Baron Cobham

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The title Baron Cobham has been created numerous times in the Peerage of England; often multiple creations have been extant simultaneously, especially in the fourteenth century. The earliest creation was in 1313 for Henry de Cobham, from Cobham in the county of Kent. The eleventh baron was attainted in 1603, and the peerage was forfeit; in addition, the heirship to the forfeited barony fell into abeyance twice In 1916, the attainder was removed and abeyance terminated in favor of Alexander Leith, 12th Baron Cobham. This barony became abeyant again in 1951.

In 1324, Sir Ralph de Cobham was summoned to parliament as Baron Cobham, but this creation became extinct roughly a year later on his death. In 1326, Stephen Cobham was summoned to parliament, again as Baron Cobham. This Cobham came from Rundale, and was apparently of no relation to Sir Ralph. This creation became abeyant no later than 1429. A further creation came in 1342, when Reginald de Cobham was summoned to parliament. However, this creation became extinct on the death of the second baron in 1403.

There was no other creation until 1645, when John Brooke was created Baron Cobham, but this title became extinct upon his death in 1660.

There was a final creation in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1714 for Richard Temple, who was created Viscount Cobham four years later, with which the barony has remained united. He was grandson of Sir Peter Temple, 2nd Baronet and his wife Christian, daughter of Sir John Leveson and his wife Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Sondes and his wife Margaret, daughter of the tenth Baron Cobham.

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[edit] Barons Cobham (of Kent; 1313)

The following numbering is now conventional; it derives from the abeyance petition granted in 1916. The numbering of the last two barons varies; the question is whether, now the attainders of 1603 have been reversed, to count those who would have held the Barony if there had never been an attainder.

The date of the Barony, and thus the numbering of the Lords Cobham, is based on the decision of the Committee on Privileges of the House of Lords in 1916; it varies from their usual practice, which would require proof of actual presence in Parliament to establish a peerage; none such was presented earlier than the 3rd Baron in the Parliament of 1377.[1]


At this point the barony became forfeit. The following persons were heirs to this barony of Cobham; if the attainder of the 11th Baron and George Brooke, his brother, had been reversed, they would have been Lord or Lady Cobham.

  • William Brooke (1598–1643), son of George Brooke. Restored in blood 1610, but "not to enjoy the title of Lord Cobham".
    • Heirship abeyant among his four daughters. The three youngest ones were granted the precedence of a baron's daughters in 1665; the eldest had married Matthew Tomlinson, the regicide. The third daughter Margaret was about to marry Sir John Denham, the poet and courtier, who probably secured this favour.
  • Hill, Lady Boothby, (c.1635-1704), 2nd daughter, wife of Sir William Boothby, 1st Baronet; abeyance of heirship terminated 1703, when the last of her sisters' descendants died.[2]
  • Sir William Boothby, 3rd Baronet (1664–1731), son; the 2nd Baronet, grandson of the 1st Sir William by his first wife, died young and unmarried.
  • Sir William Boothby, 4th Baronet (1721–1787), grandson.
    • At his death, the baronetcy passed to his cousin and heir male; see further the Boothby baronets of Broadlow Ash; the heirship of the Lords Cobham to his only sister and heiress general:
  • Mary Disney (1716–1789); sister.
    • Heirship abeyant among her daughters and their children 1789.

Mrs. Disney's third daughter Harriot (1744-1787) married Dr Robert Alexander (d.1822); their eventual heir was their third son, Gervase Alexander (1773-1856); his heir was his third son William Alexander (1806-1888); his second son Dr. Reginald Gervase Alexander (1847-1916) petitioned to be recognized as coheir to the Barony of Cobham.

The attainder was reversed in 1916, and the abeyance of three titles terminated; the Barony of Cobham was restored to Dr. Cobham's son:

This barony of Cobham of Kent is now in a third abeyance between the Barons Burgh and Strabolgi, and the heirs of two sisters of the 12th and 13th baron:

  1. Mary Isobel Bazley-White (1882-1978)
  2. Muriel Thornley (1887-1978)

[edit] Barons Cobham (1324)

John de Cobham, who was never summoned to Parliament, left his lands to the Crown, from affection to Edward, the Black Prince; his attestation of this is the last document to mention him. Presumably he died without family, and the barony (insofar as it existeed) is extinct.

[edit] Barons Cobham (of Rundale; 1326)

As often in the fourteenth century, only one member of this family was ever summoned to Parliament. Stephen de Cobham was cousin of Henry de Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham of Kent above; his father married Joan Penchester (one of the two daughters of Stephen Penchester of Rundale), who died in 1324. He was first summoned to Parliament two years after his mother's death; his last summons was in Jan 1334, more than a year after his own; his son and further heirs were never summoned.

[edit] Barons Cobham (of Sterborough; 1342)

No writ was issued for this barony after 1372; if the fourteenth-century writs establish a hereditary peerage, it fell into abeyance with the Burgh barony in 1602, and is still in abeyance between the same potential claimants.

[edit] Barons Cobham, 5th Creation (1645)

[edit] Barons Cobham, 6th Creation (1714)

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Complete Peerage, Vol. 4, App. H, p. 751
  2. ^ Complete Peerage, Vol III, p. 350, note (c). Cracroft's Peerage holds that her niece Frances Whitmore (1666-1694) married twice (her first marriage when she was eight), and by the second she was the wife of Sir Richard Middleton, 4th baronet, who had three children. If so, the abeyance ended 1747, with the death of Sir Richard's last child.

[edit] References

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