Earl of Cork is a title in the
Peerage of Ireland, held in conjunction with the
Earldom of Orrery since 1753. It was created in 1620 for
Richard Boyle, 1st Baron Boyle. He had already been created Lord Boyle, Baron of
Youghal, in the
County of Cork, in 1616, and was made Viscount of Dungarvan, in the County of Waterford, at the same time he was given the earldom. These titles are also in the Peerage of Ireland.
Known as the "Great Earl", Richard Boyle was born in
Canterbury, England, but settled in
Ireland in 1588, where he married an Irish heiress and bought large estates in
County Cork. From 1631 to 1643 he served as
Lord Treasurer of Ireland. His third son, the Hon.
Sir Roger Boyle was created
Earl of Orrery in 1660. The first Earl of Cork was remarkable for having four of his sons created peers; his remaining son was
Robert Boyle, the scientist, discoverer of
Boyle's Law.[4]
Lord Cork was succeeded by his second son, another Richard Boyle, the second Earl; his eldest son died young. This Richard Boyle had already succeeded his younger brother as second
Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky according to a special remainder in the
letters patent. He married Elizabeth Clifford, 2nd Baroness Clifford, and in 1644 he was created Baron Clifford of Lanesborough, in the County of York, in the
Peerage of England. Lord Cork later served as Lord High Treasurer of Ireland and as
Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire. In 1664 he was further honoured when he was made Earl of Burlington in the Peerage of England. His only son and heir apparent
Charles Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan, was summoned to the
Irish House of Lords through a
writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Viscount Dungarvan in 1663. He later represented
Tamworth and
Yorkshire in the
English House of Commons. In 1689 he was summoned to the
English House of Lords through a
writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Clifford of Lanesborough.
Lord Cork was succeeded by his grandson, the third Earl, the son of Viscount Dungarvan. He was Lord Treasurer of Ireland and Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire. On his death the titles passed to his only son, the fourth Earl of Cork and third Earl of Burlington. Known as Lord Burlington, he was the famous
architect who published
Andrea Palladio's designs of Ancient Roman architecture and designed
Chiswick House with
William Kent. He had no sons and on his death in 1753 the barony of Clifford of Lanesborough and earldom of Burlington became extinct. He was succeeded in the Burlington estates and in the
barony of Clifford by his eldest surviving daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle, 6th Baroness Clifford (see the Baron Clifford for later history of this title). She married
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire. Their third son
Lord George Augustus Henry Cavendish was created
Earl of Burlington in 1831.
Lord Burlington was succeeded in the earldom of Cork and the other remaining titles by his third cousin
John Boyle, 5th Earl of Orrery, who became the fifth Earl of Cork as well (he was descended from the third son of the first Earl of Cork, and had also inherited the titles of Baron Broghill [Ireland] and Baron Boyle of Marston in the Peerage of Great Britain, thus a seat in the British House of Lords until 1999 (see the
Earl of Orrery for earlier history of this branch of the family). He was a writer and a friend of
Jonathan Swift,
Alexander Pope and
Samuel Johnson. He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the sixth Earl. He represented
Charleville in the
Irish House of Commons and
Warwick in the
British House of Commons. He died unmarried at the age of thirty-three and was succeeded by his half-brother,
Edmund Boyle, 7th Earl of Cork. The seventh Earl is remembered only for the fame of his second wife
Mary Boyle, Countess of Cork and Orrery, the celebrated Lady Cork whose salon was a centre of intellectual life for fifty years. On his death in 1798 the titles passed to his second but eldest surviving son, the eighth Earl. He was a General in the Army and fought in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
He was succeeded by his grandson, the ninth Earl. He was the son of Captain Charles Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan. Lord Cork was a
Liberal politician and served as
Master of the Buckhounds and as
Master of the Horse under
Lord Russell,
William Ewart Gladstone and
Lord Rosebery. His eldest son, the tenth Earl, fought in the
Second Boer War but died childless in 1925. He was succeeded by his younger brother, the eleventh Earl. He also died childless and was succeeded by his second cousin,
William Boyle, 12th Earl of Cork and Orrery. He was the grandson of the Hon. John Boyle, third son of the eighth Earl. Lord Cork was an
Admiral of the Fleet and notably commanded the combined expedition for the capture of
Narvik in 1940. He was childless and was succeeded by his nephew, the thirteenth Earl. He was the eldest son of Major the Hon. Reginald Courtenay Boyle. He served as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords and as Deputy Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords from 1973 to 1978. He died childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the fourteenth Earl. As of 2017[update], the titles are held by the latter's eldest son, the fifteenth Earl, who succeeded in 2003.
Edward of Norwich,
Earl of Rutland, the first son of
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, fifth son of
Edward III of England, favorite of his cousin
Richard II, had been created Earl of Cork in the Peerage of Ireland during his nephew's personal reign. While the creation is unrecorded, he campaigned in Ireland from 1394 to 1395, and both he and King Richard use the title in letters that spring.
He is usually called by some other of his many titles; Rutland, Aumale, or York. He was created
Duke of Aumale in 1397, and deprived of the dukedom 6 October 1399, as a consequence of the deposition of Richard II; he succeeded his father as
Duke of York in 1402. This Earldom, and all honours created for him, became extinct when he died childless at the
battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Earls of Cork (1620)
Heirs who did not live to succeed to the Earldom are indented.
William Cavendish (1808–1891) 7th Duke of Devonshire and Marquess of Hartington, 10th Earl of Devonshire, 2nd Earl of Burlington and Baron Cavendish of Keighley
Spencer Compton Cavendish (1833–1908) 8th Duke of Devonshire and Marquess of Hartington, 11th Earl of Devonshire, 3rd Earl of Burlington and Baron Cavendish of Keighley
Victor Christian William Cavendish (1868–1938) 9th Duke of Devonshire and Marquess of Hartington, 12th Earl of Devonshire, 4th Earl of Burlington and Baron Cavendish of Keighley
Edward William Spencer Cavendish (1895–1950) 10th Duke of Devonshire and Marquess of Hartington, 13th Earl of Devonshire, 5th Earl of Burlington and Baron Cavendish of Keighley
Andrew Robert Buxton Cavendish (1920–2004) 11th Duke of Devonshire and Marquess of Hartington, 14th Earl of Devonshire, 6th Earl of Burlington and Baron Cavendish of Keighley
John Richard Boyle (
b. 1945) 15th Earl of Cork, Earl of Orrery, and Viscount Dungarvan
Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish (
b. 1944) 12th Duke of Devonshire and Marquess of Hartington, 15th Earl of Devonshire, 7th Earl of Burlington and Baron Cavendish of Keighley
Rory Jonathan Courtenay Boyle (
b. 1978) styled Viscount Dungarvan