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Rosse, Earl of (I, 1806)

Creation: let. pat. 3 Feb 1806

Family name: Parsons

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Arms:

Gules three Leopards' Faces Argent

Crest:

A Demi Pole Axe erect Gules pointed Or

Supporters:

On either side a Leopard Argent pelletté, each gorged with a Collar Gules charged with four Bezants

Motto:

Pro Deo Et Rege (For God and the King)

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Lawrence Harman [Parsons later Harman], 1st Baron Oxmantown later 1st Viscount Oxmantown later 1st Earl of Rosse

2nd but 1st surv. son of Sir Lawrence Parsons, 3rd Bt., of Birr Castle, King's County, by his second wife Anne Harman, only dau. and hrss. of Wentworth Harman, of Moyle, co. Carlow ,and Newcastle, co. Longford

born

26 Jul 1749

mar.

11 Jun 1772 Lady Jane King (b. c.1755; d. 27 Jan 1838), 1st dau. of Edward [King], 1st Earl of Kingston, by his wife Jane Caulfield, illegit. dau. of Thomas Caulfield, of Donamon, co. Roscommon

only child

1. Lady Frances Harman (b. 31 Mar 1775; d. 7 Oct 1841), mar. 9 Dec 1799 her cousin Robert Edward [King], 1st Viscount Lorton, and had issue

died

s.p.m. 20 Apr 1807 (bur. in St Brandon's Church, Parsonstown)

created

25 Sep 1792 Baron Oxmantown, of Oxmantown in the County of Wexford, with special remainder failing heirs male of his body to his nephew Sir Lawrence Parsons, 5th Bt.

8 Oct 1795 Viscount Oxmantown, of Oxmantown in the County of Wexford (without the reversionary clause in favour of Sir Lawrence Parsons)

3 Feb 1806 Earl of Rosse, with a similar remainder in favour of Sir Lawrence Parsons

suc. by

nephew

note

took the name of Harman in lieu of that of Parsons; Member of Parliament for Longford 1776-92; a Representative Peer for Ireland 1801-07; Chancellor of Dublin University 1802-07; on his death the Viscountcy of Oxmantown became extinct

Lawrence [Parsons], 2nd Earl of Rosse, PC

1st son and her. of Sir William Parsons, 4th Bt. of Birr Castle (by his wife Mary Clere, only dau. and hrss. of John Clere, of Kilburry, co. Tipperary), 1st son by his first wife of Sir Lawrence Parsons, 3rd Bt. of Birr Castle

born

21 May 1758

mar.

after 1 May 1797 Alice Lloyd (b. 1779; d. 4 May 1867), dau. of John Lloyd, of Gloster, King's County, by his wife Jane Le Hunte, dau. and cohrss. of Thomas Le Hunte, of Artramont, co. Wexford, by his wife Alice Ryves, dau. and cohrss. of Very Rev Jerome Ryves, Dean of St Patrick's, Dublin

children

1. Hon William Parson, later 3rd Earl of Rosse

2. Hon John Cleare Parsons (b. 17 Aug 1802; dvp. 10 Aug 1828)

3. Hon Lawrence Parsons (b. 3 Nov 1805; d. 22 Nov 1894), mar. (1) 10 May 1836 Lady Elizabeth Graham-Toler (d. 9 Dec 1844), 1st dau. of Hector John [Toler later Graham-Toler], 2nd Earl of Norbury, by his wife Elizabeth Brabazon, only child of William Brabazon, of Brabazon Park, co. Meath, and (2) 11 Apr 1849 Hon Jane Duncombe (d. 3 Apr 1901), 1st dau. of William [Duncombe], 2nd Baron Feversham, by his wife Lady Louisa Stewart, 2nd dau. of George [Stewart], 8th Earl of Galloway, and had issue by both wives

1. Lady Jane Parsons (d. 31 Dec 1883), mar. 12 Dec 1835 Arthur Edward Knox, of Castle Rea, co. Mayo (d. 23 Sep 1886)

2. Lady Alicia Parsons (b. c. 1815; d. 21 Jan 1885), mar. 1837 Sir Edward Conroy, 2nd Bt.

died

24 Feb 1841

suc. by

son

note

Member of Parliament for Dublin University 1782-90, and for King's County 1791-1800 and (Tory) 1801-1807; suc. his father 1 May 1791 as 5th Baronet of Birr Castle; Col, King's County Regiment of Militia 1791-98; opposed the union of the Irish and Great British parliaments; Privy Councillor [I] 1805; a Lord of the Irish Treasury 1805-09; Joint Postmaster General of Ireland 1809-31; a Representative Peer for Ireland 1809-41; Custos Rotulorum of King's County 1828-41

William [Parsons], 3rd Earl of Rosse, KP

born

17 Jun 1800

mar.

