Edmund FitzAlan-Howard, 1st Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent

Edmund Bernard FitzAlan-Howard, 1st Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent, KG, PC, (1 June 1855 – 18 May 1947), was a British Conservative politician and the last Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. [http://www.thepeerage.com/p2751.htm#i27510 ThePeerage.com entry] FitzAlan-Howard was the second son of the 14th Duke of Norfolk and the younger brother of the 15th Duke of Norfolk.

Career

He was elected Member of Parliament for Chichester in 1894, a seat he held until 1921, and became a Privy Counsellor in 1918.

On 27 April 1921 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the first Roman Catholic to be appointed to the position since 1685 during the reign of King James II. His appointment was possible because Section 37 of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 had been brought into force shortly beforehand. [ [http://www.bailii.org/nie/legis/num_act/1920/192000067.html#LORD_LIEUTENANT Government of Ireland Act 1920 (as assented to) ] ] That provision provided that no British subject would be disqualified from holding the position on account of his religious belief. Concerning the announcement of his impending appointment, the Daily Chronicle observed that "the concillatory motive of his appointment" [being a Roman Catholic] "is obvious...it is an olive branch in place of a dictatorship"." [The New York Times, 2 April 1921]

However, his tenure as Lord Lieutenant lasted only a year and a half. The post was abolished with the coming into existence of the Irish Free State and its constitution in 1922. The position was replaced by the offices of the Governor-General of the Irish Free State and the Governor of Northern Ireland.

The day after his appointment as Lord Lieutenant he was raised to the Peerage as "Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent" in the County of Derby. In addition, during the minority of his nephew the 16th Duke of Norfolk, who succeeded to the Dukedom in 1917, he served as Deputy Earl Marshal.

urname

Lord FitzAlan of Derwent was born with the surname "FitzAlan-Howard". However, in 1876 he assumed by Royal licence the surname "Talbot" as part of an unsuccessful attempt to succeed as Earl of Shrewsbury. He returned to the use of his paternal name by Royal Licence in 1921, shortly after being raised to the Peerage.

Personal life

Lord FitzAlan of Derwent married Lady Mary Bertie (1859–1938), daughter of the 7th Earl of Abingdon, on 5 August 1879. He died on 18 May 1947 at the age of 91, and was succeeded in the Viscountcy by his only son Henry.

Titles & Honours

Titles

*The Hon. Edmund FitzAlan-Howard (1855–1856)
*The Lord Edmund FitzAlan-Howard (1856–1876)
*The Lord Edmund Talbot (1876–1921)
*The Rt Hon. The Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent (1921–1947)

Honours

*Knight of The Most Noble Order of the Garter (1925).
*Privy Counsellor (1918)

References