Name Earl La | Role Noble title | |
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Earl De La Warr is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1761 for John West, 7th Baron De La Warr.
Contents
- Etymology
- Baronies of De La Warr
- Connection to American geographical names
- Other family members
- Barons De La Warr First creation 1299
- Barons De La Warr Second creation 1572
- Earls De La Warr 1761
- References
The Earl holds the subsidiary titles of Viscount Cantelupe (1761) in the Peerage of Great Britain, Baron De La Warr (1572) in the Peerage of England, and Baron Buckhurst, of Buckhurst in the County of Sussex (1864) in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The barony De La Warr is of the second creation; however, it bears the precedence of the first creation, 1299, and has done so since shortly after the death of William West, 1st Baron De La Warr.
The family seat is Buckhurst Park, near Withyham, Sussex.
Etymology
The name de La Warr is from Sussex and of Anglo-Norman origin. It came probably from La Guerre, a Norman lieu-dit. This toponymic could derive from the Latin word ager, from the Breton gwern or from the Late Latin warectum (fallow). The toponyms Gara, Gaire also appear in old texts cited by Lucien Musset, where the word ga(i)ra means gore. It could also be linked with a patronymic from the Old Norse verr.
The barony and earldom are both pronounced "De La Ware", as in the American state of Delaware.
Baronies of De La Warr
The barony De La Warr is of the second creation; however, it bears the precedence of the first creation, 1299, and has done so since shortly after the death of William West, 1st Baron De La Warr. The precise legal situation concerning the second creation is murky. The modern rules attempt to regularize medieval practice, but there are many cases that cannot easily be made to fit, whether because a local custom was involved, or because an exception was made, or because the rules were still in flux. This is such a case, because William West was heir male but not heir general. Because the original barony was created by writ, descent is presumed to be to the heir (or heirs) general, and therefore it fell into abeyance between the daughters of Sir Owen West (and their heirs in turn). The second creation has been viewed in at least three ways:
Connection to American geographical names
In United States history books, Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr is often named simply as "Lord Delaware". He served as governor of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia, and the Delaware Bay was named after him. The state of Delaware, the Delaware River, and the Delaware Indian tribe were so called after the bay, and thus ultimately derive their names from the barony. Many other American counties, townships, and the like derive their names directly or indirectly from this connection.
Other family members
Notable descendants of George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr include the authors Lady Margaret Sackville, Vita Sackville-West, and Nigel Nicolson.
Another member of the West family was William Cornwallis-West, who was the grandson of the Hon. Frederick West, youngest son of the second Earl. Cornwallis-West was the father of George Cornwallis-West, Daisy, Princess of Pless, and Constance, Duchess of Westminster.
Barons De La Warr; First creation (1299)
Barons De La Warr; Second creation (1572)
Earls De La Warr (1761)
The heir apparent is the present holder's son William Herbrand Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst (b. 1979).
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son Hon. William Lionel Robert Sackville (b. 2014).