About this project, and what's coming next

About this project

Through this site, I am sharing my research on the architectural and family history of British and Irish landed families and their country houses, in the hope that others will find the material interesting and useful: the usage of the site by up to 60,000 readers a month from all round the world suggests that others share my interests.  I want in particular to show how the history of the houses reflects that of the families who built and owned them; to lay bare the connections and kinship networks which so often shaped the patronage choices which owners made. The approach has been developed on the basis of my previous research on Gloucestershire country houses, where I was able to visit almost every surviving house and personally inspect all the surviving archival evidence.  However that one county study took me 20 years, and in scaling up to a national canvas I am inevitably largely dependent on the original research of others.

The research which supports this site is therefore primarily derived from secondary sources, online catalogues of archives, and digitised original sources, although I am also drawing on a lifetime of country house and church visiting, which means that over the years I have been to quite a lot of the places described, including many that are not open to the public.  The secondary sources - and especially the Internet sources - for genealogy, and indeed for the architectural history of country houses, are notoriously full of inaccuracies and wish-fulfillment, and I hope that as an archivist I bring to bear on this material over 40 years of experience in evaluating and testing the evidence they provide, so as to offer in these pages as factual an account as I can.  However, while the information provided is as accurate as I can make it while maintaining a reasonable output, I am far from infallible in both my discovery of sources and my assessment of them, and I will be genuinely grateful for additional information and corrections supplied by readers, and especially by the current owners of the houses and by descendants of the families discussed, who may have personal archives containing information not otherwise available.  I make updates and corrections to past posts on a regular basis, so trustworthy information supplied will be incorporated within a few days and acknowledged at the end of the article concerned. I also include at the end of each account a note of when it was first published and subsequently amended, so that readers who refer to the site at intervals can see at a glance whether an account has been updated since their last visit.

We live in egalitarian times, when inequality is viewed with suspicion and social injustice and privilege are seen by many as actually immoral. We find it hard to remember that these attitudes have developed only in the last two hundred years or so and that in earlier times gross inequalities were not only tolerated across society but seen as the natural order of things by rich and poor alike, even if nobody was actually content to be grindingly poor. The rich man was in his castle and the poor man at his gate; and the women, of course, were not even mentioned. In telling the stories of the aristocratic and gentry families of the UK and Ireland and describing the country houses where they lived, I therefore try to avoid judging them by modern standards, although I am always more comfortable writing about those who led useful, creative and purposeful lives than those who milked the world for all they were worth and gave very little back. Just occasionally, one comes across an individual who consistently overstepped the boundaries of what was acceptable in their own time and got away with it, and then it is hard to resist the temptation to temper my objectivity!

I have been asked how I select families and houses for inclusion.  My rule of thumb is that a family should have owned and occupied at least one country house continuously for over half a century and more than one generation, and should have used it as a country house (not as a farm or a furniture store!).  Most of the families included will be found in the pages of one or more editions of Burke's Landed Gentry or Peerage & Baronetage, though not all. Impressively comprehensive though those works are, some families do seem to have slipped through their net, and of course some families died out before John Burke began publishing in the 1820s and 1830s, such as the Ackloms of Wiseton Hall or the Agards of Foston Hall.  I have also been asked about which families I have considered for inclusion, but rejected as not meeting these criteria; a list of these is given below. It will be seen that many of the families which are included in one or more editions of Burke's publications do not meet my criteria. (If you think any of these families did meet the criteria, please let me know!)

Saying that a family is selected for inclusion on the basis of owning a country house of course begs the question of what is a country house, which is interesting and tricky to define. My best effort is that it is a residential building which at the time it was built was in a rural setting and exhibited the characteristics that suggested gentry or aristocratic status to contemporaries. Those characteristics changed over time, with the varying social and economic significance of land ownership and changing architectural and landscaping fashions. Houses that were built as country houses sometimes later declined in status; others that had been simple farms over centuries could be refashioned and redecorated and lived in in a different way, and become country houses almost overnight.  Those are the principles of selection, but I reserve the right to bend the rules to write about any family or house that interests me, and indeed to exclude the terminally dull!

I am well aware that a topic as large as the Landed Families of Britain and Ireland can really only be tackled collaboratively (I have a list of over 13,000 families for potential inclusion), and so I hope that the regular publication of information here will encourage others who share my interests to send me images or information which can be included in future posts. I give below an indication of which families and houses the next few posts will cover. If you can help with any of these, please contact me through the Contact Form at the top of the right-hand side-bar on the site or through Twitter or Facebook. If you do this, please say which page you are commenting on! I endeavour to respond to all genuine messages within a week or so.

