LINCOLN, EARLS OF. The first earl of Lincoln was prob ably William de Roumare (c. 1095—c. 1155), who was created earl about 1140. King Stephen granted the earldom to one of his sup porters, Gilbert de Gand (d. 1156), who was related to the former earl. After Gilbert's death the earldom was dormant for about 6o years; then in 1216 it was given to another Gilbert de Gand, and later it was claimed by the great earl of Chester, Ranulf or Randulph, de Blundevill (d. 1232). From Ranulf the title to the earldom passed through his sister Hawise to the family of Lacy, John de Lacy (d. 1240) being made earl of Lincoln in 1232. He was son of Roger de Lacy (d. 1212), justiciar of England and constable of Chester. It was held by the Lacys until the death of Henry, the 3rd earl.
Henry served Edward I. in Wales, France and Scotland, both as a soldier and a diplomatist. He succeeded (1296) Edmund, earl of Lancaster, as commander of the English forces in Gascony. He fought at Falkirk in July 1298. He was then employed by Edward to negotiate successively with popes Boniface VIII. and Clement V., and also with Philip IV. of France ; and was present at the death of the English king in July 1307. Under Edward II. he joined Earl Thomas of Lancaster and the baronial party, was one of the "ordainers" appointed in 1310 and was regent of the kingdom during the king's absence in Scotland in the same year. He died in London on Feb. 5, 1311, and was buried in St. Paul's cathedral. He married Margaret (d. 1309), granddaughter and
heiress of William Longsword, 2nd earl of Salisbury, and his only surviving child, Alice (1283-1348), became the wife of Thomas, earl of Lancaster, who thus inherited his father-in-law's earldoms of Lincoln and Salisbury. Lincoln's Inn in London gets its name from the earl, whose London residence occupied this site. He founded Whalley abbey in Lancashire, and built Denbigh castle.
In 1349 Henry Plantagenet, earl (afterwards duke) of Lancas ter, a nephew of Earl Thomas, was created earl of Lincoln; and when his grandson Henry became king of England as Henry IV. in 1399 the title merged in the crown. In 1467 John de la Pole (c. 1464-87), a nephew of Edward IV., was made earl of Lincoln, and the same dignity was conferred in 1525 upon Henry Brandon (1516-45), son of Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. Both died without sons, and the next family to hold the earldom was that of Clinton. Edward Fiennes Clinton, 9th Lord Clinton (1512-85), lord high admiral and the husband of Henry VIII.'s mistress, Elizabeth Blount, was created earl of Lincoln in 1572. The title is still held by Clinton's descendants. In 1768 Henry Clinton, the 9th earl (1720-94), succeeded his uncle Thomas Pelham as 2nd duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, and since this date the title of earl of Lincoln has been the courtesy title of the eldest son of the duke of Newcastle.