Earl Russell

Earl Russell, of Kingston Russell in the County of Dorset, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 30 July 1861 for the prominent Liberal politician Lord John Russell. He was Home Secretary from 1835 to 1839, Foreign Secretary from 1852 to 1853 and 1859 to 1865 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1852 and 1865 to 1866. Russell was made Viscount Amberley, of Amberley in the County of Gloucester and of Ardsalla in the County of Meath, at the same time he was given the earldom. A member of the prominent Russell family, he was the third son of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.

He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Earl, the eldest son of John Russell, Viscount Amberley. Lord Russell was one of the first peers to join the Labour Party and held office under Ramsay Macdonald as Under-Secretary of State for India from 1929 to 1931. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Earl, the famous philosopher universally known as Bertrand Russell. His younger son, the fifth Earl (who succeeded his half-brother in 1987), was a noted historian of 17th century England. Russell also sat on the Liberal Democrat benches in the House of Lords and was one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that were allowed to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999. As of 2007 the titles are held by his eldest son, the sixth Earl, who succeeded in 2004. As a descendant of the sixth Duke of Bedford he is also in remainder to this peerage and its subsidiary titles.

The eldest son of the earl, the heir apparent to the earldom, would normally bear the junior title, Viscount Amberley. The eldest son of the first Earl died before his father and so never inherited the earldom, and when "Viscount Amberley" is used without further qualification it is often in reference to him.

Earls Russell (1861)

*John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (1792-1878)
*John Francis Stanley Russell, 2nd Earl Russell (1865-1931)
*Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (1872-1970)
*John Conrad Russell, 4th Earl Russell (1921-1987)
*Conrad Sebastian Robert Russell, 5th Earl Russell (1937-2004)
*Nicholas Lyulph Russell, 6th Earl Russell (b. 1968)

The Heir Presumptive is the present holder's younger brother, the Hon. John Francis Russell (b. 1971)

ee also

*Duke of Bedford (1694 creation)
*Baron Ampthill
*Earl of Orford (1697 creation)

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/ www.thepeerage.com]