14 Apr 1836 Mary Field (b. c. 1813; d. 22 Jul 1885), 1st dau. and cohrss. of John Wilmer Field, of Heaton Hall, co. York, by his wife Anne Wharton-Myddleton, dau. of Robert Wharton-Myddleton, of Old Park, co. Durham

children

1. Hon Lawrence Parsons, later 4th Earl of Rosse

2. Hon William Wilmer Parsons (b. 20 Mar 1844; dvp. 7 Sep 1855)

3. Hon John Parsons (b. 7 Sep 1846; dvp. 9 Apr 1857)

4. Rev Hon Randal Parsons, Rector of Sandhurst, co. Berkshire 1880-1921 (b. 26 Apr 1848; dsp. 15 Nov 1936), mar. 9 Aug 1876 Eleanor Victoria Mackarness (d. 2 Jan 1936)m 2nd dau. of Rt Rev J F Mackarness DD, Bishop of Oxford

5. Hon Richard Clere Parsons (b. 21 Feb 1851; d. 26 Jan 1923), mar. 21 Nov 1878 Agnes Elizabeth Bateman (d. 19 Aug 1922), dau. of John Frederic La Trobe Bateman, of Moor Park, Farnham, co. Surrey, and had issue

6. Hon Sir Charles Algernon Parsons OM KCB, of Ray Demesne, Kirkwelpington, co. Northumberland, High Sheriff of Northumberland 1910, President British Association 1919-20, a distinguished scientist and the inventor of the steam turbine engine (b. 13 Jun 1854; d. 11 Feb 1931), mar. 1883 Katharine Bethell (d. 16 Oct 1933), 5th dau. of William Froggatt Bethell DL, of Rise and Watton Abbey, co. York, by his wife Elizabeth Beckett, 2nd dau. of Sir Edmund Denison later Beckett, 4th Bt., and had issue

1. Lady Alice Parsons (dvp. 1 Aug 1847)

died

31 Oct 1867 (bur. in St Brandon's Church, Parsonstown)

suc. by

son

note

Member of Parliament for King's County 1821-35; Lord Lieutenant of King's County 1831-67; Col, King's County Militia 1834; President, British Association 1843; Knight of St Patrick 1845; a Representative Peer for Ireland 1845-67; a distinguished astronomer, who built what was for a time the largest telescope in the world; President, Royal Society 1848-54; Chancellor of the University of Dublin 1862

Lawrence [Parsons], 4th Earl of Rosse, KP

born

17 Nov 1840

mar.

1 Sep 1870 Hon Frances Cassandra Harvey-Hawke (b. 20 Jun 1851; d. 9 Dec 1921), only child of Edward William [Harvey-Hawke], 4th Baron Hawke, by his second wife Frances Fetherstonhaugh, dau. of Walker Fetherstonhaugh, of The Hermitage, Chester-le-Street, co. Durham

children

1. Hon William Edward Parson, later 5th Earl of Rosse

2. Lt Gen Hon Geoffrey Lawrence Parsons (b. 24 May 1874; dsp. 13 May 1956), mar. 5 Sep 1911 Margaret Betty Gladstone (dsp. 16 May 1952), 1st dau. and cohrss. of Sir John Evelyn Gladstone of Fasque and Balfour, 4th Bt., by his wife Gertrude Theresa Miller, 1st dau. of Sir Charles Hayes Miller, 7th Bt.

3. Hon Richard Parsons (b. 9 Jun 1875; dvp. 22 Jun 1875)

1. Lady Muriel Frances Mary Parsons (b. 13 Nov 1876; d. 10 Apr 1927), mar. 28 May 1906 as his first wife Brig Gen Harold Maxwell Grenfell CMG CVO (b. 17 Aug 1870; d. 26 Apr 1929), 5th son of Pascoe Du Pré Grenfell, of Wilton Park, Beaconsfield, co. Buckingham, by his wife and cousin Sophie Grenfell, dau. of Vice Admiral John Pascoe Grenfell, and had issue

died

29 Aug 1908 (bur. at Parsonstown)

suc. by

son

note

a Representative Peer (Conservative) for Ireland 1868-1908; Chancellor of the University of Dublin 1885-1908; President, Royal Dublin Society 1888-92; Knight of St Patrick 1890; Lord Lieutenant of King's County 1892-1908; President, Royal Irish Academy 1896-1901; inventor of a thermometer for gauging the heat of the Moon

William Edward [Parsons], 5th Earl of Rosse

born

14 Jun 1873

mar.

