the same year without issue, this Roger Bigod, who was the eldest of the two sons of Hugh Bigod, Justicier of England, the second son of Hugh Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, by Maud, daughter of the first William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, succeeded his uncle as Earl of Norfolk and Marshal of England, his father having died the preceding year. Having no issue, he by a formal surrender not only granted and yielded up to the King his vast estates in England and Wales, but also the Marshalship, and in token thereof delivered up his Marshal’s rod, on condition that the same should be restored to him in case he should have any children; immediately after this surrender the King re-granted the Earidom of Norfolk unto the said Roger IBigod. and the heirs of his body, together with the Marshalship of England, re-granting unto the said Roger and Alice his wife, and the issue of their two bodies, lawful begotten, the several estates which the Earl had conveyed and yielded up to the King; but in default of such issue, the same to revert to the King and his heirs. This extraordinary surrender by the Earl is accounted for by historians occasioned by some disgust taken by the Earl John, his younger brother and heir apparent whilst others assert that it arose from fear of the King’s resentment for having formerly opposed his prerogative. The Earl died without issue in 1297, and the office of Marshal, in consequence of the before-mentioned surrender, reverted to the crown.

Robert de Clifford, in 1307, was then appointed Marshal of England during the King’s pleasure, but, as supposed, merely for the purpose of executing the functions of the office of the coronation of the new king, for in the next year Nicholas de Segrave was constituted Marshal of England, to hold the same during pleasure. How long he held the office is uncertain but it is supposed that he enjoyed it till the 9th King Edward II, when he then resigned it to Thomas de Brotherton, whose daughter and heir Margaret was just then married to his nephew John de Segrave.
This Thomas de Brotherton, who was fifth son of King Edward I by Queen Margaret, his second wife, was constituted Marshal of England, 10th February, in the ninth year of King Edward II to hold to him and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, which grant was so made to him, not only in consequence of the affection which his half-brother King Edward II bore to him, but in compliance with the intentions of his father King Edward I as declared by him to his attendants when he lay upon his death-bed.

This Thomas was on the 16th December, 6th of Edward II being then only thirteen years of age, created Earl of Norfolk. Edward II, in the seventeenth year of his reign, upon a remonstrance for neglect of duty, seized the office of Marshal of England into his own hands, and fined the Earl for the default, but it was soon after restored, and the fine remitted.

Edward III confirmed the grant of the office and the Earl dying in the 12th year of that monarch’s reign, without issue male, the office of Marshal of England again reverted to the crown, although his widow, in several charters granted by her after his death, styled herself Countess Marshal of England.

William de Montucute, Earl of Salisbury, succeeded to the office of Marshal of England, for life, in the year 1339, and dying in 1344, Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, one of the first Knights of the Garter at the institution of that order, was, in the 18th year of Edward III. constituted Marshal of England.

In 1350, but on what account is not mentioned by historians, he resigned the office of Marshal of England in favour of Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, who was appointed Marshal by patent durante bene placito, and dying in the same year, the before-mentioned Thomas Deauchamp, Earl of Warwick, was again constituted Marshal of England during pleasure, in the 40th year of Edward III and dying three rears afterwards, Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March and Ulster, was constituted Marshal of Eagland, but in the 50th year of King Edward III being sent into France in order to protect Calais and its environs, he surrendered the office into the King’s hands, whereupon Henry Percy, then commonly called Hotspur, was constituted Marshal of England, in which official situation he attended the coronation of Richard II and was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Northumberland, but soon after resigned the office of Marshal, whereupon John Fitz-Alan, Lord Maltravers, second son of Richard Earl of Arundel, was constituted Marshal of England, who being wrecked on his passage to Brittany, on St. Nicholas’ day, in the 3rd year of the reign of King Richard II.

Thomas de Holland, Earl of Kent, half-brother of Richard II was then advanced to the dignity of Marshal of England, during pleasure, but the young king dismissed him from the office of Marshal of England, in the 9th ear of his reign, and conferred the honour for life upon Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, grandson of Margaret, the eldest daughter and coheir of Thomas de Brotherton, before mentioned. This Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, having shortly afterwards married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Fitz-Alan, Earl of Arundel, obtained a further grant of the office, together with the then new and additional title of Earl Marshal, to hold to him and the heirs male of his body. And further by patent, dated 5th February, in the 20th year of his reign, and granted in full parliament, not only confirmed to him, and the heirs male of his body, the office, title, and honour of Earl Marshal of England, together with the union thereunto of the offices of Marshal in the King’s Bench, Marshal in the Exchequer, Marshal-crier before the Steward, and Marshal of the Household, but also further granted and ordained, that the Earl, and the heirs male of his body, Earls Marshal of England, should, by reason of such their office, bear a golden truncheon or rod, enamelled with black at each end, having engraved thereon at the upper end the King’s arms, and at the lower end his own arms, instead of the baton of wood, which till that time the Marshals of England had been accustomed to carry in their hands.

