| Earldom of Mexborough | |
|---|---|
Arms of Savile: Argent, on a bend sable three owls guardant close of the field; Crest: An owl guardant close argent; Supporters: On either side a lion proper collared and chained or | |
| Creation date | 11 February 1766 |
| Created by | King George III |
| Peerage | Peerage of Ireland |
| First holder | John Savile, 1st Baron Pollington |
| Present holder | John Savile, 8th Earl of Mexborough |
| Heir presumptive | John Savile, Viscount Pollington |
| Remainder to | The 1st Earls’ heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount Pollington Baron Pollington |
| Status | Extant |
| Seat(s) | Arden Hall |
| Former seat(s) | Methley Hall |
| Motto | BE FAST |
Earl of Mexborough, of Lifford in the County of Donegal, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 11 February 1766 for John Savile, 1st Baron Pollington, Member of Parliament for Hedon and New Shoreham. He had already been created Baron Pollington, of Longford in the County of Longford, on 8 November 1753,[1] and was made Viscount Pollington, of Ferns in the County of Wexford, at the same time as he was given the earldom.[2] These titles are also in the Peerage of Ireland. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He represented Lincoln in the House of Commons. His son, the third Earl, was Member of Parliament for Pontefract for many years. On his death the titles passed to his son, the fourth Earl. He represented Gatton and Pontefract in Parliament as a Conservative. His son, the fifth Earl, was High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1877. He was succeeded by his half-brother, the sixth Earl. As of 2018[update] the titles are held by the latter's grandson, the eighth Earl, who succeeded his father in 1980.
Despite their territorial designations and the fact that they are in the Peerage of Ireland, all three titles refer to places in England, namely Mexborough and Pollington in Yorkshire.
The current seat of the Earls of Mexborough is Arden Hall, near Hawnby, in Yorkshire. The estate was purchased by the family in 1897. Previously the family had lived at Methley Hall , which was demolished in 1958. John Horace Savile, 5th Earl of Mexborough, also built Castle Devachan in San Remo, the site of the 1920 San Remo conference.[3] The former Bishop's House at Eltofts, Thorner, near Leeds, was the Dower House of the Earls of Mexborough.[4]
