Scottish and Irish peer elevation question

[S. S.]

Does anyone happen to know the last time a Scottish peer was elevated in rank to the peerage? The same I would like to know for an Irish peerage. 

One example I could find for Scottish peers was the 10th Lord Colville of Culross being elevated as Viscount Colville of Culross in 1902.

 Subsidiary titles that granted a seat in Parliament do not count. Succession to a peerage of a higher rank also does not count. Elevation has to be by creation.

S.S.

[Paul Theroff]

An Irish example would be the Earl Fife [I] who was made a duke in 1889. He did have a UK Barony as well.

[Paul Theroff]

Viscount Midleton [I] was created an earl in 1920; he also had a UK barony.

[Paul Theroff]

I don't find many examples which fit your criteria among the Scots Peerage, but one would be the Scots Earl of Cassilis who was created Marquess of Ailsa in 1831.

On Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 9:14:03 AM UTC-5 S. S. wrote:

[David Beamish]

I am unsure about the Colville example as he was already a UK Baron (created 1885). How about the 10th Lord Elibank, created a Viscount in 1911?

For an Irish example, how about the 1st Lord Whitworth, created a Viscount in 1813 (and then an Earl in 1815)?

[Paul Theroff]

It's unclear whether you are excluding Scots/Irish peers who also happened to hold lower UK baronies granting a seat in the UK Parliament, which explains some of the examples already mentioned.

Another one: the Scots Earl of Breadalbane and Holland was created a marquess in 1831, tough he had already gained a UK barony in 1806.

The Irish Earl of Clanricarde was created a marquess in 1825.

On Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 9:14:03 AM UTC-5 S. S. wrote:

[Paul Theroff]

Baron Frankfort de Montmorency [I, cr 1800] was raised to a Viscountcy of the same name, also [I], in 1816.

[S. S.]

Thank you all for the examples. It appears by the start of the 20th century, the peerages I mentioned had already been waned off on scottish/irish peers, most being given subsidiary titles to sit in the HoL. 

S.S.

[Paul Theroff]

There was one quite unusual "sideways promotion" in 1939, when the 9th Earl of Bessborough [I] was created 1st Earl of Bessborough [UK]. It would be interesting to know why this happened. It was not so that he would have a seat in the UK House of Lords, because the 1st Irish earl had been given a GB Barony as early as 1749, and the 9th earl held that GB Barony.

[David Beamish]

 In those days seniority within the House of Lords was indicated by rank in the English/GB/UK peerage, and so the new title would have moved the Earl significantly up the ranking order! Likewise with the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1937) who was previously only a baron (Bowes) in the UK peerage.  

[Paul Theroff]

thanks! that makes sense.

[S. S.]

Was it by a similar reason that the 5th Earl of Rosebery [S] was made Earl of Midlothian in 1911?

S.S.

[Paul Theroff]

Thinking more about this "seniority" matter, can you explain what benefit the increased seniority would have given Lords Bessborough and Strathmore? Presumably they would get to march several places further up in some processions, and maybe get a better seat in the lunchroom? Would they get better speaking slots in the House, or better committee assignments?

To the extent that precedence was still being used at dinner parties and other social gatherings, such a promotion in seniority could give some social benefits to the peer and his wife, I suppose?

Bessborough's governmant service was worthy of being rewarded. I wonder whether he was offered, and declined, a more significant promotion. I assume that in Strathmore's case it was just a semi-royal promotion.

On Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 2:54:46 PM UTC-5 David Beamish wrote:

[malcolm davies]

Some additional examples:

1825 19th Earl of Ormonde to be Marquess of Ormonde

1825 14th Earl of Clanricarde to be Marquess of Clanricarde

1831 4th Earl of Breadalbane to be Marquess of Breadalbane

1885 7th Earl of Breadalbane to be Marquess of Breadalbane

1871 5th Baron Dufferin to be Earl of Dufferin(later further promoted to Marquess of Dufferin)

1912 1st Lord Curzon of Kedleston(I) to be Earl Curzon(later further promoted to Marquess Curzon of Kedleston)

[Jonathan]

In general, there was the prestige of being a higher rank in the peerage. They were intended as honours for people who in many cases already long ago gained a seat in the Lords.

In the case of Scottish/Irish peers not holding a UK barony, it was also to enable them to sit without being representative peers.

Lord Curzon of Kedleston was that last person to be given an Irish peerage, which were no longer regularly created by that time, specifically so that he couldn't sit in the Lords, in case he wished to become an MP (which he never did, subsequently joining the Lords in any case).