This favourite of the monarch, ingratiating himself by joining in a plot which brought his father-in-law, the innocent Richard, Earl of Arundel, to the block, where, it is said, he even assisted in the execution, and by some that he struck the very blow himself, and was likewise employed by the King to procure his uncle Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, to be privately murdered at Calais, was further rewarded for these execrable deeds of blood, with grants of the late forfeited lands of the Earl Arundel and Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and was created Duke of Norfolk, the King likewise advancing, at the same time, his grandmother Margaret, daughter of Thomas de Brotherton, to the title of Duchess of Norfolk. Being accused of speaking disgraceful words of the King by Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, who challenged him to single combat, they were both banished the kingdom, the Duke of Norfolk for life, and Hereford for ten years. Norfolk died at Venice in September, 1399, only a few days before King Richard resigned his crown.

Upon the banishment of the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent, then lately created Duke of Surrey, being appointed to supply the Earl Marshal’s office, he was constituted Marshal of England, during pleasure, and being in the succeeding year made Lieutenant of Ireland,

John de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, was appointed Marshal of England during the Duke of Surrey’s residence in Ireland, where he continued till Richard, being in Ireland, attended by the Earl of Salisbury, received the news of the Duke of Lancaster had landed in England. Upon the King’s return to England, he was accompanied by the Duke of Surrey and the Earl of Salisbury, who were likewise present when he resigned his crown. Henry IV soon deprived Surrey of his dukedom, and he afterwards lost his head.

Thomas Mowbray, eldest son of the banished Duke of Norfolk, never had the title of Duke, but constantly enjoyed that of Earl Marshal, though he never executed the office, for Ralph Nevil, created Earl of Westmoreland by King Richard II was by King Henry IV immediately upon his attaining the crown, constituted Earl Marshal of England, during pleasure. Thomas Mowbray, who claimed the title of Earl Marshal of England in right of his father, the banished Duke of Norfolk, was himself beheaded at York, 6th of Henry IV being not twenty years of age, and

John Mowbray, the second son of the banished Duke, on the death of his elder brother Thomas, took the title of Earl of Nottingham, and Earl Marshal of England, but being then a minor,

John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, afterwards created Duke of Exeter, obtained a grant of the office of Earl Marshal of England, to hold during the minority of the said

John Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, who, in the 14th year of King Henry VI making proof of his age, had restitution of the Earl Marshal’s office, and was restored to the title and dignity of Duke of Norfolk. He died 19th of October, 1433, leaving issue

John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, and Earl Marshal of England, and dying in 1460, was succeeded by

John Mowbray, then Earl Warren and Surrey, (being so created in the lifetime of his father,) as Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshal of England. He died 15th of Edward IV leaving an only daughter, Anne, married to

Richard, Duke of York, second son of King Edward IV and, in right of his wife, Earl Marshal of England; but both dying without issue the office of Earl Marshal once more reverted to the crown.

John, Lord Howard, son of Robert, Lord Howard, by his wife Margaret, one of the two daughters of Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, was, by King Richard III on 28th June, in the first year of his reign, constituted Earl Marshal of England, and at the same time advanced to the dignity of Duke of Norfolk. He was slain in Bosworth Field, and was afterwards attainted, in the first Parliament of Henry VII.

William Berkley, Earl of Nottingham, son of James, Lord Berkley, by his wife Elizabeth, the other daughter of Thomas Mowbray, the first Duke of Norfolk, was, by King Henry VII. soon after he obtained the crown, constituted Earl Marshal of England, to hold to himself for life, with remainder to the heirs male of his body. He was advanced to the dignity of Marquess of Berkley, and died, in 1411, without issue.

Henry, Duke of York, was then constitutnl Earl Marshal of England by his father, King Henry VII.
Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, was next constituted Earl Marshal of England, for life, by King Henry VIII in the second year of his reign. He was the only son and heir of the last-named John, Duke of Norfolk, and had been created Earl of Surrey by Richard III on the same day that his father was advanced to the dignity of Duke. He fought valiantly for Richard III at the battle of Bosworth, where he was wounded and taken prisoner, and, after a confinement of three year obtained his liberty, and was restored to his title of Earl of Surrey, 4th Henry VII.

This Earl of Surrey defeated the Scotch at the battle of Flodden Field, where James IV, King of Scotland, was slain, upon which King Henry VIII granted to the Earl, and the heirs male of his body, an augmentation to his arms, viz, on the bend an escocheon or, charged with a demi lion, pierced through the mouth with a arrow, within a double tressure flory, counter-flory, gu. ; and he was also advanced to the dignity of Duke of Norfolk. He was succeeded by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, who was constituted Earl Marshal of England for life, which office he resigned 25th Henry VIII whereupon

Thomas Howard, third Duke of Norfolk, of the above-named Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, who became second Duke of Norfolk and died in 1524, was constituted Earl Marshal of England by patent, bearing date 28th May, 1533. He was attainted, in 1546, with his son Henry, Earl of Surrey, who was beheaded, the Duke escaped, in consequence of the death of the King, which happened within eight days after the passing the act for his attainder.

Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, was, on the 7th of February, 1547, constituted Earl Marshal of England for life; but, being deprived of the office 5th Edward VI,

John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, was, on the 20th of April, 1551, appointed Earl Marshal of England, and, on the 11th of October following, advanced to the dignity of Duke of Northumberland. Upon the death of Edward VI and the accession of Queen Mary to the throue, he was arrested for high treason, soon after arraigned and convicted, and, on the 22nd of August following, beheaded on Tower Hill.

