Viscount Portman

Viscount Portman, of Bryanston in the County of Dorset, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1873 for the former Lord Lieutenant of Somerset and Liberal Member of Parliament Edward Portman, 1st Baron Portman. He had already been created Baron Portman, of Orchard Portman in the County of Somerset, in 1837, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. His son, the second Viscount, represented Shaftesbury and Dorset in the House of Commons as a Liberal. As of 2010^[update] the titles are held by the latter's great-great-grandson, the tenth Viscount, who succeeded his father in 1999.

The Portman family are descended from Sir William Portman, Lord Chief Justice of England between 1555 and 1557. He acquired land in Marylebone, London, which - through the later housing developments of Henry William Portman, which turned it into the Portman Estate - is still the base of the Portman family wealth. The judge's grandson was created a baronet in 1612 (see Portman Baronets). On the extinction of his male issue in 1690, the family estates passed under a settlement to Henry Seymour, 5th son of Sir Edward Seymour of Berry Pomeroy and Anne the second daughter of Sir John Portman, 1st Baronet. He took the surname Portman, but left no issue. The property then devolved upon William Berkeley of Pylle, who took the surname Portman. His great-grandson was Edward Berkeley Portman, Member of Parliament for Dorset (1803–1823), father of Edward Portman, 1st Viscount Portman.^[1]

Viscounts Portman (1873)

Edward Berkeley Portman, 1st Viscount Portman (1799–1888)
Henry Berkeley Portman, 2nd Viscount Portman (1829–1919)
Henry Berkeley Portman, 3rd Viscount Portman (1860–1923)
Claud Berkeley Portman, 4th Viscount Portman (1864–1929)
Edward Claud Berkeley Portman, 5th Viscount Portman (1898–1942)
Seymour Berkeley Portman, 6th Viscount Portman (1868–1946)
Gerald Berkeley Portman, 7th Viscount Portman (1875–1948)
Gerald William Berkeley Portman, 8th Viscount Portman (1903–1967)
Edward Henry Berkeley Portman, 9th Viscount Portman (1934–1999)
Christopher Edward Berkeley Portman, 10th Viscount Portman (b. 1958)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Hon. Luke Oliver Berkeley Portman (b. 1984)

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]}