Earl of Annandale and Hartfell Heirs

[S. S.]

While finishing up my re-writing Vol 1 (A) of The Complete Peerage (which is rather funny how long it took considering I started in January of 2022), I wondered about the future heirs of the Earl of Annandale and Hartfell. 

The current earl is Patrick Andrew Wentworth, 11th Earl of Annandale and Hartfell (b. 1941). His son and heir apparent is David Patrick Wentworth, styled Lord Johnstone and aso Master of Annandale and Hartfell (b. 1971). 

His son and heir in turn is Percy John Wentworth, styled Master of Johnstone (b. 2002). I noticed an earlier discussion of a son born to Percy called Kit Hamish Wentworth (b. 2019) by a Sarah Sherlock. 

The link to the thread: https://groups.google.com/g/peerage-news/c/deCwccwUH1E/m/6q7exh4eBQAJ

Can anyone confirm (1) the marriage of Percy John Wentworth, styled Master of Johnstone (b. 2002) to Sarah Sherlock and (2) whether Kit Hamish Wentworth is in line to the Earldom of Annandale and Hartfell?

Thanks, 

S.S.

[dpth...@gmail.com]

This is a very interesting set of titles.... simple to begin with, and then increasingly muddled and complicated:

James Johnstone [Johnston] (1602-Apr 1653), cr 1633 Lord Johnston of Lochwood [S] with remainder to heirs male, cr 1643 Earl of Hartfell, Lord Johnston of Lochwood, Moffatdale and Evandale [S[, with remainder to heirs male.

His son:

James, 2nd Earl of Hartfell (1625-17 Jul 1672); in 1660 he resigned his peerages and was newly cr 1661 Earl of Annandale and Hartfell [with the precedence of the 1643 creation], Viscount of Annand, Lord Johnston of Lochwood, Lochmaben, Moffatdale and Evandale [S]. 

Thus far it seems straightforward, but the problems arise as set out in the notes below, based on information from The Scots Peerage, The Complete Peerage, and Burke's Peerage. Any comments are welcome:

1. Per Scots Peerage, he had actually first resigned his Peerages and estates in 1657 in return for a new grant in favor of heirs male of his body, then to heirs female of his body, then to his sisters and the heirs of their bodies, then to his nominees, then heirs and assignees whatsoever; unlike similar resignations, this one was never confirmed by the King after his restoration, and has never been accepted as binding;

2. However, the earl again resigned his honors in 1660 and was in 1661 cr Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, etc., as said above, this time with remainder to heirs male [the words “of his body” being omitted in the Patent], then to heirs female of his body without division, then to the eldest heirs male of such heirs female bearing the name and arms of Johnstone, and finally to his nearest heirs whomsoever; Complete Peerage gives the same details about the new creation;

3. Neither Scots Peerage nor Complete Peerage mentions any modifications or creations in 1662, but Burke’s Peerage states the following, apparently based on findings of the 1985 House of Lords case: in 1662, the earl’s then only son having died, he obtained a novodamus erecting his estates into a territorial earldom with the title Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, and Lord Johnstone [S], with the 1643 precedence, with remainder to heirs male of his body, then to the eldest heir female without division, then to the lawful heirs male of the body of the said eldest female bearing the name and arms of Johnstone, and then to heirs whatsoever

4. Thus he now had two sets of peerages, one from 1661 and one from 1662; the 1661 creation’s probably accidental remainder first to “heirs male” before anyone else, and the 1662 creation’s remainder allowing heirs female of his body to take precedence after heirs male of his body, but before heirs male collateral

[S. S.]

I find it interesting you brought the Earldom's rather strange and confusing descent. The circumstances relating to it definitely took me some time to figure out and organize. Here is a draft copy of the Earldom of Annandale and Hartfell that I undertook for vol 1 of the Complete Peerage re-write. 

I think it may shed some light on the circumstances and manner of descent of this dignity. 

S.S.

[dpth...@gmail.com]

Very interesting.. thanks! I can appreciate how much effort you have put into this. My own page on the Hopes and Johnstones has much less detail, but has all the genealogical information I could find from a variety of old Peerage works. If you have any interest in viewing it, it is at https://www.angelfire.com/realm/gotha/gotha/hope.html