Earl of Dorsetis a title that has been created at least four times in thePeerage of England.Some of its holders have at various times also held the rank ofmarquessand, from 1720,duke.

A possible first creation is not well documented. About 1070Osmund,or Osmer, is said to have been created earl of Dorset, but the authority is a very late one and Osmund described himself simply as bishop.William de Mohunappears as earl of Dorset or Somerset, these two shires being in early times united under a singlesheriff.[1]

It was later created in 1411 forThomas Beaufort,who was later createdDuke of Exeter.The peerages became extinct on his death. It was next created in 1441 forEdmund Beaufortwho was later created firstMarquess of Dorset(1442) and thenDuke of Somerset(1446). These titles were forfeited by the second duke in 1464.[1]

The last creation was in 1604 forThomas Sackville, 1st Baron Buckhurst.In 1720 the seventh earl was createdDuke of Dorsetin thePeerage of Great Britain.On the death of the fifth duke in 1843 the peerages became extinct.[1]

Earls of Dorset; First creation (1070)

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Earls of Dorset: Second creation (1411)

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Earls of Dorset; Third creation (1441)

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Earls of Dorset: Fourth creation (1604)

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Family tree

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References

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  1. ^abcChisholm 1911,p. 431.
  • This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Dorset, Earls, Marquesses and Dukes of".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 431–434.
  • Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages[self-published source][better source needed]