I am especially grateful to those friends and contacts who have offered consistent help with particular areas of the country: Tom Lloyd (Wales), Chris Whittick (East Sussex), Rob Wheeler (Lincolnshire), Max Craven (Derbyshire), Hugh Meller and Jane Schofield (Devon), Mike Hill (Dorset and Somerset), Martin Deacon and Pamela Birch (Bedfordshire), David Nash Ford (Berkshire), Pete Smith and Gregor Matheson Pierrepont (Nottinghamshire), Mark Fearon (Cheshire) and James Bettley (Essex & Suffolk). I would be very pleased to hear from anyone in other parts of the country who would be similarly willing to use their knowledge and collections to assist me, or to consult local archives and libraries which it is sadly impractical for me to visit. Others who have provided very generous help of various kinds include the late Sir William Arbuthnot, bt., Catherine Beale, Matthew Beckett, Peter Bell, Chris Bennett, John Chandler, Kate Feluś, Javis Gurr, Charles Hind, the History of Parliament Trust, Gareth Hughes, the eagle-eyed Dart Montgomery, Tim Mowl, Julian Munby, Jeremy Musson, the late Jonathan Myles-Lea, the National Trust, Aidan O'Boyle, Chris Pickford, Austen Redman, Liz Rees, Elizabeth Williamson, Roger White and Sue Wood.

I have also received help with particular families and houses from William Acton, John Ainslie, Charles Aldous, Peter Archdale, Jill Armitage, Anthea Ashfield, James Ashford, John Barneby, Michael P. Barnett, Michael Barnston, Patricia Barton, David Barttelot, Alan Bateman, Francis Baxendale, Thomas Baxendale, Patrick Bellville, Jane Bennet-Earle, Pete & Jackie Bettess, Alex Bond, Brian Bouchard, Peter Bowen, Paul Bradley, Richard Brain, Steve Breame, David Brown, Alison Cameron, Sir Nicholas & Lady Coleridge, Peter de Loriol, Geoffrey de Wilton, Simon Dear, Elma Dostine, Joanne Eastman, Alison Elliott, David Erskine, David Exworth, Mel Fidler, Niamh Fitzpatrick, Elisabeth Frankish, Bil Fulton, Susan Griffiths, Craig Hamilton, Sarah Hardy, Jan & Steven Hart, Clare Hartwell, Freddie Hervey-Bathurst, Jon Hearn,  Stan Hicks, Debbie Hodgson, Marc Hoover, Hans Houterman, Martyn Howes, George Hudson, Izzy Hutchinson, Michael Kelly, Harriet Landseer, Ron Leaf, Felicity Learey, Caroline Magnus, Sir Nicholas Mander, bt., David Martin, Neil Maw, Dr Paul McCarthy, Dr Brid McGrath, Faye McLeod, Anne McQueen, Jean F. Milne, Marian Mollett, the late Nick Molyneux, Kevin V. Mulligan, Phil Norris, Lord Norton, the late Bernard Nurse, Steven Parissien, Jonathan Peacock, Christine Penney, Rosemary Ponsonby, Chris Pywell, Janette Ray, Kirsty Rodwell, Felix Rolt, Anthony Ruscoe, Megan Ryan, Louise Ryland-Epson, John Salem, Bob and Lucy Scott-Ashe, Thoss Shearer, Bill Smith, Christopher Vane Percy, Colin Varley, John Venning, Guy Vincent, Chris Webb, Martin White, Cressida Williams and Charles Wrench. 

I am also most grateful to all those who have generously allowed me to reproduce individual photographs from other online and archival sources in return for nothing more than an acknowledgement, and in particular to Matthew Beckett, Charles Hind, Robert O'Byrne, Rob Wheeler, Historic England, National Trust Images and the Royal Institute of British Architects: the number and quality of the illustrations I can offer is thereby much enhanced.  The images used are wherever possible my own, rights cleared, available under a Creative Commons licence or equivalent, or out of copyright. For images taken from the Web it has in some cases not been possible to establish or to contact a rights owner; if anyone can show their copyright has been infringed please contact me and I will either add an appropriate credit or take down the image.

Upton House, Tetbury. Image: Nicholas Kingsley. Some rights reserved.

Anatomy of the site

Comments from readers suggest it may be helpful to explain a bit more about how posts on this site are structured. Each post is in three parts: 

Firstly, a general narrative account of the family from its first rise to gentry status down to its extinction, lapse from gentry status, or the present day, paying particular attention to its fluctuating status and wealth and the acquisition and dispersal of landed estates.

Secondly, accounts of each of the family's country houses, usually in the order they acquired them, and telling - as far as I can discover the information - the whole story of the house, including its development before the family under consideration acquired it, and after they sold it. For each house, there is a narrative history and a list of the owners as far as I have been able to trace it. Some houses which have been owned at different times by several qualifying families may eventually appear in more than one post (e.g. Linden Hall, which features in the posts of the Adamson and Ames families; or Frickley Hall, which features in the posts on the Anne and Warde-Aldam families). In such cases, the description of the house will be given in the article of the family most closely associated with it, with cross-references from the other accounts.

