Viscount Midleton

Viscount Midleton, of Midleton in the County of Cork, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1717 for Alan Brodrick, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland and former Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. He had already been created Baron Brodrick, of Midleton in the County of Cork, in 1715, also in the Peerage of Ireland. His grandson, the third Viscount, represented Ashburton and New Shoreham in the British House of Commons. His son, the fourth Viscount, sat as a Member of Parliament for Whitchurch. In 1796 he was created Baron Brodrick, of Peper Harrow in the County of Surrey, in the Peerage of Great Britain, with a special remainder to the heirs male of his father, the third Viscount. On the death of his son, the fifth Viscount, this line of the family failed.

He was succeeded by his first cousin, the sixth Viscount. He was the eldest son of the Most Reverend the Hon. Charles Brodrick, Archbishop of Cashel, fourth son of the third Viscount. His nephew, the eighth Viscount, briefly represented Mid Surrey in the House of Commons as a Conservative and served as Lord Lieutenant of Surrey between 1896 and 1905. His son, the ninth Viscount, was a prominent Conservative politician and government minister. In 1920 he was created Earl of Midleton and Viscount Dunsford, of Dunsford in the County of Surrey, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. However, these titles became extinct on the death of his son, the second Earl, in 1979. The Irish titles and barony of Brodrick was passed on to his second cousin, the eleventh Viscount. He was the grandson of Reverend the Hon. Alan Brodrick, youngest son of the seventh Viscount. As of 2006 the titles are held by the eleventh Viscount's son, the twelfth Viscount.

The ancestral seat of the Brodrick family was Peper Harrow near Godalming, Surrey. However, the house was sold in 1944 by the second Earl of Midleton.

Viscounts Midleton (1717)

*Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton (1656-1728)
*Alan Brodrick, 2nd Viscount Midleton (1702-1747)
*George Brodrick, 3rd Viscount Midleton (1730-1765)
*George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton (1754-1836)
*George Alan Brodrick, 5th Viscount Midleton (1806-1848)
*Charles Brodrick, 6th Viscount Midleton (1791-1863)
*William John Brodrick, 7th Viscount Midleton (1798-1870)
*William Brodrick, 8th Viscount Midleton (1830-1907)
*William St John Fremantle Brodrick, 9th Viscount Midleton (1856-1942) (created Earl of Midleton in 1920)

Earls of Midleton (1920)

*William St John Fremantle Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton (1856-1942)
*George St John Brodrick, 2nd Earl of Midleton (1888-1979)

Viscounts Midleton (1717; Reverted)

*Trevor Lowther Brodrick, 11th Viscount Midleton (1903-1988)
*Alan Henry Brodrick, 12th Viscount Midleton (b. 1949)

The Heir Apparent is the present holder's son The Hon. Ashley Rupert Brodrick (b. 1980)

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]