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Anson family

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
House of Anson
Motto:"Never despairing"
(Latin:Nil disperandum)
CountryUnited Kingdom
Founded1770;254 years ago(1770)
FounderGeorge Anson
Current headThe 6th Earl of Lichfield
Titles
Estate(s)Shugborough Hall
Birch Hall

TheAnson familyis a British aristocratic family. Over time, several members of the Anson family were made knights, baronets and peers. Hereditary titles held by the Anson family include the earldom ofLichfield(since 1831) and theAnson baronetcy(also since 1831). Over time, several members of the family have risen to prominence, includingAdmiral of the FleetGeorge Anson, 1st Baron Anson,PC,FRS(1697–1762) and the society photographerPatrick Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield(1939–2005).

History

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Portrait ofAdmiral of the FleetGeorge Anson, 1st Baron Anson(1697–1762), byThomas Hudson
Portrait ofThomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield(1795–1854).
Shugborough Hall
St. Michael and All Angels,Colwich
Anson family graves at St Stephen's Church,Great Haywood

The Anson family is descended fromGeorge Anson (1731-1789),aMember of ParliamentforLichfieldfrom 1770 to 1789. Born George Adams, he was the son of Sambrooke Adams and his wife Janette Anson, sister of the famous naval commanderAdmiral Lord Anson.In 1773, on the death of his uncleThomas Anson,a brother of Admiral Lord Anson, he succeeded to the substantial estates accumulated by his uncles, includingShugborough HallinStaffordshire.The same year George Adams assumed byRoyal Licencethe surname of Anson in lieu of Adams. In 1831, two of his sons would be elevated to hereditary titles: his eldest son,Thomas,would be made a viscount, while the latter's brother,William,would be made a baronet (seeAnson Baronets).

George Anson's aforementioned eldest son wasThomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson(1767–1818), who represented Lichfield in the House of Commons as a Whig from 1789 to 1806 until he was raised to the peerage on 17 February 1806 asBaron Soberton,of Soberton in the County of Southampton, andViscount Anson,of Shugborough andOrgreave in the County of Stafford,both in thePeerage of the United Kingdom.He was succeeded by his eldest sonThomas(1795–1854), who became the 2nd Viscount. He was a landowner andWhigpolitician who served asMaster of the Buckhoundsfrom 1830 to 1834 and asPostmaster Generalfrom 1835 to 1841. In 1831 the 2nd Viscount Anson was createdEarl of Lichfield,of Lichfield in the County of Stafford, inWilliam IV'scoronation honours. This was the third creation of the title ofEarl of Lichfield,but the first in thePeerage of the United Kingdom.

The titles associated with the earldom of Lichfield continued to descend from father to son until the death of the 4th Earl in 1960. He was succeeded by his grandson, the 5th Earl, the only son ofLieutenant-ColonelThomas William Arnold Anson, Viscount Anson (1913–1958), eldest son of the 4th Earl. Known professionally asPatrick Lichfield,he was a successful photographer. As of 2010the titles are held by the 6th Earl, only son of the 5th Earl andLady Leonora Grosvenor,daughter of the5th Duke of Westminster.He succeeded as the 6th Earl of Lichfield upon his father's death on 11 November 2005. The 6th Earl married in December 2009 Lady Henrietta Conyngham, daughter ofHenry Conyngham, 8th Marquess Conyngham.[1][2]They have one son, Thomas Ossian Patrick Wolfe Anson, Viscount Anson (b. 20 May 2011).[3]

Family seats

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The family seat of theAnson baronetsis Birch Hall in the County of Lancaster. The family seat of the Anson earls of Lichfield isShugborough Hall,Staffordshire,which is about 15 miles from the city ofLichfield.

Many family members are buried a short distance from Shugborough Hall:Admiral Lord Anson,the1st Earl of Lichfieldand others are buried at St Michael and All Angels Church inColwich.The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Earl and other Ansons after 1854 were buried in the churchyard of St Stephen's Church inGreat Haywood[4]until the5th Earldecided to return to the Anson vault at Colwich. He was buried there in 2005.[5]

Members of the family

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Barons Anson (1747)

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Viscounts Anson (1806)

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Other title: Baron Soberton(1806)

Earls of Lichfield (1831)

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Other titles: Baron Soberton(1806),Viscount Anson(1806)

Theheir apparentis the present holder's son, Thomas Ossian Patrick Wolfe Anson, Viscount Anson (b. 2011).[6]

Anson baronets (1831)

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  • William Anson(1772–1847), created 1st baronet in 1831
  • Sir John William Hamilton Anson, 2nd Baronet (1816–1873)
  • Sir William Reynell Anson, 3rd Baronet(1843–1914)
  • Sir Denis George William Anson, 4th Baronet (1888–1914)
  • Sir John Henry Anson, 5th Baronet (1897–1918)
  • Sir Edward Reynell Anson, 6th Baronet (1902–1951)
  • Sir Peter Anson, 7th Baronet (1924–2018)
  • Sir Philip Roland Anson, 8th Baronet (born 1957)

Theheir apparentis the present holder's brother Hugo William Anson (born 1962)

Other notable members

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Several other members of the Anson family have also gained distinction. These include:

References

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  1. ^The Times announcement
  2. ^"The Earl of Lichfield and Lady Henrietta Conyngham - Marriages Announcements".The Daily Telegraph.2010-01-27.Retrieved2012-04-26.
  3. ^"LICHFIELD - Births Announcements - Telegraph Announcements".The Daily Telegraph.2011-05-26.Retrieved2012-04-26.
  4. ^Memorial Inscriptions of Great Haywood, Staffordshire: St Stephen's Churchyard, accessed 1 October 2012
  5. ^"Lichfield funeral date announced".BBC News.2005-11-18.
  6. ^"Lichfield".The Daily Telegraph.
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