19 Oct 1905 (Frances) Lois Lister-Kaye (b. 28 Oct 1882; mar. (2) 15 May 1920 Ivo Richard [Vesey], 5th Viscount de Vesci;  d. 1984), 2nd dau. of Sir Cecil Edmund Lister-Kaye, 4th Bt., by his wife Lady Beatrice Adeline Pelham-Clinton, 1st dau. of Henry Pelham Alexander [Pelham-Clinton], 6th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme

children

1. Hon (Lawrence) Michael Harvey Parsons, later 6th Earl of Rosse

2. Hon Desmond Edward Parsons (b. 13 dec 1910; d. 4 Jul 1937)

1. Lady (Mary) Bridget Parsons (b. 27 Oct 1907; d. 26 Jan 1982)

died

10 Jun 1918 (bur. at Parsonstown)

suc. by

son

note

Lieut, 4 Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment 1896-97; Lieut, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards 1898-1900; served in the South African War 1899-1900; Maj 1906, retired 1907; Lord Lieutenant of King's County 1909-18; a Representative Peer for Ireland 1911-18; rejoined the Irish Guards and served in World War I 1914-18

(Lawrence) Michael Harvey [Parsons], 6th Earl of Rosse, KBE

born

28 Sep 1906

mar.

19 Sep 1935 Anne Armstrong-Jones (former wife of Ronald Owen Lloyd Armstrong-Jones MBE, of Plas Ninas, co. Caernarvon;  d. 1992), only dau. of Lt Col Leonard Charles Rudolph Messel OBE, of Nymans, Staplefield, co. Sussex, by his wife Maud Francis Sambourne, only dau. of Edward Linley Sambourne, of Stafford Terrace, West London

children

1. Hon (William Clere Leonard) Brendan Wilmer Parsons, later 7th Earl of Rosse

2. Hon (Desmond Oliver) Martin Parsons, of Womersley Park, Doncaster, co. York (b. 23 Dec 1938), mar. 22 May 1965 Aline Edwina Macdonald, only dau. of Dr George Alexander Macdonald, of Gable End, Priors Marston, co. Warwick, and has issue

died

1 Jul 1979

suc. by

son

note

served in World War II as Capt, Irish Guards ; MBE 1945; Chairman, Georgian Group 1947-68; Vice Chancellor, University of Dublin 1949-64 and Pro-Chancellor 1965-79; KBE 1974 ; Lord Rosse was Trustee, Deputy Chairman and Chairman of many organisations

(William Clere Leonard) Brendan Wilmer [Parsons], 7th Earl of Rosse

born

21 Oct 1936

mar.

15 Oct 1966 Alison Margaret Cooke-Hurle (b. 27 Feb 1929), 1st dau. of Maj John Davey Cooke-Hurle, of Startforth Hall, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, by his wife Margaret Louisa Watson, dau. of Henry Crawford Watson, of Spring Lodge, Barnard Castle, co. Durham

children

1. Hon (Lawrence) Patrick Parsons, styled Lord Oxmantown (b. 31 Mar 1969), mar. 16 May 2004 Anna Lin Xiaojing, dau. of Qicai Lin, of Tianjin, China, and has issue:

1a. Hon William Charles Parsons (b. 28 Jun 2008)

1a. Hon Olivia Rose Xuewei Parsons (b. 8 Jan 2006)

2. Hon Michael John Finn Parsons (b. 9 Nov 1981)

1. Lady Alicia Siobhan Margaret Nasreen Parsons (b. 11 Mar 1971)

note

United Nations official 1963-80: Administration Officer, UNTAB Ghana 1963-65, Assistant Resident Representative Dahomey 1965-68, Area Officer Mid-West Africa 1968-70, Assistant Resident Representative Iran 1970-75, Deputy Resident Representative Bangladesh 1975-78 and Algeria 1978-80; Director: Historic Irish Houses and Gardens Association 1980-91, Agency for Personal Service Overseas 1986-90, Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation since 1985 and Lorne house Trust since 1993; Member, Irish Government's Council of Development and Co-operation 1984-89

 Last updated 30 Jul 2008

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Titles:

7th Earl of Rosse

(Ireland, let. pat. 3 Feb 1806)

7th Baron Oxmantown

(Ireland, let. pat. 25 Sep 1792)

10th Baronet, styled "of Birr Castle"

(Ireland, let. pat. 15 Dec 1677)

Address:

Birr Castle, Co. Offaly, Ireland

Tel:  +353 509 20023; Fax: +353 509 20425

Website for Birr Castle and Demesne:

www.birrcastle.com

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