The final section gives summary biographical and genealogical information about the members of the family who actually owned the estate or parts of it, in the sequence of their ownership. The names indexed on the 'Index to Biographical Entries' page are the names which appear in bold in this section, and who were generally the owners of one of the estates of the family, although where estates have passed from a man to his grandson or great-nephew I have included the intervening generations for comprehensibility. For each individual treated, I aim to provide a portrait or photograph, and the following information, where known:

• Parentage, date and place of birth and/or baptism
• Education, including travels on the Grand Tour
• Career - employment, official appointments, offices held, honours
• Personality, where illuminated by memoirs or other evidence, and significant friendships
• Marriage(s) - date, place, name and parentage of spouse(s)
• Children - for each, their dates and places of birth and baptism, marriage, death and burial; the names, covering dates and parentage of their spouse(s), the number and sex of their children; information about their occupation and career, rank and honours. Where possible, children are listed chronologically.
• Key property transactions during the lifetime of the owner and responsibility for work on the house or houses of the family
• Date and place of death and burial; date of probate of will, and value of estate; and similar details for their spouse.

Sample of a genealogical entry 

For families with a very complex story, this material may be split over two or even three postings, labelled 'part 1', 'part 2', etc., as, for example, with the Actons of Aldenham, Barons Acton. Each family has been assigned a number, included in the title of the post, which is used for indexing the content of the site on the index pages. 

To avoid any confusion, I should make it plain that the counties referred to in describing the location of properties are those in which the property stood immediately prior to the major shake-up of local government in the mid-20th century (in 1965 around London; in 1974 in the rest of England; and in 1975 in Scotland). Earlier minor boundary changes are ignored; thus Alscot Park is in Warwickshire not Gloucestershire, even though it lay in the latter county until 1931.

I would really welcome any suggestions for improvements in the content or presentation.  I am also very keen to receive additional information and images as updates to previous posts, and will incorporate these to ensure that each post remains the most accurate account I can offer of the family and houses concerned. If you are able to help in this way, please post a comment on the relevant post or contact me through the Contact Form on the site. You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook. I put a message on Twitter as each new post is published.

What's coming next

Over the next few months I intend to publish posts on the following families and houses:

• Massy-Beresford of Macbie Hill (Peebles.) and St Hubert's (Co. Fermanagh) [now published]
• Pack-Beresford of Fenagh (Co. Carlow) [now published]
• Beridge of Algarkirk (Lincs) [now publishednow published]
• Berington of Little Malvern Court (Worcs) [now published]
• Berkeley of Berkeley Castle (Glos) and Cranford Manor (Middx), Barons Berkeley, Earls of Berkeley and Barons Fitzhardinge of Bristol [now published]
• Berkeley of Bruton Abbey (Som.), baronets, Earls of Falmouth and Barons Berkeley of Stratton [now published]
• Berkeley of Cotheridge Court (Worcs) [now published]
• Berkeley of Spetchley (Worcs) [now published]
• Berkeley of Stoke Gifford (Glos), Barons Botetourt [now published]
• Bernard of Abington Abbey (Northants), baronets [now published]
• Bernard of Castle Bernard (Co. Cork), Earls of Bandon [now published]
• Bernard (later Gibson) of High Hall, Pamphill (Dorset) [now published]
• Bernard of Castle Bernard (now Kinnitty Castle) (Co. Offaly)  [now published]
• Bernard (later Spencer-Bernard) of Nether Winchendon (Bucks), baronets [now published]
• Bernard of Palace Anne (Co. Cork) [now published]
• Berners of Woolverstone Park (Suffk) and Marcham Park (Berks) [now published]
• Berney of Barton Bendish Hall (Norfk), baronets [now published]
• Berney of Morton Hall and Bracon Hall (Norfk) [in progress]
• Berridge of Ballynahinch Castle (Co. Galway)
• Berry of Hackwood Park (Hants) and Oving House (Bucks), Viscounts Camrose
• Berry of Tayfield (Fife)
• Thornton-Berry of Swinithwaite Hall (Yorks WR)

List of families considered for inclusion in the site but not meeting the criteria

Abbey of Redlynch House (Wilts), formerly of Sussex

White Abbott of Cowick Barton (Devon)

Abel of Whitehall Court, London

Abell of Foxcote Manor (Glos)

Abercrombie of Edinburgh, baronets

Abraham of Aughnacloy (Tyrone)

Ackroyd of Birkenshaw (Yorks)

Ackroyd of Dewsbury (Yorks), baronets

Adams, Baron Adams

Adams of Annagurra (Limerick)

Adams of Clifton (Glos)

Coode-Adams of Sampford Grange (Essex)

Phythian-Adams of Kent

Adamson of Rushton Park (Sussex)

Addis of Whiteford (Cornwall)

Addison, Viscounts Addison

Addison of Chilton (Suffolk)

Adie of Brook House (Worcs)

Adrian, Barons Adrian

Shelton-Agar of Melmerby Hall (Cumberland)

Agnew-Somerville, baronets

Aikenhead of Otterington Hall (Yorks)

Ainsworth of Spotland Gate (Lancs)

Aird of London, baronets

Airey of The Grange, Leatherhead (Surrey), Baron Airey

Aitken of Gleneske (Midlothian)

Aizlewood of Whirlow Grange (Yorkshire)

Akroyd of Buckinghamshire

Akroyd of Bank Field

Albu of Johannesburg, baronets

Alexander of Ahilly (Donegal)

Alexander of Blackwall Lodge (Yorks), Barons Cobham

Alexander of Edgehill, Connecticut

Alexander, Earls Alexander of Hillsborough

Alexander of Langshaw, formerly of Redbraes (Dumfries)

Alexander of Sundridge Park (Kent)

Alford of Westonzoyland (Somerset)

Alison of Possil House (Lanarkshire), baronets

Alkin of Bonehill, Tamworth (Staffordshire)

Alkin of Hunton Court (Kent)

Allan of Beacon Hill (Aberdeens)

Allan of Kingsgate (Kent), baronet

Allason of Isle of Wight

Allday of Halford (Warks)

Allanson of Middleton Quernhow (Yorks) and formerly of Adlington (Lancs)

Allen of Allenton, Tallaght (Co. Dublin)

Allen of Clifford Priory (Herefordshire)

Allen of Hoyland (Yorkshire WR)

Allen of Hurtwood House (Surrey), Baron Allen of Hurtwood

Allen of Marlow (Bucks), baronets

Allen of South Molton (Devon)

Allen of Southfield Grange (Yorkshire WR)

Allen of The Rhydd (Worcs)

Allen of Totteridge, baronets

Allen of Upton Bishop (Herefordshire)

Alleyne of Bermuda, baronets

Alleyne of Whitehall (Cork)

Allison of Scaleby Hall (Cumbld)

Allport of Littleover (Derbys)

Allsebrook of Scropton (Derbys/Staffs)

Alston of Hill House, Newbury (Berks)

Murray-Alston of Ireland

Aman, Barons Marley

Ambler of Lawkland Hall (Yorks WR)

Amery of Park House, Stourbridge (Worcs)

Ammon, Baron Ammon

Amorie of Yate (Glos), Barons D'Amorie

Amos of St. Ibbs (Herts)

Anderson, Viscounts Waverley

Anderson (formerly Wood) of Bilton Park and Efford Park

Anderson of Ardtaraig, baronets

Anderson of Ballyhossett (Down)

Anderson of Ballyowan House

Anderson of Fermoy (Cork), baronets

Anderson of Glen Etive

Anderson of Harrold Priory (Beds), baronet

Anderson of Havering Grange (Essex)

Anderson of Mill Hill (Middx), baronets

Anderson of Mill House, Isfield (Sussex)

Anderson of Moorcross House

Anderson of Old Dunbell (Kilkenny)

Anderson of Old Surrey Hall (Surrey)

Anderson of Mullaghmore House (Monaghan) & Parkmount

Anderson of Standen Manor (Berks)

Anderson of Wallsworth House (Glos)

Anderson of Tullichewan (Dumbartons)

Anderton of Spaynes Hall (Essex)

Anderton of Vaila (Shetland)

André of Southampton, baronets

Andrews of Bantony (Sussex)

Andrews of The Down House

Ervine-Andrews of Inish (Cavan)

Andrus of Scadbury Manor (Kent)

Angell of Northey Island (Essex)

Angus of Ravenstone (Northumberland)

Anley of Ryecroft House, Bolney (Sussex)

Annand of Auchter Ellon (Aberdeenshire)

Annand of Springwell House (Durham)

Ansell of Cors-y-gedol (Merioneths)

Anson of Birch Hall (Lancashire), baronets

Anthony of Knight's Close

ApAdam, Barons ApAdam

Aplin (later Alexander) of Woodlands, Budleigh Salterton (Devon)

Appleton of Gaddon House, Uffculme (Devon)

Appleton of Kettlebaston (Suffolk)

Appleton of South Benfleet (Essex)

Appleyard of Burstwick Garth (Yorks)

Apsey of Corfe Mullen (Dorset)

Apsley of Thakeham (Sussex)

Arabin of Beech House or Arabin House, Beech Hill (Essex)

Arbuthnot of Edinburgh, baronets

Arbuthnot of Kittybrewster, baronets

Archer of Salcombe Hill (Devon)

Archer of The Market Place, Ely (Cambs)

Archibald, Barons Archibald

Arden of Hawnes (Beds)

Arden of Watford (Northants)

Arderne of Chichester (Sussex)

Arderne of Elford (Staffs)

Ardes of Sherington (Bucks)

Argall of Low Hall, Walthamstow and Much Baddow (Essex)

Argenti of Picts Hill, Turvey (Beds)

Argles of Eversley, Heversham (Westmld)

Arkinstall of Wilbraham (Cambs)

Armeston of Burbage (Leics)

Armiger of North Creake (Norfolk)

Armitage of Longstone Grange (Derbys)

Armitstead of Buttestone House, Dunkeld (Perths), Baron Armitstead

Armitstead of Leeds (Yorks WR)

Armorer of Belford (Northbld)

Armstrong of Gellidochlithe (Glamorgans)

Armstrong of Lismother (Clare)

Armstrong of London, baronets

Savage-Armstrong of Corratinner (Cavan)

Arnold, Baron Arnold

Arnold of Little Missenden Abbey (Bucks)

Arnot of Arnot Tower (Fife), baronets

Arnott of Baily, Dublin, baronets

Arnould of Broadbridge Mill (Sussex)

Arragh of Arragh, baronets

Arrowsmith of Huntingfield Hall (Suffolk)

Ashenhurst of Ashenhurst Hall (Staffs)

Ashfield of Chesham Bury (Bucks)

Ashman of Stoke Bishop (Glos), baronets

Ashton of Darwen (Lancs) and Abberley Hall (Worcs)

Ashton of Delrow (Herts) and Lichford Hall (Lancs)

Ashton of Scotsgrove House (Oxon)

Ashton of Welston Court (Pembs)

Ashworth of Ashworth, Elland Bank (Yorks WR) and Hall Carr (Lancs)

Ashworth of Staghills (Lancs)

Aske of Aughton and Owsthorpe, baronets

Askwith of Ripon (Yorks WR), Baron Askwith

Atkin of Fernhill (Cork), Baron Atkin

Atkin of Leadington (Cork)

Atkins of Pouldrew (Waterford)

Atkins of Stretton House (Leics)

Atkins of Waterpark (Cork)

Atkinson of Ballynewry (Down)

Atkinson of Fanthorpe Hall (Lincs)

Atkinson of Little Cattall (Yorks)

Atkinson of London and Maidenhead (Berks)

Atkinson of Melbury (Suffk)

Atkinson of Rehins (alias Rahans) and Glencastle (Mayo)

Atkinson of Whitecroft, Wellington

Atkinson of Woburn Daincourt (Bucks)

Atkinson of Woolley Grange (Wilts)

Atmore of Bray-in-the-Wold (Oxon)

Atslow of Downham (Essex)

Attlee, Earls Attlee

Atwill of Mamhead (Devon)

Atwood of Aspall (Suffk)

Aubertin of West Meon (Hants)

Aubrey of Clehonger (Herefs) and Broom Hall (Shrops)

Strachan-Audas of Elloughton House (Yorks ER)

Auden of Horninglow (Staffs)

Audland of Ackenthwaite (Westmld)

Audley of Walden Abbey, Baron Audley of Walden (Essex)

Aungier of East Clandon (Surrey) and Longford (Co. Longford), Earls of Longford

Austen of Derhams, South Mimms (Herts), baronets

Austin of Hollin Hall (Cheshire)

Austin of Roundwood

Austin of Shelford (Cambs)

Austin of Welbury (Yorks WR), baronets

Aveling of Estover (Cambs) and Rochester (Kent)

Avenell of Norfolk

Averey of Fillongley (Warks)

Avery of Mells (Somerset)

Avery of Oakley Court, Bray (Berks)

Aykroyd of Cliffe Hall and Lightcliffe (Yorks)

Aylesbury of London, baronets

Aylesbury of Packwood (Warks)

Aylesbury of Wiveton Hall (Notts)

Ayliffe of Brinkworth (Wilts)

Aylmer of Balrath (Kildare), baronets and Barons Aylmer

Ayloffe of Great Braxted (Essex), baronets

Aylwen of London, baronets

Aylworth of Aylworth (Glos)

Aylworth of Trefford and Lewes (Sussex)

Aynscombe of Aylwins, Mayfield (Sussex)

Murray-Aynsley of Hall Court (Hants)

Ayre of Ely (Cambs)

Ayre of The Limes (Derbys)

Ayre of Yorkshire

Ayscough of Blyborough and Ayscoughfee Hall (Lincs) and Nuttall (Notts)

Ayshcombe of Lyford (Berks), baronets

Ayshford of Wonwell Court (Devon)

Babham of Weston Turville (Bucks)

Babington of Creevagh (Derry)

Babthorpe of Babthorpe and Osgodby (Yorks)

Bachelor of West Rudham (Norfolk)

Bachus of Trumpington (Cambs)

Bacon of Elcot House (Berks), Aberaman House (Glam) and Eywood (Herefs)

Bacon of Harleston (Norfolk)

Bacon of Whiteparish (Wilts)

Badcock of Much Bentley (Essex)

Badcock of Shebbeare (Devon)

Baddeley of Castle Hale (Glos)

Baddeley of Lakefield, baronet

Badeley of Guy Harlings and Leigh's Hall (Essex)

Badenoch of Flamberts (Dorset)

Badlesmere of Badlesmere, Barons Badlesmere

Baghot of Hall Place, Prestbury (Glos) [this family will be covered in a future post on the De La Bere family]

Bagnall of Newberries (Herts)

Bagnall of Newcastle (Staffs)

Bagnall of East Worldham House (Hants)

Bagot of Elford Hall (Staffs)

Baguley of Ashton (Derbys)

Baillie of Lamington (Lanarks) [but see a future post on the Cochrane (later Cochrane-Baillie) family]

Bain of Leadhall Grange

Bainbridge of Snitterton and Wheatley Hill (Co. Durham)

Baines of Bawtry Hall (Yorks WR) and Westbrook (Surrey)

Baird (formerly Adamson) of Auburn (Co. Westmeath)

Baird of Palmer's Cross, Elgin (Morays)

Baker of Aldsworth (Notts)

Baker of Cottesmore (Rutland), baronets

Baker (later Sherston-Baker) of Dunstable House, Richmond, baronets

Baker of Hanwood (Shrops)

Baker of Mayfield Place (Sussex)

Baker of New Windsor (Berks)

Baker of Smallborough & Walton (Norfk)

Bakewell of The Old Hall, Balderston (Notts)

Balam of Walsoken (Norfk)

Balden of Elsington (Norfk)

Balders of West Barsham (Norfk)

Baldock of Hollycombe House, Liphook (Hants)

Baldrey of Stowmarket (Suffk)

Baldwin of Brookfield, Clohina and Cork (Co. Cork)

Baldwin of Cressage Old Hall (Shropshire), Ketton Hall (Rutland) and Levisham Hall (Yorks)

Balean of The Green Hall, Ashbourne (Derbys)

Balfour, Barons Balfour of Inchyre

Balfour, Barons Riverdale

Balfour of Denmiln, baronets

Balfour of Glasclune, Barons Kinross

Balfour of Langham Hall, baronets

Baliol, Barons Baliol

Ball of Blofield, baronets

Ball of Crouch End (Essex)

Ball of Killybegs (Dublin), baronets

Ball of Long Stanton (Cambs)

Ball of Veryan (Cornwall)

Ballantine of Ashgrove and Castlehill (Ayrs)

Ballard of Horton and Wadhurst (Sussex)

Ballard of Maybole

Balmain of Alford House (Somerset)

Bamber of Bamber Hall (Lancs)

Bamburgh, baronets

Banbury of Warneford Place (Wilts), Barons Banbury of Southam

Bancks of Stockholm

Bancroft of The Grange, Ballyragget (Kilkenny)

Band of Wookey House (Somerset)

Bankes of Weston House, Runcorn (Cheshire)

Banks of Curlew Lodge and Sutton Bridge (Cambs)

Banks of Golagh (Co. Monaghan)

Banks of London, baronet

Bannatyne of Haldon (Devon) and Fanningstown Castle (Co. Limerick)

Harmood-Banner, baronet

Campbell-Bannerman of Belmont Castle (Perths)

Bannister of Brantwood, Colne (Lancs)

Banon of Kilgraney House (Co. Carlow)

Barber of Culham Court (Berks), baronet

Barber of Englefield Green (Surrey)

Hilton-Barber of South Africa

Mitford-Barberton of South Africa

Barbor of Flashbrook (Staffs)

Barbour, baronet

Barbour of Barlay (Kirkcudbrights.)

Barby of Washfield (Devon)

Barclay of Perceton (Ayrs.), baronets

Barcroft of The Glen, Newry (Co. Down)

Bard of Staines (Middx), Viscounts Bellamont

Bardolf, Barons Bardolf

Bardolphe of Harpenden (Herts)

Bardswell of The Chase, Chigwell (Essex)

Barentyne of Plumpton (Sussex)

Barham of Trecwn (Pembs.)

Baring of Nubia House (IoW), baronets

Barker of Busbridge House, baronet

Barker of Chesham, Horwood and Southley (Bucks)

Barker of Croboy and Sterling House (Meath)

Barker of The Grange, Bishops Stortford (Herts)

Barker of Hemsby Hall (Norfk)

Barker of Lund Court, Nawton (Yorks NR)

Barker of Mattimore House, Holbeach (Lincs), Needham House (Cambs) and St Germans (Norfk)

Barker of Salt Hill House (Sussex)

Barker of Watchbury House (Warks)

Barklay of Larkbeare (Devon)

Barkesworth of Thormanby (Yorks NR)

Barling of Edgbaston, baronets

Barlow of Ashford and Pitt Manor (Hants)

Barlow of Bradwall Hall (Cheshire), baronets

Barlow of Fort William (India), baronets

Barlow of London, baronets

Barlow of The Chace (Leics)

Barnston, baronets

Barnard of Bartlow (Cambs) and Prestbury (Glos)

Barne of Broom Hall (Devon)

Barnes of Ashgate and Glapwell Hall (Derbys), Baron Gorell

Barnes of Derby (Derbys)

Baron of Holmbury, baronet

Barr, baronet

Barratt of Totteridge Park, Loddington Hall and Ballymoe

Layland-Barratt of Torquay

Barrett of Bar House

Barrett of Castlemore, baronets

Barrett of Court Lodge, Shorne

Barrett of Wroughton Hall

Barrie of Airlie Park, Baron Abertay

Barrie of Kirriemuir, baronet
Barrow of Milestown (Co. Louth)
Barrow of The Red House
Barrow of Ulverstone, baronets
Barry of Dublin, baronets
Barry of Firville
Barry of Kilbolane Castle (Co. Cork)
Barry of Sandville House (Co. Limerick)
Barry of Summer Hill

Milner-Barry of Kilgobbin and Hanover Hall

Jackson-Barstow of Acomb (Yorks)

Barthropp of Hacheston (Suffk)

Bartlet of Ludbrook Manor (Devon)

Bartlett of Hardington Mandeville (Som.), baronets

Bartlett of Holwell and Longburton (Dorset)

Barton of Ballyline House (Co. Kilkenny)

Barton of Threxton House (Norfk) and Hadlow (Kent)

Barwis of Langrigg Hall (Cumbld)

Bassano of Hadenholme

Basset, Barons Basset of Drayton

Basset, Barons Basset of Sapcote

Basset, Barons Basset of Weldon

Bassett of Blore (Staffs) and Grindon (Derbys)

Basset of Fledborough Hall (Berks)

Bate, baronets

Bate of Marchwiel and Llanarmon-yn-Ial (Denbighs)

Bateman of Flixton

Bateman of Guilsborough

La Trobe-Bateman of Moor Park

Bates of Aydon Castle and Langley Castle

Bates of Denton

Bates of Magherabuoy, baronets

Bath of Athcarne, baronets

Bather of Meole Brace Hall

Batho, baronets

Bathurst of Charlton

Batten of Stainforth

Battine of Barrow Court (Somerset)

Batty of Ballyhealy (Westmeath)

Battye of Skelton Hall (Yorks)

Bavent, Barons Bavent

Baverstock of Alton and Windsor

Bawtree of Abberton (Essex)

Baxter of Kilmaron, baronet

Bayldon of Ingsdom and Oaklands (Devon)

Bayley of Allertonshire (Yorks)

Bayley of Etchilhampton, Stowford and Wingfield (Wilts)

Readett-Bayley of Lenton Abbey

Bayly of Amberd House and Torr, Plymouth (Devon)

Bayly of Ballynaclough House and Debsborough (Tipperary)

Bayly of Norelands (Kilkenny)

Baynes of Harefield Place (Middx), baronets

Beadnell of Lemington (Northbld) and Cynhinfa (Montgomerys)

Beadnell of Gogarth (Montgomerys)

Beale of Brettenham (Suffk)

Beale of Maidstone (Kent), baronets

Beaman of Kingscote Grange (Glos)

Beamish of Chelwood Gate (Sussex)

Beard of Grayshott Hall

Beardmore of Flichity House (Inverness), Barons Invernairn

Beardmore of Uplands (Hants)

Beardsley of New Quorn House (Leics)

Beauchamp, Earls of Warwick

Beauchamp, Barons Beauchamp of Bletsoe (Beds)

Beauchamp, Barons Beauchamp of Hatch Beauchamp (Som.)

Beauchamp, Barons Beauchamp of Kidderminster (Worcs)

Beauchamp, Barons Beauchamp of Powick (Worcs)

Beauchamp, Barons St. Amand

Beauchamp of Woodborough (Som.), baronets

Beauford of Troston Hall (Suffk)

Beaufort, Marquesses of Dorset

Beaufort, Dukes of Exeter

Beavan of Penrhos (Herefs)

Beavan of Seldown House (Dorset)

Beaven of Holt (Wilts)

Beaver of Glyn Garth (Anglesey)

Beazley of Warborough (Oxon)

Bec, Barons Beke of Eresby

Beche, Barons La Beche

Beck of Castle Point (Devon)

Beck of London, baronets

Beck of Pylle Manor (Somerset)

Beckett of Forty Hill, Enfield (Middx)

Beckitt of Corthither (Cornwall)

Minton Beddoes of Cheney Longville (Shrops)

Bedford of Old Sleningford Hall (Yorks WR)

Beebee of Womaston (Radnors)

Beecham of Mursley Hall (Bucks) and Compton Scorpion (Warks)

Beeching, Baron Beeching

Beecroft of Kirkstall (Yorks WR)

Beedham of Ashfield (Hunts)

Tidbury-Beer of East Clandon (Surrey)

