Baron Forester

Baron Forester, of Willey Park in the County of Shropshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1821 for Cecil Weld-Forester, who had previously represented Wenlock in the House of Commons. Born Cecil Forester, he assumed the additional surname of Weld by Royal license in 1811. His son, the second Baron, also represented Wenlock from 1790 in Parliament and later served in the Tory administration of Sir Robert Peel as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords) from 1841 to 1846.

He was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Baron. He sat as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Wenlock for 46 years, and was Father of the House of Commons from 1873 to 1874. His nephew, the fifth Baron, also represented Wenlock in Parliament as a Conservative. Both his son, the sixth Baron, and grandson, the seventh Baron, served as Mayor of Wenlock. As of 2010, the title is held by the latter's grandson, the ninth Baron, who succeeded his father in 2004.

The family were anciently hereditary foresters of Wellington Hay in Mount Gilbert Forest, and lived at Wellington or at Watling Street Hall (later Old hall), where they had a half virgate of land held by keeping the Hay. John ForesterJohn Forester (cyclist) (died c.1521) leased Wellington Hay from perhaps 1512, and another John Forester bought its freehold in 1555.[1] The family became gentry and several of the family became a Member of Parliament for Wenlock.

Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was a great-great-granddaughter of the 1st Baron Forester.

Charles Richard George Weld-Forester, the current and 9th Baron, is distantly related to His Royal Highness Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and his noble children Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster, Lady Davina Lewis and Lady Rose Gilman via Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.

Predecessors

Barons Forester (1821)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Brook George Percival Weld, born 29 March, 2014.[3]

Notes

  1. 'Wellington: Manors and other estates', A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 11: Telford (1985), pp. 215-221.Shropshire manor. Date accessed: 20 May 2008.
  2. Milverton, Charles. "Battling for the benefactress".
  3. Peerage News. http://peeragenews.blogspot.co.uk

References