Baron Compton

Baron Compton is an abeyant title in the Peerage of England, meaning that inheritance of the title stopped because there was no legal priority as to which daughter would inherit the title. The title was created in 1572 for the Tudor politician, Sir Henry Compton. In 1618, his son was created Earl of Northampton. The titles remained united until the fifth earl died without any male heirs in 1754 and the title passed to his only daughter, Charlotte, who had already inherited the title of Baroness Ferrers of Chartley from her mother in 1740. Charlotte was the wife of Hon. George Townshend, who became Viscount Townshend in 1764 and was created Marquess Townshend after her death in 1770. The title then remained with the marquessate until her grandson, the third marquess, died childless in 1855 and both baronies became abeyant between his sisters and their descendants.

Arms of Compton: Sable, a lion passant guardant or between three esquire's helmets argent

Barons Compton (1572)

• Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton (1544–1589)
• William Compton, 1st Earl of Northampton, 2nd Baron Compton (d. 1630)
• Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton, 3rd Baron Compton (1601–1643)
• James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton, 4th Baron Compton (1622–1681)
• George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, 5th Baron Compton (1664–1727)
• James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton, 6th Baron Compton (1687–1754)
• Charlotte Townshend, 16th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley, 7th Baroness Compton (d. 1770)
• George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend, 8th Baron Compton (1753–1811)
• George Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend, 9th Baron Compton (1778–1855)