Thomas Howard, eldest son of the before-mentioned Henry, Earl of Surrey, and grandson of Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, who were both attainted, and the Earl of Surrey beheaded, was, in the first year of Queen Mary’s reign, fully restored in blood, the act for the attainder of the Duke, his grandfather, being then made void, and he became Earl Marshal of England. In 1572 this Duke of Norfolk was attainted for high treason, and, on the 2nd day of June in that year, beheaded on Tower Hill, whereupon George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, was constituted Earl Marshal of England. He died on the l8th of November, 1590.

From the death of the Earl of Shrewsbury, the office of Earl Marshal of England continued vacant until the year 1592, when it was put in commission to William, Lord Burleigh, Lord High Treasurer, Charles, Lord Howard of Effingham, Lord High Admiral, and Henry, Lord Hunsdon, Lord Chamberlain of the Household, who continued to execute the office until the 28th December, 1597, when

Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, was advanced to the office of Earl Marshal of England, from which he was suspended, and not long after beheaded; and, thereupon, Queen Elizabeth granted a commission to Thomas Lord Buckhurst, Charles, Earl of Nottingham, Lord High Admiral, and Edward, Earl of Worcester, Master of the Horse, for the execution of the office of Earl Marshal of England, which so continued till the death of the Queen.

Upon the accession of King James to the throne, Edward, Earl of Worcester, was constituted Earl Marshal of England, for the day his coronation, the which being over, King the appointed Ludovic, Duke of Lennox, and the Earls of Dorset, Nottingham, Suffolk, Devonshire, and Northampton, to be joint-commissioners with the Earl of Worcester, for executing the office.

In the beginning of the year 1621, the office Earl Marshal of England was again commissioned to Edward, Earl of Worcester, then Lord Privy Seal, Ludovic, Duke of Lennox, Lord Steward of the Household, George, Marquess of Buckingham, Lord High Admiral, and Thomas, Earl of Arundel and Surrey; but it remained in commission but a short space of time, for Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, was, on the 29th of August following, constituted Earl Marshal of England for life. On the 6th of June, 20th of Charles I, he was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Norfolk, and died October 4, 1646.

James Howard, Earl of Suffolk, executed the office of Earl Marshal of England at the coronation of King Charles II.

Henry Howard, Baron Howard, of Castle-Rising, and Earl of Norwich, was, by letters patent, dated l9th of October, 1672, constituted Hereditary Earl Marshal of England, with limitation, in default of issue male, to the heirs male of his grandfather, the last-mentioned Thomas, Earl of Arundel, &c. with remainder to the late Earl of Suffolk, and his heirs male, remainder to Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham, and his heirs male. On the death of his elder brother, Thomas, 5th Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Arundel, Surrey, &c. which happened in the year 1677, he succeeded to the Dukedom as 6th Duke, and all other his honours and estates, and died on the 1lth of January, 1683. He had issue two sons, first, Henry Howard, who, on the 27th of January, 1677, was summoned to Parliament as Baron Mowbray; secondly, Thomas Howard, Lord of the Manor of Worksop, in the county of Nottingham.

Henry Howard, Baron Mowbray, succeeded his father as 7th Duke of Norfolk and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England on the 11th of January, 1683, and, dying without issue, April 2, 1701,

Thomas Howard, the eldest son of the before-mentioned Thomas Howard, Lord of the Manor of Worksop, succeeded his uncle as 8th Duke of Norfolk, &c. and as Hereditary Earl Marshal of England, and, dying without issue, December 23, 1732,

Edward Howard, third son of Thomas Howard, Lord of the Manor of Worksop, succeeded his elder brother Thomas as 9th Duke of Norfolk, &c. and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England, who, dying without issue, September 20, 1777, was succeeded by

Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England, grandson of Charles, son of Henry-Frederick, Earl of Arundel, in the reign of Charles I, his Grace dying, in 1786, he was succeeded by his only son,

Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England, who died without issue, in December, 1815.

The title devolved upon Bernard Edward Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk, &c. and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England (descended from Bernard Howard, brother of Thomas and Henry, fifth and sixth Dukes of Norfolk, and Charles Howard, the great-grandfather of the last Duke) 1815-1842

Henry Charles Howard , succeeded his father as 13th Duke of Norfolk and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England 1842-1856

Henry Granville Fitzalan-Howard succeeded his father as 14th Duke of Norfolk and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England 1856-1860

Henry Fitzalan-Howard succeeded his father as 15th Duke of Norfolk and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England 1860-1917

Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard succeeded his father as 16th Duke of Norfolk and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England 1917-1975, who died without male issue

Miles Francis Stapleton-Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk, cousin of the preceding and great-grandson of Edward Fitzalan-Howard, brother of Henry Granville Fitzalan-Howard, the 14th Duke 1975-2002

Edward William Fitzalan-Howard succeeded his father as 13th Duke of Norfolk and Hereditary Earl Marshal of England 2002-