Duke of Grafton

This article is about the title in the Peerage of England. For the British prime minister, see Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton.

Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for Henry FitzRoy, his second illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland.^[2] The most notable duke of Grafton was Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, who served as Prime Minister from 1768–1770.^[3]

Dukedom of Grafton
Quarterly: 1st and 4th, France and England quarterly (Royal Arms of Charles II); 2nd, Scotland; 3rd, Ireland; the whole debruised by a baton sinister compony of six pieces argent and azure.
Creation date	11 September 1675[1]
Created by	Charles II
Peerage	Peerage of England
First holder	Henry FitzRoy
Present holder	Henry FitzRoy, 12th Duke
Heir apparent	Alfred FitzRoy, Earl of Euston
Remainder to	the 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles	Earl of Euston Viscount Ipswich Baron Sudbury
Seat(s)	Euston Hall

The Duke of Grafton holds three subsidiary titles, all created in 1675 in the peerage of England: Earl of Euston, Viscount Ipswich, and Baron Sudbury.^[1] Between 1723 and 1936 the dukes, being descended from the 1st Duke's wife Isabella FitzRoy, 2nd Countess of Arlington, also held the titles Earl of Arlington, Viscount Thetford and Baron Arlington. Those titles fell into abeyance between the 9th Duke's sisters,^[4] with the abeyance of the barony of Arlington being ended in 1999.

The Dukes "created" and owned the London district of Fitzrovia, so named for their family name.

The title of the dukedom refers to the Honour of Grafton in the southeast of Northamptonshire, the titular village now being called Grafton Regis.

The family seat is Euston Hall in Suffolk, an 11,000-acre estate straddling the Norfolk-Suffolk border.^[5] The main burial places of the senior branch of the family are in and beside the parish church of Saint Genevieve at Euston, Suffolk.

The Duke of Grafton is fourth in the order of precedence after the dukes of Norfolk, Somerset, and Richmond.

Dukes of Grafton (1675)

Arms of the Dukes of Grafton

Other titles (all): Earl of Euston, Viscount Ipswich and Baron Sudbury (1675)

• Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton (1663–1690), second illegitimate son of Charles II and the Duchess of Cleveland;

Other titles (2nd–9th Dukes): Earl of Arlington, Viscount Thetford and Baron Arlington (1672)

• Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton (1683–1757), only son of the 1st Duke
  • Charles FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (1714–1715), eldest son of the 2nd Duke, died young
  • George FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (1715–1747), second son of the 2nd Duke, predeceased his father without issue
• Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (1735–1811), eldest son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy, third son of the 2nd Duke; Prime Minister, 1768–70
• George Henry FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton (1760–1844), eldest son of the 3rd Duke
• Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton (1790–1863), eldest son of the 4th Duke
• William Henry FitzRoy, 6th Duke of Grafton (1819–1882), eldest son of the 5th Duke, died without issue
• Augustus Charles Lennox FitzRoy, 7th Duke of Grafton (1821–1918), second son of the 5th Duke
  • Henry James FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (1848–1912), eldest son of the 7th Duke, predeceased his father without issue
• Alfred William Maitland Fitzroy, 8th Duke of Grafton (1850–1930), second son of the 7th Duke
  • William Henry Alfred Fitzroy, Viscount Ipswich (1884–1918), only son of the 8th Duke, predeceased both his father and grandfather
• John Charles William FitzRoy, 9th Duke of Grafton (1914–1936), only son of William FitzRoy, Viscount Ipswich, died unmarried
• Charles Alfred Euston FitzRoy, 10th Duke of Grafton (1892–1970), eldest son of the Rev. Lord Charles Edward FitzRoy, third and youngest son of the 7th Duke
• Hugh Denis Charles FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton (1919–2011), eldest son of the 10th Duke
  • James Oliver Charles FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (1947–2009), eldest son of the 11th Duke, predeceased his father in 2009^[6]
• Henry Oliver Charles FitzRoy, 12th Duke of Grafton^[7] (b. 1978), only son of Lord Euston

The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Alfred James Charles FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (b. 2012).^[8]

