Earl of Bedford

Earl of Bedford is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England and is currently a subsidiary title of the Dukes of Bedford. The first creation came in 1138 in favour of Hugh de Beaumont. He appears to have been degraded from the title three or four years after its creation. The existence of his title altogether has been doubted. It is discussed by R. H. C. Davis on the basis of the chronicle evidence. However, it now appears to be accepted by historians that Hugh did receive the earldom of Bedford in 1138.

Arms of Enguerrand de Coucy, 1st Earl of Bedford: Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Barry of six vair and gules (Coucy); 2nd & 3rd: Gules a fess argent (Austria)

The second creation came in 1366 in favour of the French nobleman Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy. After Richard II came to the throne in 1377, Bedford resigned the title to the Crown. The third creation came in 1550 in favour of John Russell, 1st Baron Russell. For more information on this creation, see Duke of Bedford (1694 creation).

Earls of Bedford, first creation (1138)

• Hugh de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Bedford (born 1106)

Earls of Bedford, second creation (1366)

• Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy, 1st Earl of Bedford (1340–1397) (resigned in 1377)

Earls of Bedford, third creation (1551)

• see Duke of Bedford (1694 creation)

Family tree: Earls of Bedford, Dukes of Bedford, Earls of Orford, and Earls Russell

King Edward III 1312–1377 John of Gaunt 1340–1399 Duke of Lancaster King Henry IV 1367–1413 Joan Beaufort c. 1379–1440 Countess of Westmorland Duke of Bedford (1st creation), 1414 Duke of Bedford (2nd creation), 1433 King Henry V 1386–1422 John of Lancaster 1389–1435 Duke of Bedford Dukedom of Bedford (1st creation) extinct, 1432 Dukedom of Bedford (2nd creation) extinct, 1435 Catherine of Valois 1401–1437 Owen Tudor 1400–1461 Cecily Neville 1415–1495 Duchess of York Richard Neville 1400–1460 5th Earl of Salisbury Duke of Bedford (5th creation), 1485 King Henry VI 1421–1471 Edmund Tudor c. 1430–1456 1st Earl of Richmond Jasper Tudor c. 1431–1495 Duke of Bedford King Edward IV 1442–1483 King Richard III 1452–1485 John Neville c. 1431–1471 1st Marquess of Montagu Dukedom of Bedford (5th creation) extinct, 1495 Duke of Bedford (4th creation), 1478 Duke of Bedford (3rd creation), 1470 King Henry VII 1457–1509 Elizabeth of York 1466–1503 George Plantagenet 1477–1479 Duke of Bedford George Neville c. 1457–1483 Duke of Bedford Baron Russell, 1539 Earl of Bedford (3rd creation), 1551 Dukedom of Bedford (4th creation) extinct, 1479 Dukedom of Bedford (3rd creation) extinct, 1478 John Russell c. 1485–1555 1st Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell Francis Russell 1527–1585 2nd Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 1603 Edward Russell 1551–1572 Lord Russell John Russell c. 1553–1584 Lord Russell Francis Russell c. 1554–1585 Lord Russell William Russell c. 1558–1613 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Edward Russell 1572–1627 3rd Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell Francis Russell 1593–1641 4th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 2nd Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Duke of Bedford (6th creation) and Marquess of Tavistock, 1694 Baron Howland, 1695 William Russell 1616–1700 1st Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 5th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 3rd Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Edward Russell 1626–1665 Earl of Orford (1st creation), Viscount Barfleur and Baron of Shingay, in the County of Cambridge, 1697 Francis Russell 1638–1679 Lord Russell William Russell 1639–1683 Lord Russell Margaret Russell 1656–1702 Edward Russell 1652–1727 Earl of Orford Robert Walpole 1650–1700 Attainted, 1683 Earldom of Orford (1st creation) extinct, 1727 Earl of Orford (2nd creation), Viscount Walpole and Baron Walpole of Houghton in the County of Norfolk, 1742 Baron Walpole of Wolterton in the County of Norfolk Wriothesley Russell 1680–1711 2nd Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 5th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 6th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Robert Walpole 1676–1745 1st Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton Horatio Walpole 1678–1757 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton Baron Walpole of Walpole in the County of Norfolk Earl of Orford (3rd creation), 1806 Wriothesley Russell 1708–1732 3rd Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 5th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 7th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh John Russell 1710–1771 4th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 8th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 6th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Robert Walpole 1701–1751 2nd Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton, 1st Baron Walpole of Walpole Horace Walpole "Horatio" 1717–1797 4th Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton, 3rd Baron Walpole of Walpole Maria Walpole 1725–1801 Horatio Walpole "the Younger" 1723–1809 1st Earl of Orford, 4th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole of Wolterton Earldom of Orford (2nd creation) extinct, 1797 Francis Russell 1739–1767 styled Marquess of Tavistock George Walpole 1730–1791 3rd Earl of Orford, Viscount Walpole, and Baron Walpole of Houghton, 2nd Baron Walpole of Walpole Francis Russell 1765–1802 5th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 9th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 7th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh, 7th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh John Russell 1766–1839 6th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 10th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 8th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh William Russell 1767–1840 Sophia Churchill d. 1797 Horatio Walpole 1752–1822 2nd Earl of Orford, 5th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 3rd Baron Walpole of Wolterton Earl Russell and Viscount Amberley, 1861 Francis Russell 1788–1861 7th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 11th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 9th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh George William Russell 1790–1846 John Russell 1792–1878 1st Earl Russell Horatio Walpole 1783–1858 3rd Earl of Orford, 6th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 4th Baron Walpole of Wolterton Baron Ampthill, 1881 William Russell 1809–1872 8th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 12th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 10th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Francis Charles Hastings Russell 1819–1891 9th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 13th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 11th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Odo William Leopold Russell 1829–1884 1st Baron Ampthill John Russell 1842–1876 Viscount Amberley Horatio Walpole 1813–1858 4th Earl of Orford, 7th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 5th Baron Walpole of Wolterton Robert Walpole 1854–1931 5th Earl of Orford, 8th Baron Walpole of Walpole, 6th Baron Walpole of Wolterton Earldom of Orford (3rd creation) extinct, 1931 George William Francis Sackville Russell 1852–1893 10th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 14th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 12th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Herbrand Arthur Russell 1858–1940 11th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 15th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 13th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh John Francis Stanley Russell 1865–1931 2nd Earl Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell 1872–1970 3rd Earl Russell Hastings William Sackville Russell 1888–1953 12th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 16th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 14th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh John Ian Robert Russell 1917–2002 13th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 17th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 15th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh John Conrad Russell 1921–1987 4th Earl Russell Conrad Sebastian Robert Russell 1937–2004 5th Earl Russell Henry Robin Ian Russell 1940–2003 14th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 18th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 16th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh Andrew Ian Henry Russell 15th Duke of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, and Baron Howland 19th Earl of Bedford and Baron Russell, 17th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh b. 1962 Nicholas Lyulph Russell 1968–2014 6th Earl Russell John Francis Russell b. 1971 7th Earl Russell Henry Robin Charles Russell b. 2005 styled Marquess of Tavistock

References

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages