Barony of Leighton of St Mellons

[colinp]

The House of Lords minutes of proceedings 16 October 2023 records:

Barony of Leighton of Saint Mellons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom The Petition of Richard Leighton Seager claiming to have succeeded to the Barony of Leighton of Saint Mellons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and praying that the Clerk of the Parliaments might be directed to enter the petitioner as Lord Leighton of Saint Mellons on the register of hereditary peers maintained under Standing Order 9(4) was presented and referred to the Lord Chancellor for a report to the House pursuant to Standing Order 10. [my bold]

The peerage books say the current peer is Robert William Henry Leighton Seager and the hp is his brother Simon John Leighton Seager, no other heirs.  So who is Richard? 

Puzzled

[S. S.]

Colin, I am a but puzzled as well. Robert is indeed the is indeed the 3rd Baron Leighton of St Mellons, but I do not know who this "Richard" is. Is this possibly a typo for Robert? I don't think Robert even changed his name to "Robert". Or did they somehow accept the petition of a random Richard person!

S.S.

[Peter FitzGerald]

There is a "The Hon. Richard Leighton Seager" (born December 1981) listed as a director of a couple of (now dissolved) companies on Companies House. His co-director for one of them was "Anna Chernine Seager" (born September 1983) - a wife or younger sister?

The 3rd Baron was born in 1955, so the dates (and courtesy title) would work for this to be a previously unknown son.

[Henry W]

Well this changes everything for this title which was possibly looking at extinction with its previously only known heir born 1957.

I found Richard Leighton SEAGAR in FreeBMD records, born Q4 1981 Exeter (m/m/n HOPWOOD) - it might be an error in the original birth certificate or the transcription, but it's pretty clear he is a legitimate son of the 3rd Baron.

If he's made this application to the House of Lords, then that suggests the 3rd Baron has died unnoticed?

I have also found Anna as Anna Chernine Lazarou-Seager in social media - suggests that she has married him (or another family member) and double-barrelled her surname.

[rich...@googlemail.com]

Robert W W H Leighton (1955 - ) m. 3Q 1978 Cardiff Wendy E. Hopwood (1956 - ). 

Children: Emma Elizabeth L Seager b. 3Q 1980 Ogwr Reg. District AND Richard Leighton Seager b. 4Q 1981 Exeter Reg. District, m. June 2004 Cardiff Reg. District Anna Chernine Lazarou, children Georgia Leighton Seager b. Glamorgan R.D 4Q 2002 (also Georgia Seager b. Aug 2004) and Sophia Eleni Seager b. Cardiff R.D August 2005.

[rich...@googlemail.com]

*Robert W H Leighton Seager.

[bx...@yahoo.com]

It does seem strange that Debrett's Online would include Emma, but not Richard.  For purposes of the peerage itself,  the inclusion of Richard would be far more important.  And his birth was in 1981, certainly enough time for this information to be included.

I'm truly baffled, but I certainly hope DPB updates its database ASAP.

Thanks to all of you in this thread who brought this information to light.

Brooke

[S. S.]

Since our Richard has given his application to be put on the register of hereditary peers, does this not mean that the present 3rd Baron Leighton of St Mellons has already died? If so, when did he die? 

Brooke, I noticed something interesting. Richard is not given in Debrett's 2003 edition. I would wager he is not found in the 2019 edition either (I sadly do not have a copy of the publication) or previous ones, but he probably would never have been recorded in that either. Considering he was born in 1981, till 2003 and afterwards, it would have been quite a lot of time to note down his birth and given his status in line of succession to the peerage. 

Perhaps someone (a) requested to keep Richard out of Debrett's; (b) Richard himself in later life requested to be kept out of Debrett's; or (c) his birth just went unnoticed and everyone assumed in due course the next heir would be the 3rd baron's brother (much like us today). The same should be true in Burke's Peerage. I think it is more likely his birth itself was not given out to the peerage writers for some reason.

S.S.

