Baron Leigh
Baron Leigh is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of England 1643 when Sir Thomas Leigh, 2nd Baronet, was created Baron Leigh, of Stoneleigh in the County of Warwick. The Leigh Baronetcy, of Stoneleigh in the County of Warwick, had been created in 1611 for his grandfather and namesake Thomas Leigh. The latter was the second son of Sir Thomas Leigh (d. 1571), Lord Mayor of London in 1558, whose third son Sir William Leigh was the grandfather of Francis Leigh, 1st Earl of Chichester. The titles became extinct on the death of the fifth Baron Leigh in 1786.
The barony was revived in 1839 when the poet Chandos Leigh was created Baron Leigh, of Stoneleigh in the County of Warwick, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He was a descendant of Rowland Leigh, eldest son of the aforementioned Sir Thomas Leigh (d. 1571), himself of a cadet branch of the Leighs of West Hall, High Legh. Both Lord Leigh's son, the second Baron, and grandson, the third Baron, served as Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire. The third Baron was succeeded by his nephew, the fourth Baron. As of 2009 the title is held by the latter's grandson, the sixth Baron, who succeeded his father in 2003.
The family seat is Stoneleigh Abbey, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. The records of the Leigh family of Stoneleigh are held in the archives of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Leigh Baronets, of Stoneleigh (1611)
- Sir Thomas Leigh, 1st Baronet (d. 1626)
- Sir Thomas Leigh, 2nd Baronet (1595–1672) (created Baron Leigh in 1643)
Barons Leigh, First creation (1643)
- Thomas Leigh, 1st Baron Leigh (1595–1672)
- Thomas Leigh, 2nd Baron Leigh (1652–1710)
- Edward Leigh, 3rd Baron Leigh (1684–1738)
- Thomas Leigh, 4th Baron Leigh (1713–1749)
- Edward Leigh, 5th Baron Leigh (1742–1786)
Barons Leigh, Second creation (1839)
- Chandos Leigh, 1st Baron Leigh (1791–1850)
- William Henry Leigh, 2nd Baron Leigh (1824–1905)
- Francis Dudley Leigh, 3rd Baron Leigh (1855–1938)
- Rupert William Dudley Leigh, 4th Baron Leigh (1908–1979)
- John Piers Leigh, 5th Baron Leigh (1935–2003)
- Christopher Dudley Piers Leigh, 6th Baron Leigh (b. 1960)
The Heir Apparent is the present holder's son the Hon. Rupert Dudley Leigh (b. 1994)
See also
References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [self-published source] [better source needed]