Castle Howard, the former seat of the Howard Earls of Carlisle.
Earl of Carlisle is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1322 when the soldier Andrew Harclay, 1st Baron Harclay was made Earl of Carlisle. He had already been summoned to Parliament as Lord Harclay (or Lord Harcla) in 1321. However, in 1322 Lord Carlisle was executed for treason with his titles forfeited.
The second creation came in 1622 when James Hay, 1st Viscount Doncaster, was made Earl of Carlisle. He was a great favourite of King James I and had already been created Lord Hay in the Peerage of Scotland in 1606 and Baron Hay, of Sawley in the County of York and Viscount Doncaster in 1618. The latter titles were in the Peerage of England. Lord Carlisle was the member of a junior branch of the Hay family headed by the Earl of Erroll. He was succeeded by his second but only surviving son, the second Earl. In 1637 he also succeeded his maternal grandfather Charles Goring, 2nd Earl of Norwich, as second Baron Denny (a title created by writ in 1604; see the Earl of Norwich). However, Carlisle was childless and on his death in 1660 all the titles became extinct.
The third creation came in 1660 when Sir Charles Howard was made Baron Dacre of Gillesland, in the County of Cumberland, Viscount Howard of Morpeth, in the County of Cumberland, and Earl of Carlisle. A member of the famous Howard family, he was the great-grandson of Lord William Howard, third son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. Lord William Howard's wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre (of Gillesland) (a title which had fallen into abeyance on the death of the fifth Baron in 1569). Through this marriage Naworth Castle and Henderskelfe (which later became known as Castle Howard) came into the Howard family. Lord Carlisle had earlier supported the Parliamentarian cause in the Civil War, and is supposed to have been created Baron Gilsland and Viscount Howard of Morpeth by Oliver Cromwell in 1657 (it is certain that he was summoned to Cromwell's House of Lords the same year as "Lord Viscount Howard").
His eldest son, the tenth Earl, was Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament for Birmingham South. He was succeeded by his only son, the eleventh Earl. He married as his first wife Bridget Helen Monckton, 11th Lady Ruthven of Freeland (see the Lord Ruthven of Freeland for earlier history of this title). On his death in 1963 the titles passed to his only son, the twelfth Earl. In 1982 he also succeeded his mother as twelfth Lord Ruthven of Freeland. As of 2007 the peerages are held by his eldest son, the thirteenth Earl, who succeeded in 1994. Lord Carlisle unsuccessfully contested Easington in the 1987 general election and Leeds West in the 1992 general election.
Several other members of this branch of the Howard family have gained distinction. The Hon. Sir Charles Howard, fourth son of the third Earl, was a General in the Army and also represented Carlisle in the House of Commons for many years. Charles Howard, Viscount Morpeth, eldest son of the fourth Earl from his first marriage, briefly represented Yorkshire before his early death from tuberculosis. The Hon. Frederick Howard, third son of the fifth Earl, was a Major in the 10th Hussars and fought at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, where he was killed in action. His eldest son Frederick John Howard was Member of Parliament for Youghal. The Very Reverend the Hon. Henry Edward John Howard, fourth son of the fifth Earl, was Dean of Lichfield. His third son Edward Henry Howard was a Vice-Admiral in the Navy.
