The Rawdon Baronetcy

The illustrious family of RAWDON deduced its pedigree from Paulinus de Rawdon, to whom WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR granted considerable estates by the following deed:-

I, King William, in the third year of my reign, give to Paulinus Rawdon, Hope and Hopetown, with all the boundaries both up and down, from heaven to earth, from earth to hell, for you and your heir to dwell, as truly as this kingdom in mine; for a crossbow and an arrow, when I shall come to hunt on Yarrow; and in token that this thing is true, I bite the white wax with my tooth, before Meg, Maud, and Margery, and my third son, Henry.

This Paulinus, or Paulyn, commanded a band of archers in the Norman invading army, and derived his surname of RAWDON from the lands of that denomination, near Leeds, which constituted a portion of the royal grant.

From this successful soldier lineally sprang (nineteenth in descent), through a line of eminent ancestors,

GEORGE RAWDON (1604-84), only son of Francis Rawdon, of Rawdon, who settled in Ulster, and took an active part, as a military commander, during the Irish rebellion of 1641; and subsequently, until his decease, in 1684, in the general affairs of that Province.

Mr Rawdon was created a baronet in 1665, designated of Moira, County Down.

Sir George married firstly, in 1639, Ursula, daughter of Sir Francis Stafford, of Bradney, Shropshire, and widow of Francis Hill, of Hillhall, by whom he had no surviving issue.

He wedded secondly, in 1654, Dorothy, eldest daughter of Edward, 2nd Viscount Conway, by whom he had,

Edward;
John, a military man; killed in France, 1656;
ARTHUR, his successor;
Dorothy; Brilliana; Mary.

Sir George was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

SIR ARTHUR RAWDON, 2nd Baronet (1662-95), MP for County Down, 1692, who espoused Helena, daughter and heir of Sir James Graham, and granddaughter of William, Earl of Menteith, and had, with a daughter, Isabella, married to Sir Richard Levinge Bt, an only son,

SIR JOHN RAWDON, 3rd Baronet (1690-1724), MP for County Down, 1717-24, who wedded, in 1717, Dorothy, second daughter of Sir Richard Levinge Bt, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, by whom he had, with other children, his successor,

SIR JOHN RAWDON, 4th Baronet (1720-93), High Sheriff of County Down, 1749, was elevated to the peerage, in 1750, in the dignity of Baron Rawdon, of Moira, County Down.

His lordship was further advanced to an earldom, in 1762, as EARL OF MOIRA.

His lordship espoused firstly, in 1741, Helena, youngest daughter of John, Earl of Egmont, by whom he had two daughters, Catherine and Helena.

The 1st Earl married secondly, in 1746, Anne, daughter of Trevor, 1st Viscount Hillsborough, by whom he had no issue; and thirdly, in 1752, the Lady Elizabeth Hastings, eldest daughter Theophilus, 9th Earl of Huntingdon, who inherited the baronies of Hastings etc upon the demise of her brother Francis, 10th Earl of Huntingdon, without issue, 1789.

By this last union his lordship had issue,

FRANCIS, his successor;
John Theophilus;
Selina Frances; Charlotte Adelaide Constantia; Anne Elizabeth.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

FRANCIS EDWARD, 2nd Earl (1754-1826), KG GCB etc, MP for Randalstown, 1781-3, a gallant soldier, an eloquent senator, and a popular statesman, who wedded, in 1804, the Lady Flora Mure-Campbell, suo jure Countess of Loudoun, only daughter of James, 5th Earl of Loudoun, and had issue,

GEORGE AUGUSTUS FRANCIS, his successor;
Flora Elizabeth, Lady of the Bedchamber to HRH The Duchess of Kent;
Sophia Frederica Christina; Selina Constance; Adelaide Augusta Lavinia.

His lordship inherited, upon the demise of his mother, in 1808, the ancient baronies of Hastings, Hungerford, etc; and was created, in 1816, Viscount Loudoun, Earl of Rawdon, and MARQUESS OF HASTINGS.

He had been previously created a peer of Great Britain, 1783, in the dignity of Baron Rawdon, of Rawdon, Yorkshire.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

GEORGE AUGUSTUS FRANCIS, 2nd Marquess (1808-44), who espoused, in 1831, Barbara, suo jure 20th Baroness Grey de Ruthyn, daughter of Henry, 19th Baron Grey de Ruthyn, and had issue,

PAULYN REGINALD SERLO, his successor;
HENRY WEYSFORD CHARLES PLANTAGENET, 4th Marquess;
Edith Maud; Bertha Lelgarde; Victoria Maria Louisa; Frances Augusta Constance Muir.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

PAULYN REGINALD SERLO, 3rd Marquess (1832-51), who died unmarried, when the family honours devolved upon his brother,

HENRY WEYSFORD CHARLES PLANTAGENET, 4th Marquess (1842-68), who married, in 1864, the Lady Florence Cecilia Paget, daughter of Henry, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey.

His lordship died in 1868 without issue, when the marquessate expired.

Former seats ~ Donington Hall, Leicestershire; Rawdon Hall, Yorkshire; Loudoun Castle, Ayrshire; Moira, County Down; Montalto, County Down.

First published in March, 2011. Rawdon arms courtesy of European Heraldry.