The Earl of Radnor
Earl of Radnor is a title which has been created several times, first in the Peerage of England in 1679 for Lord Robartes, a notable political figure of the reign of Charles II, and then in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1765. The earldom was created for a second time in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1765 when William de Bouverie, 2nd Viscount Folkestone, was made Earl of Radnor.

Lyneham Village Online has traced the Pleydell family tree and witness that the Pleydell-Bouverie family name has long associations with the Earl of Radnor title, which is linked to Lyneham Court. It was on the 14th January 1748 that William de Bouverie married Harriet Pleyedell and the double-barrel neme of Pleydell-Bouverie started. William's parents Sir Jacob des Bouverie, born on the 14th October 1694 was the 1st Viscount of Folkstone, he married on the 31st January 1723 to Mary Clarke.

1st Earl of Radnor, William de Bouverie was born 26th February 1725 and died 28 January 1776. Elected for the city of New Sarum, 1747; for which city he was also returned to the ensuing Parliament. After his accession to the Peerage, he was unanimously chosen Recorder of New Sarum, in the room of his father, and sworn into that office on August 12th, 1761.

On the 18th January 1747, he married to his first wife, Harriet only child of Sir Mark Stuart Pleydell, of Coleshill, in Berkshire, Baronet, by his wife, Mary, daughter and sole heir of Robert Stuart, son of John Stuart, of Ascog, in the Isle of Bute, Esqrs. descended from Sir John Stuart, Knt. hereditary Sheriff and Steward of that island (being so created by his father, Robert II. King of Scotland), and ancestor to the present Marquis of Bute. By this Lady, who died on 29th May 1750, and was buried in the family vault at Bridford. To her memory, an elegant honorary monument, or cenotaph is erected, in the parish church of Coleshill in Berkshire.

His Lordship married, secondly, on 5th September 1751, Rebecca, daughter of John Alleyne, of Barbadoes, Esq. and sister of Sir John Gay Alleyne, Bart, by Mary, only child, by the first marriage, of William Tirrill, Esq. (which Mary, and Lady Pleydell, mother of his Lordship's first Lady, were cousin-germans, their mothers being sisters and co-heiresses). The said Rebecca, Viscountess Folkestone, who was a Lady uniformly good in all the offices of life, and in all the relations of it perfectly amiable, departed this life on 4th May 1764, and was buried at Britford. His Lordship had issue, by her, four sons, viz.

1. The Hon. William-Henry Bouverie, who was born on 30th October 1752, and married, 14th August 1777, to Lady Bridget Douglas, daughter of James Earl of Morton, by whom he had, 1. William John, born 23rd November 1778, died 1st March 1791. 2. Elizabeth, born 1st October 1780. 3. Charles Henry, in the army. 4. Maria, born 1st March 1786. 5. Emma. He formerly represented New-Sarum, and Downton in parliament, and died 23rd August 1806.

2. The Hon. Bartholomew Bouverie, born 29th October 1753, and married, 9th March 1779, Mary Wyndham, daughter of James Everard Arundel, and sister to the present Lord Arundel, of Wardour, by whom he has had, 1. Anna Maria, born 9th December 1779; died 17th April 1790. 2. Henry James, born 17th April 1781. 3. Edward. 4. Charlotte. S.Harriet. 6. Wyndham. He was formerly M. P. for Downton; and is one of the Commissioners for auditing the Public Accounts.

3. Hon. Young Bouverie, born 16th April 1759, died an infant.

4. The Hon. Edward Bouverie, born September 20th, 1760, married, first, May 24th, 1782, Lady Catharina Murray, daughter of the present Earl of Dunmore ; and by her, who died 7th July 1783, had issue George Edward, born 11th February 1783, and died in July 1784. He married, secondly, 20th December 1785, Miss Ogle, second daughter of Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle; and by her has George Augustus, born 1786.

Also two daughters; Mary-Harriot, and Harriot-Mary, who were born twins, on 20th June 1755, and died infants, besides several other children, still-born.

His Lordship wedded, thirdly, on 22nd July 1765, Anne, relict of Anthony Duncombe, Lord Feversham, Baron of Downton, in the county of Wilts, and daughter of Sir Thomas Hales, of Hawlets, in Beakesbourne, in Kent, Bart. by whom he had issue two daughters; Mary-Elizabeth, and Caroline, who both died young. His Lordship departed this life, 28th January 1776, and was succeeded by his eldest son.

2nd Earl of Radnor; Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie born 4th March 1750 died 27 January 1828 married 24 January 1777 to Hon Anne Duncombe, daughter of Lord Feversham. Viscount Folkestone, who died 14 October 1829. To find out more about the 2nd Earl of Radnor, his obituary click here

3rd Earl of Radnor, William Pleydell-Bouverie (11th May 1779 - 9th April 1869) was born at 4 Grafton Street, Marylebone, Middlesex, the eldest son of Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie, as he was styled until his father's death, witnessed the early stages of the French Revolution when sent to Paris as a boy to learn French. He was tutored at home and went for two years to the University of Edinburgh before commencing his studies at Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1795. His education culminated in a grand tour of the northern capitals of Europe from 1797 to 1799.

On 2 October 1800 he married Catherine (1776–1804), daughter of Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, earl of Lincoln. She died giving birth to a daughter in 1804. Folkestone's father arranged for his return to the House of Commons for the family borough of Downton in March 1801, followed quickly by translation to the more prestigious Bouverie seat at Salisbury, which he held from 1802 to 1828. The young viscount precociously broke with convention by making his maiden speech within a week of entering the chamber and established himself as a gadfly of government.

Although Folkestone aligned himself with the moderate William Windham during his first years in parliament, he quickly moved on to less conventional associations with Sir Francis Burdett and Samuel Whitbread. A pattern early emerged in his Commons career of impetuous and sometimes spiteful attacks on individuals such as lords Melville, Wellesley, Chatham, and members of the royal family.

Folkestone rose to national prominence in 1809 as a principal prosecutor of the Duke of York during a scandal involving the latter's mistress, Mary Anne Clarke, and the sale of military commissions, which led to the prince's resignation as commander-in-chief and personal disgrace.

Unfortunately, Folkestone's own subsequent dalliance with Mrs Clarke became public knowledge and undermined his credibility and stature. He recovered some popularity with a spirited attack on the government's repressive legislation in the post-Waterloo years, when he personified his dictum: ‘If a nobleman cannot perform his obligation, which is to protect the liberties of all the people, then he has no reason to take part in politics’.

On 24 May 1814 he married his second wife, Anne Judith (2nd May 1790 –27 April 1851), daughter of Sir Henry St John-Mildmay, third baronet. They had four daughters and two sons, including the politician Edward Pleydell-Bouverie.

Folkestone succeeded his father as third earl of Radnor in January 1828, and in the House of Lords he supported parliamentary reform, the new poor law, the abolition of slavery, and repeal of the corn laws. He took the lead in the movement to accord full rights to non-Anglicans at Oxford and Cambridge, bringing in bills to abolish subscription to the Thirty-Nine Articles (1835) and to revise college statutes (1837). He retired from politics in 1848, occupying himself with agricultural experimentation and philanthropy. Radnor died at his seat, Coleshill House, Berkshire, on 9th April 1869, and was buried at Britford, Wiltshire, on 15th April 1869.

4th Earl of Radnor, Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie was born on the 18th September 1815 died 11th March 1889. He married Mary Augusta Frederica Grimston on the 3rd October 1840.

5th Earl of Radnor, William Pleydell-Bouverie was born on the 19th June 1841 died 3rd June 1900, he married Helen Matilda Chaplin on the 19th June 1866, she died 11th September 1929.

6th Earl of Radnor, Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie who was born 8th July 1868 and died 26th June 1930. During his life he married the daughter of Charles Balfour, Julian Eleanor Adelaide Balfour, mother of Peter, who was born before 1876 and died on the 5th January 1946.

They had quite a large family namely: Lady Jane Pleydell-Bouverie was born 23rd March 1892; Lady Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie was born 16th May 1894 and died 12th November 1961; Third child Sir William Pleydell-Bouverie was born 18th December 1895 and took the title of 7th Earl of Radnor; Lady Elizabeth Pleydell-Bouverie was born 27 June 1897; Captain Hon Edward Pleydell-Bouverie was born 10th September 1899 and died 7th May 1951; Major Hon. Bartholemew Pleydell-Bouverie was born on the 6th April 1902; Lady Margaret Pleydell-Bouverie was born 26 June 1903 and died 17 September 2002; Hon Anthony Pleydell-Bouverie was born 26th March 1905 and died 25 June 1961; Lady Helen Pleydell-Bouverie was born 2nd January 1908 and finally Hon Peter Pleydell-Bouverie was born 19th October 1909.

Lady Margaret Pleydell-Bouverie was born in 1903, the seventh child of ten. Aged 19, she married Gerald Barry and, in 1926, they left England with their one-year old daughter, Anne, to begin a new life in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). They started out with virtually nothing: a tent was their house, a tin shanty their kitchen and petrol boxes their furniture. Through sheer determination, commitment to their dreams and belief in one another, they built M’Coben, a magical home for their growing family. They survived fire, storms, illness and heartbreak, before the Second World War separated them for over four years, yet their love and courage stood firm and brought success against all the odds

7th Earl of Radnor, Sir William Pleydell-Bouverie was born 18th December 1895 and died 1968, he had the title of the 7th Earl of Radnor. He married firstly Helena Olivia Adeane on 11th October 1922. Their third child born on the 10th November 1927 was named after Sir William's father Jacob and was given the title of the 8th Earl of Radnor. Sir William Pleydell-Bouverie was invested as the 924th Knight, Order of the Garter on the 23rd April 1960.

8th Earl of Radnor, Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie (10 November 1927 – 10 August 2008) was a British nobleman. He was the son of William Pleydell-Bouverie and Helena Olivia Adeane. He married, firstly, Anne Garden Farquaharson Seth-Smith, daughter of Donald Farquaharson Seth-Smith, on 8 July 1953 and they were divorced in 1962. He and Anne had two sons:

William Pleydell-Bouverie (b. 5 January 1955) and Hon. Peter John Pleydell-Bouverie (b. 14 January 1958) who married in June 1986, Hon. Jane Victoria Gilmour. She was born on 22 March 1959 and is the daughter of Ian Hedworth John Little Gilmour, Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar and Lady Caroline Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott. Hon Peter Pleydell-Bouverie held the title of High Sheriff Wiltshire 2007-2008

The 8th Earl of Radnor, Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie married, secondly, Margaret Robin Fleming, daughter of Robin Fleming, in 1963 and they were divorced in 1985. They had four daughters; Lady Martha Pleydell-Bouverie (b. 1964); Lady Lucy Pleydell-Bouverie (b. 1964); Lady Belinda Pleydell-Bouverie (b. 1966) whose husband died recently; and Lady Frances Pleydell-Bouverie (b. 1973).

He married, thirdly, Mary Jillean Gwenellan Eddy, daughter of William Edward Montogue Eddy, in 1986. He died at Longford Castle in 2008

The 8th Earl of Radnor, Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie, who died on 10th August 2008 aged 80, was the owner of Longford Castle in Wiltshire; he preserved and enhanced his inheritance, and was a knowledgeable custodian of an exceptional collection of Old Master paintings.

His family - the Bouveries - were Huguenots in the Spanish Netherlands who were persecuted by the Catholic Duke of Alva, and in the 16th century Laurens des Bouverie, a silk merchant, moved to London, setting up in Threadneedle Street. Laurens founded the family fortune on the profits of trade with the Middle and Far East. His great-grandson, William, became Governor of the Bank of England and was created a baronet in 1714.

Family lore has it that his son, Edward, spotted Longford Castle while riding near Salisbury in 1717 and there and then bought it from the Coleraines with the money he had in his saddlebags. Originally a manor, Longford had been rebuilt in 1591, and was the model for the Castle of Amphialeus in Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia. It was constructed in triangular Swedish pattern form, with a round tower at each corner. The Bouverie family also acquired considerable property around Folkestone, and politically they were liberal and independent, which sometimes earned them a degree of notoriety.

The 3rd baronet was created Viscount Folkestone in 1747, and his son, William, who married a Pleydell heiress in 1747 (thus bringing to the family the Coleshill estates in Berkshire), was in turn created 1st Earl of Radnor. He was a particularly judicious buyer of pictures, acquiring 75, and he commissioned Reynolds and Gainsborough to paint portraits of members of his family.