Family tree

Huntingdon (7th creation), Northampton, and Wilmington family tree

Robert 1000–1035 Duke of Normandy Adelaide of Normandy c. 1030–before 1090 Countess of Aumale William the Conqueror c. 1028–1087 King of England Earl of Huntingdon (1st creation), 1065 Earl of Northampton (1st creation), 1071 Waltheof d. 1076 Earl of Northumbria, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Earl of Northampton Judith of Lens 1054/1055–c. 1090, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon Maud c. 1074–1130 3rd Countess of Huntingdon, 2nd Countess of Northampton Queen of Scotland Simon I de Senlis d. 1111–1113 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, 2nd Earl of Northampton jure uxoris Simon II de Senlis c. 1098–1153 4th Earl of Huntingdon, 3rd Earl of Northampton Simon III de Senlis c. 1138–1184 5th Earl of Huntingdon, 4th Earl of Northampton Earldom of Northampton (1st creation) reverted to the Crown, 1184 Earl of Northampton (2nd creation), 1337 William de Bohun c. 1312 – 1373 Earl of Hereford, Earl of Essex, 1st Earl of Northampton Edward III 1312–1377 King of England Humphrey de Bohun 1342–1373 Earl of Hereford, Earl of Essex, 2nd Earl of Northampton John of Gaunt 1340–1399 Duke of Lancaster Thomas of Woodstock 1355–1397 Duke of Gloucester Earldom of Northampton (2nd creation) abeyant, 1373 Earl of Northampton (2nd creation restored), 1384 Earl of Northampton (3rd creation), 1399 Henry Bolingbroke c. 1367 – 1413 3rd Earl of Northampton, later King Henry IV Anne of Gloucester 1383–1438 Countess of Northampton Earldom of Northampton (2nd creation) merged in the crown, 1399 Earldom of Northampton (3rd creation) extinct, 1438 Earl of Huntingdon (7th creation), 1529 George Hastings 1488–1544 1st Earl of Huntingdon Baron Hastings of Loughborough, 1558 Francis Hastings 1514–1561 2nd Earl of Huntingdon Edward Hastings c. 1521–1572 Baron Hastings of Loughborough Barony Hastings of Loughborough extinct, 1572 Earl of Northampton, (4th creation), 1604 Baron Compton, 1572 Henry Howard 1540–1614 Earl of Northampton Henry Compton 1544–1589 1st Baron Compton Frances Anne Hastings 1533–1574 Henry Hastings 1536–1595 3rd Earl of Huntingdon George Hastings 1540–1604 4th Earl of Huntingdon Edward Hastings 1541–1603 Earldom of Northampton (4th creation) extinct, 1614 Earl of Northampton (5th creation), 1618 William Compton d. 1630 1st Earl of Northampton, 2nd Baron Compton Francis Hastings 1560–1595 Henry c. 1555–1640 Henry Hastings 1586–1643 5th Earl of Huntingdon Spencer Compton 1601–1643 2nd Earl of Northampton, 3rd Baron Compton Ferdinando Hastings 1609–1656 6th Earl of Huntingdon Henry b. 1605 James Compton 1622–1681 3rd Earl of Northampton, 4th Baron Compton Theophilus Hastings 1650–1701 7th Earl of Huntingdon Richard 1645–1714 Baron Wilmington, 1728 Earl of Wilmington and Viscount Pevensey, 1730 George Compton 1664–1727 4th Earl of Northampton, 5th Baron Compton Spencer Compton c. 1674 – 1743 Earl of Wilmington, Viscount Pevensey, Baron Wilmington George Hastings 1677–1705 8th Earl of Huntingdon Henry 1701–1786 Earldom of Wilmington, Vicountcy Pevensey, and Barony Wilmington extinct, 1743 James Compton 1687–1754 5th Earl of Northampton, 6th Baron Compton George Compton 1692–1758 6th Earl of Northampton Charles Compton Theophilus Hastings c. 1696–1746 9th Earl of Huntingdon Charlotte Townshend d. 1770 Viscountess Townshend, Baroness Ferrers of Chartley, 7th Baroness Compton Charles Compton 1737–1763 7th Earl of Northampton Francis Hastings 1729–1789 10th Earl of Huntingdon Theophilus Hastings 1728–1804 11th Earl of Huntingdon de jure George 1735–1802 Earldom of Huntingdon dormant/abeyant, 1804 George Townshend 1753–1811 Marquess Townshend, Earl of Leicester, Viscount Townshend, Baron Townshend, Baron Ferrers of Chartley, 8th Baron Compton Spencer Compton 1760–1828 8th Earl of Northampton Marquess of Northampton (2nd creation), Earl Compton and Baron Wilmington, 1812 Earldom of Huntingdon claim restored, 1819 George Townshend (1778–1885) Marquess Townshend, Earl of Leicester, Viscount Townshend, Baron Townshend, Baron Ferrers of Chartley, 9th Baron Compton Charles Compton 1760–1828 1st Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 9th Earl of Northampton Hans "Francis" Hastings 1779–1828 12th Earl of Huntingdon Barony Compton abeyant, 1855 Spencer Joshua Alwyne Compton 1790–1851 2nd Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 10th Earl of Northampton Charles Douglas-Compton 1816–1877 3rd Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 11th Earl of Northampton William Compton 1818–1897 4th Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 12th Earl of Northampton Francis Theophilus Henry Hastings 1808–1875 13th Earl of Huntingdon George 1814–1876 Francis Power Plantagenet Hastings 1841–1885 14th Earl of Huntingdon William George Spencer Scott Compton 1851–1913 5th Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 13th Earl of Northampton Warner Francis John Plantagenet Hastings 1868–1939 15th Earl of Huntingdon Aubrey 1878–1929 Hans 1865–1933 William Bingham Compton 1885–1978 6th Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 14th Earl of Northampton Francis John Clarence Westenra Plantagenet Hastings 1901–1990 16th Earl of Huntingdon Peter Hastings-Bass 1920–1964 George 1905–1981 Spencer Douglas David Compton b. 1946 7th Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 15th Earl of Northampton William Edward Robin Hood Hastings-Bass b. 1948 17th Earl of Huntingdon John Hastings-Bass b. 1954 George 1938–2005 Heir presumptive to the Earldom of Huntingdon Daniel Bingham Compton b. 1973 styled Earl Compton Adam b. 1977 Heir apparent to the Marquessate of Northampton Second Heir presumptive to the Earldom of Huntingdon

References

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages