EXETER, EARL, MARQUESS AND DUKE OF.
These English titles have been borne at different times by mem bers of the families of Holand or Holland, Beaufort, Courtenay and Cecil. The earls of Devon of the family of de Redvers were sometimes called earls of Exeter; but the 1st duke of Exeter was JOHN (c. a younger son of Thomas Holand, earl of Kent (d. 136o). He owed his high station at the English court to the fact that he was the king's half-brother, his mother having married Edward, the Black Prince. He married Elizabeth (d. 1426), a daughter of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, and was constantly in Richard's train until 1385, when his murder of Ralph Stafford disturbed these friendly relations. In 1387 he was created earl of Huntingdon, admiral of the fleet and chamberlain of England, and was again high in the king's favour. In after assisting Richard in the proceedings against the lords ap pellant, he was created duke of Exeter. After the accession of his brother-in-law, Henry IV., Holand was tried for his share in the events of 1397, and was reduced to his earlier rank of earl of Huntingdon. His plots against Henry, led to his capture and execution at Pleshey, Essex, on Jan. 16, He was afterwards attainted and his titles and lands were forfeited.
In 1416 THOMAS BEAUFORT, earl of Dorset, was created duke of Exeter for life. In the same year JoHN (1395-1447), son of John Holand, the former duke of Exeter, was allowed to take his father's earldom of Huntingdon. This nobleman assisted Henry V. in his conquest of France, fighting both on sea and on land. He was marshal of England, admiral of England and governor of Aquitaine under Henry VI. ; was one of the king's representatives at the conference of Arras in 1435; and in 1443 was created duke of Exeter. When he died on Aug. 5, 1447, his titles passed to his son HENRY , who, although married to Anne (d. 1476), daughter of Richard, duke of York, fought for Henry VI. during the Wars of the Roses. After having been imprisoned by 'There is some difference of opinion about the place and manner of the earl's death, and this question has an important bearing upon the privilege of trial by peers of the realm. See L. W. Vernon-Har court, His Grace the Steward and Trial of Peers (1907).
York at Pontefract, he was present at the battle of Towton, sailed with Henry's queen, Margaret of Anjou, to Flanders in 1463, and was wounded at Barnet in 1471. In 1461 he had been attainted and his dukedom declared forfeited, and he died without sons, probably in Coming to the family of Courtenay the title of marquess of Exeter was borne by HENRY COURTENAY (c. 1496-1538), earl of Devon, who was made a marquess in 1525. Courtenay was a prominent figure at the court of Henry VIII. until Thomas Crom well rose to power, when his high birth, his great wealth and his independent position made him an object of suspicion. Some slight discontent in the west of England gave the occasion for his arrest, and he was tried and beheaded on Dec. 9, 1538. A few days later he was declared a traitor and his titles were forfeited; although his only son, EDWARD (c. 1526-1556), who was restored to the earldom of Devon in 1553 and was a suitor for the hand of Queen Mary, is sometimes called marquess of Exeter.
The title of earl of Exeter was first bestowed upon the Cecils (see CECIL : Family) in 1605 when THOMAS, 2nd Lord Burghley the eldest son of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, was made earl of Exeter by James I. Thomas was a member of parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, who knighted him in 1575, and had fought under the earl of Leicester in the Nether lands. In 1S98 he became president of the Council of the North and was made a knight of the Garter. He died on Feb. 7, or 8, 1623. His direct descendants continued to bear the title of earl of Exeter, and in 1801 HENRY (1754-1804), the Toth earl, was advanced to the dignity of marquess of Exeter, the present mar quess being his lineal descendant. The rst marquess is Tennyson's "lord of Burghley." See G. E. C(okayne), Complete Peerage