Duke of Manchester



Duke of Manchester is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1719 for the politician Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester.

Origin
The Royal and Ducal House of Montagu is descended from Drogo de Montaigu, who was a companion of William, Duke of Normandy alias William the Conqueror. Montaigu participated in the Norman conquest of England in 1066, which subsequently would remove the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, Normans aristocracy, to which the Montagus themselves belonged.

In 1333 William I de Montacute became Sovereign King of Mann, establishing the Royal House of Montagu.

The judge Sir Edward Montagu's (c. 1485–1557) grandson, Sir Henry Montagu (c. 1563–1642), who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench as well as Lord High Treasurer of England and Lord Privy Seal, was in 1620 raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Montagu of Kimbolton, of Kimbolton in the County of Huntingdon, and as Viscount Mandeville. In 1626 he was further honoured when he was created Earl of Manchester, also this in the Peerage of England.

His son, the 2nd Earl, was a prominent Parliamentary General during the Civil War, but later supported the restoration of Charles II. His son, the 3rd Earl, represented Huntingdonshire in the House of Commons. His son was the 4th Earl, who in 1719 was created Duke of Manchester. The "Manchester" title is said to be based, not on the city of Manchester, but on the small town of Godmanchester, then in Huntingdonshire, now in Cambridgeshire: an "Earl of Godmanchester" would have been referred to as "Lord Godmanchester", with suggestions of blasphemy.

Descent
Charles Montagu, 1st Duke of Manchester, was succeeded by his eldest son. The 2nd Duke notably served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard in the administration of Sir Robert Walpole. He was childless, and on his death the titles passed to his younger brother, the 3rd Duke. He had earlier represented Huntingdonshire in Parliament. He was succeeded by his son, the 4th Duke. He was Ambassador to France and served as Lord Chamberlain of the Household. His son, the 5th Duke, was for many years Governor of Jamaica between 1827 and 1830 also held office as Postmaster General. He was succeeded by his son, the 6th Duke. He represented Huntingdon in the House of Commons as a Tory.

His eldest son, the 7th Duke, was Conservative Member of Parliament for Bewdley and Huntingdonshire. His son, the 8th Duke, briefly represented Huntingdonshire in Parliament. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the 9th Duke. He sat on the Liberal benches in the House of Lords and served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard in the Liberal administration of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. The titles are currently held by his great-grandson, the 13th Duke, who in 2002 succeeded his father, who in his turn had succeeded his elder brother.

Arms
The arms of the Duke of Manchester have the following blazon: Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Argent, 3 fusils conjoined in fess gules (Montagu); 2nd & 3rd: an eagle displayed vert beaked and membered gules (Monthermer).

Titles and styles
The Duke of Manchester holds the subsidiary titles Earl of Manchester, Viscount Mandeville, and Baron Montagu of Kimbolton. When the 2nd Duke of Montagu in 1749 died without male issue, the 3rd Duke of Manchester, and his heirs, became heirs general of Drogo de Montaigu, of the Kings of Mann, of the Earls of Salisbury, and of the Barons de Monthermer. They are also heraldic heirs of the latter. The only potential heirs to the Earldom and other subsidiary titles, were the Dukedom to become extinct, would be heirs male of the Hon. James Montagu, third son of the 1st Earl.

The Duke of Manchester is styled Your Grace (spoken style) or His Grace (reference style), alternatively Sir.

The heir apparent to the Dukedom takes the courtesy title Viscount Mandeville, and the heir apparent's heir apparent, when such exists, is styled Lord Kimbolton.