Arms

Coat of arms of Duke of Grafton

Coronet The coronet of a Duke Crest On a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Lion statant guardant Or ducally crowned Azure and gorged with a Collar counter-compony Argent and of the fourth. Escutcheon The Royal Arms of Charles II, viz Quarterly: 1st and 4th, France and England quarterly; 2nd, Scotland; 3rd, Ireland; the whole debruised by a Baton sinister compony of six pieces Argent and Azure Supporters Dexter: a Lion guardant Or ducally crowned Azure; Sinister: a Greyhound Argent, each gorged with a Collar counter-compony Argent and Azure. Motto Et Decus Et Pretium Recti (The ornament and recompense of virtue)

Family tree

v t e Dukes of Grafton family tree

Barbara Palmer (1640–1709) 1st Duchess of Cleveland King Charles II (1630–1685) Duke of Monmouth Dukes of Buccleuch Dukes of St Albans Dukes of Cleveland Dukes of Southampton Duke of Northumberland Earl of Plymouth Dukes of Richmonds Dukes of Lennox Duke of Grafton, Earl of Euston, Viscount Ipswich and Baron Sudbury, 1675 Henry FitzRoy (1663–1690) 1st Earl of Euston 1st Duke of Grafton Charles FitzRoy (1683–1757) 2nd Duke of Grafton Charles Henry FitzRoy (1714–1715) Earl of Euston George FitzRoy (1715–1747) Earl of Euston Lord Augustus FitzRoy (1716–1741) Baron Southampton Augustus Henry FitzRoy (1735–1811) 3rd Duke of Grafton Charles FitzRoy (1737–1797) 1st Baron Southampton George Henry FitzRoy (1760–1844) 4th Duke of Grafton George Ferdinand FitzRoy (1761–1810) 2nd Baron Southampton Henry FitzRoy (1790–1863) 5th Duke of Grafton Charles FitzRoy (1804–1872) 3rd Baron Southampton William Henry FitzRoy (1819–1882) 6th Duke of Grafton Augustus Charles Lennox FitzRoy (1821–1918) 7th Duke of Grafton Viscounts Daventry Henry James FitzRoy (1848–1912) Earl of Euston Alfred William Maitland FitzRoy (1850–1930) 8th Duke of Grafton Lord Charles Edward FitzRoy (1857–1911) Ismay FitzRoy (1863–1952) William Henry Alfred FitzRoy (1884–1918) Viscount Ipswich Charles Alfred Euston FitzRoy (1892–1970) 10th Duke of Grafton John Charles William FitzRoy (1914–1936) 9th Duke of Grafton Hugh Denis Charles FitzRoy (1919–2011) 11th Duke of Grafton James Oliver Charles FitzRoy (1947–2009) Earl of Euston Henry Oliver Charles FitzRoy (b. 1978) 12th Duke of Grafton Alfred James Charles FitzRoy (b. 2012) styled Earl of Euston Heir apparent

See also

• Viscount Daventry (created for Muriel FitzRoy the widow of the Speaker Edward FitzRoy the second son of Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton).
• Baron Southampton (created for Charles FitzRoy the son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy).

References

1. Collins, Arthur (1741). The Peerage of England: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of All the Peers of that Kingdom. W. Strahan, J. F. and C. Rivington. p. 62. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
2. Courthope, William, ed. (1838). Debrett's Complete Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (22nd ed., p. 8). London, UK: J. G. & F. Rivington
3. Eccleshall, R., & Walker, G. (Eds.). (2002). Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers. (p. 61). Routledge
4. Hesilrige 1921, p. 414.
5. "The Duke of Grafton". Telegraph.co.uk.
6. Obituary Earl of Euston – Telegraph.co.uk, 25 October 2009
7. "News from Debrett's 2011-- Marquesses, Dukes and Royal Dukes". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
8. "GRAFTON - Births Announcements - Telegraph Announcements". 8 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2022.

Further reading

• Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921). Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy. 160A, Fleet Street, London, England: Dean & Son. p. 414.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
• Falk, Bernard. The Royal Fitz Roys; Dukes of Grafton through Four Centuries. Hutchinson, 1950.

External links

• Cracroft's Peerage page