Beetham of Betham and Little Strickland (Westmld)

Behrens of Holm Acre (Ches)

Beith of Moniave (Dumfries)

Beldam of Toft (Cambs)

Belfield of Primley Hill (Devon)

Belgrave of North Kilworth (Leics)

Belgrave of Preston Hall (Rutland)

Hore-Belisha, Baron Hore-Belisha

Bell of Felden (Co. Antrim)

Bell of Framewood (Bucks), baronets

Bell of Glasgow, baronets

Bell of Marlborough Terrace, baronets

Bell of Melling Hall (Lancs)

Bell of Mynthurst (Surrey), baronets

Bell of Pendell Court (Surrey) and Cottisford House

Bell of Stubb House (Co. Durham)

Bellairs of Stoke d'Albini, Kirby Bellairs and Uffington

Bellenden of Broughton, Lords Bellenden

Bellomont, Earls of Leicester

Bendlowes of Bradfield (Essex)

Benhale, Barons Benhale

Benham of Colchester (Essex)

Benjamin of Holywell (Co. Sligo)

Benger of Dover and Hougham (Kent)

Benion of Aldingbourne (Sussex)

Benington of Bennington (Lincs)

Benn of Glenravel (Co. Antrim) and Rollesby Hall (Norfolk), baronets and Baron Glenravel

Wedgwood-Benn, Viscounts Stansgate

Bennet of Ballintaggart (Co. Kildare)

Bennet of Laleston House (Glamorgan)

Bennett, Baron Bennett of Edgbaston

Bennett of Attlebridge (Norfk)

Bennett of Bennett's Court (Co. Cork)

Bennett of Castle Roe (Co. Londonderry)

Bennett of Cwmllecoediog (Montgomeryshire)

Bennett of Fromehurst (Gloucestershire)

Bennett of Fryston and Oxcombe (Lincolnshire)

Bennett of Juniper Hill (Surrey), Viscount Bennett

Bennett of Kirklington Hall (Notts), baronet

Bennett of Lambeth and Morden (Surrey)

Bennett of Llanvihangel Court (Monmouthshire)

Bennett of Newhall and Tiptree Priory (Essex)

Bennett of Whiteway, Chudleigh (Devon)

Curtis-Bennett of Boreham Lodge (Essex)

Bensley of Marylebone, baronets

Benson of Middleton St George, Stanway House and Stowe House, Lichfield, Baron Charnwood

Benson of Bramham Park (Yorks WR), Barons Bingley [this family will be covered in a future post on the Lane-Fox family, Barons Bingley]

Benson of Compton Bassett (Wilts)

Benson of Murley Grange (Devon)

Benson of Newbrough Hall and Allerwash (Northbld)

Benson of Old Mill House (Wilts)

Benson of The Fould (Westmld)

Benson of Utterby House (Lincs)

Bent of Basford House (Staffs)

Bent of Cosby, Enderby, Frolesworth and Narborough (Leics)

Bent of Wexham Lodge (Bucks)

Bentley of Birch House (Lancs)

Bentley of Pannal Hall (Yorks WR) 

Bentley of Staffordshire

Bentley of West House (Yorks WR)

Benyon of Carshalton (Surrey)

Bere of Dartford and Gravesend (Kent)

Bere of Morebath and Timewell (Devon) and Skilgate (Som.)

Berenger of Owbourne and Iver (Bucks)

Beresford of Bentley and Newton Grange (Derbys)

Beresford of Shakerstone and Nelston (Leics)

Berington of Bradwell and Sandbach (Ches.)

Berington of Methall and Shrewsbury (Shrops.) and Streatley (Berks)

Berkeley of Lisbuoy House (Co. Tyrone)

Berkeley of Shrewsbury (Shrops.)

Berkeley of Wymondham (Leics), baronets

Bermingham of Athenry (Co. Galway), Barons Athenry & Earls of Louth

Bermingham of Bermingham (Co. Galway), Barons Bermingham

Bermingham of Dunfert (Co. Galway), Barons Carbery

Bernard of Castle Hacket (Co. Galway) [this family will be covered by a future post on the Kirwan family]

Bernard of Holme House (E Lothian), Dunsinnan and Buttergask (Perths.)

Bernard of Snakemoor (Hants), baronets

Morrogh-Bernard of Fahagh Court (Co. Kerry) and Grangemore (Co. Dublin) [this family will be  covered in a future post on the Morrogh family]

Berners of Therfield (Herts)

Berry of Berrynarbor, Chittlehampton and Colleton (Devon)

Berry of Buckland (Brecons.), Barons Buckland

Berry of Catton (Yorks), baronet

Berry of Dropmore House (Bucks), Viscounts Kemsley

Berry of Eston and Queniborough (Leics)

Berry of Farnham Chase (Bucks)

Berry of Rowgarden Wood (Surrey)

Nick Kingsley

Revision

This page was last revised 5 December 2024.