Jacob ("Jake") Pleydell-Bouverie was born on November 10 1927, the elder son of the 7th Earl of Radnor, KG, Lord Warden of the Stannaries from 1933 to 1965, and his wife Helena (neé Adeane), whose mother, Madeline Wyndham, was one of the Three Graces in the celebrated Sargent portrait, now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Jake's paternal great-grandmother was Helen Matilda Chaplin, who during the First World War conducted her own all-female orchestra and was said to wear her tiara backwards so that the audience could see it while she was on the rostrum. It was she who first catalogued the impressive art collection at Longford Castle and had it published in two large volumes. Following an unsuccessful operation on his back when he was young, Jake was obliged to walk with sticks. In later years he was confined to a wheelchair and had a motorised buggy on which he rode about his property, frequently with a delighted grandchild or cousin in tow. He was educated at Chafyn Grove, Salisbury, and - during the war - at Greenvale on Long Island. He then went on to Harrow and up to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read Agriculture.

Thereafter he ran the diverse family businesses, greatly increasing his inheritance by his diligence and careful stewardship. He created a farming operation which supplied Sainsbury's and other retail outlets and, though based in England, his businesses took him to Canada and Australia. When the Channel Tunnel was constructed, the family property at Folkestone rose considerably in value. On the death of his father in 1968 he became an active member of the House of Lords, contributing to debates until he and most other hereditary peers were ejected from the House in 1999. He brought to the chamber a good, practical knowledge of farming, forestry, fish-farming and environmental matters. He championed South America and sea fisheries, and, as chairman of the board of the Dyslexia Institute, spoke on special education - dyslexia having afflicted several members of his family.

Radnor loved Longford Castle and made it a happy home for his family. He was a kind and generous host, witty and well-read, and had an encyclopaedic knowledge and appreciation of his art collection, which included works by Rubens, Van Dyck and Frans Hals, as well as Holbein's portrait of Erasmus. In 2001 he published A Huguenot Family - des Bouverie, Bouverie, Pleydell-Bouverie, which told the story of his family from 1536 to 1889.

In May 1969, the day after he took up residence at Longford, he was at breakfast when the butler announced a broken window pane and the theft of some six paintings. It appeared that this was a commissioned robbery, but the thief, failing to identify the required painting (probably Holbein's Erasmus), had grabbed what he could. Along with other works he took a pair of paintings by Frans Hals, Old Woman and Old Man. A year later, following a tip-off, the pictures were found by a woman police officer in Bournemouth. In 1972, to settle death duties, Lord Radnor sold Velasquez's Juan de Pareja (painted in Rome in 1650) for £2.3 million.

He married first, in 1953 (dissolved 1962), Anne Seth-Smith, with whom he had two sons. He married secondly, in 1963 (dissolved 1985), Margaret Fleming; they had four daughters. In 1986 he married Mary Jillean (Jill) Gwenellan Eddy, and this was a supremely happy union. Jill had been born in Patagonia, to an English father and an Argentine mother, and had originally met Jake when he was working on her father's ranch in Argentina in 1949. At the time his family had discouraged the idea of their marrying, and Jill became the wife of Squadron Leader Anthony Pettit, DSO, DFC and Bar. When Pettit was killed in an air crash she was left with two small children and was expecting a third. She lived in Peru, but met Radnor again when she was bringing her children to school in England. After their marriage, she played an enthusiastic part in his public life, and supported him in seeing Longford as a welcoming home to a large and extended family. He described her as "a perfect chatelaine, wife and companion", and was bereft when she died in 2004. In recent years, Jake Radnor opened Longford to the public on only one day a year, during which he would absent himself until the visitors had gone.

9th Earl of Radnor, William Pleydell-Bouverie, (born 5 January 1955), of Longford Castle, Wiltshire, is an English peer and landowner. The son of Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie, 8th Earl of Radnor and Anne Garden Seth-Smith, daughter of Donald Farquharson Seth-Smith, Pleydell-Bouverie was educated at Harrow and the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. Until the death of his father, he was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Folkestone.

In 1996 he married Melissa Stanford, daughter of James Keith Edward Stanford, OBE, formerly Director-General of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, and grand-daughter of the author J. K. Stanford. They have four sons and two daughters, and the heir apparent is now their eldest son, Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie, Viscount Folkestone, born 7 April 1999.