[Henry W]

Agreed that the 3rd Baron must have died - the fact that we don't know about it, and nor do the books, suggests that this family has little interest in keeping "the record" up to date, and this is why we didn't know about Richard.  Its quite possible that the 3rd Baron's dau was only discovered due to GRO searches done by Debrett's / Burke's researchers, rather than family notification.  The fact that Richard's surname was misspelt in the index (I have now viewed the scan of the GRO index that historically was available at St Catherine's House / the FRC in Islington and that uses the SEAGAR spelling) may mean that it was missed by that researcher.

[rich...@googlemail.com]

Henry, yes and also Richard's birth recorded in the Exeter registration district may have thrown researchers of the scent. 

I have now had contact with Richard Leighton Seager, in his message to me he states his father, the 3rd Baron, died on the 28th May 2023.

[https:/www.maltagenealogy.com/LeighRayment/]

Next question is there any offical memorial or notice of the funeral of the 3rd Baron ?

Secondly, Richard Leighton Seager birth, any marriages and issue ?

[https:/www.maltagenealogy.com/LeighRayment/]

Date of birth noted here : December 1981  https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/7FRhGtUtP5Wm9nEov2L_PycF7v4/appointments 

[RichardMH]

Forgive me, but have you not read any of my posts above which give Richard's birth, marriage and issue and the date of his father's death........

[colinp]

The memorandum of incorporation for Whitchurch Barbers Ltd (CRN 9777155 - now dissolved) show that Richard Leighton Seager was born 1 Dec 1981 and his wife Anna was b 12 Sept 1983 (see Companies House website)

[bx...@yahoo.com]

Now we know the 3rd Baron has died (with his DOD) and was succeeded by his previously unknown son.

 We also know that the new Baron has 2 daughters, so his uncle, Hon Simon John Leighton (b. 1957) is now hp to his nephew

Amazing detective work by all of you on this thread, which is why this group is the best!

Brooke

[Richard R]

SEAGER, [Hon] WILLIAM LEIGHTON, b c2012 reg Q1 Merthyr Tidfil (mother LAZAROU)

Assuming his father succeeds in his petition & is recognised as 4^th Baron LEIGHTON OF ST MELLONS, this child with be the apparent heir to the barony. Very good news, since his gt Uncle Simon has only daus.

[bx...@yahoo.com]

Good news indeed!

Thank you, Richard.

Brooke

[RichardMH]

Further communications with Richard Leighton Seager (4th Baron) has provided the following information.......

Hon Thelma Margaret Seager (b. 1923 d. 2017) m. (1) 1951, div. 1981 Michael Edmonds. m.(2) 1983 Joseph Evan Lloyd, Richard's great-aunt, was the family informant for Debrett's. She forgot to notify them of his birth before passing away and his father never got chance to update the record before he became ill.

(Hon) William Leighton Seager was b. 8th Februay 2012.

RLS and Anna Chernine Lazarou were divorced in January 2021.

[bx...@yahoo.com]

RichardMH,

Thank you for this update.

Brooke

[RichardMH]

Thank you Brooke.

Richard

[Patricia Light]

Wikipedia record the death of the 3rd Baron & the accession of the 4th Baron & also his heir.

[bx...@yahoo.com]

Patricia,

It will be interesting to see how long it takes for DPB to update its database on this record alone.

Brooke

[Patricia Light]

Good news, Debretts have updated the title to show Richard & his heir Hon William

[S. S.]

That was quick, probably the information came from the firsthand source and was thus included much quicker. 

S.S.

[colinp]

From the House of Lords Minutes of Proceedings 8 Nov 2023:

Barony of Leighton of Saint Mellons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom The Lord Chancellor reported that Richard Leighton Seager had established his claim to the Barony of Leighton of Saint Mellons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Clerk of the Parliaments was accordingly directed to enter Lord Leighton of Saint Mellons on the register of hereditary peers maintained under Standing Order 9(4).

[colinp]

Sir Richard Leighton SEAGER, 2nd [sic] Baron Leighton of Saint Mellons is now entered on the Official Roll of the baronetage as the 4th Baronet Seager of St Mellons.  [He is of course the 4th Baron not the 2nd Baron]

This is the first time the baronetcy has been on the Roll since the death of the 1st Baronet in 1963.