Count Ranfurly

The title was created on September 14, 1831 for Thomas Knox, 2nd Viscount of Northland (1754-1840). He previously represented the county of Tyrone in the House of Commons . In 1826, he received the title of Baron Ranfurly in the county of Renfrew ( peerage of the United Kingdom ). Thomas Knox was the eldest son of Thomas Knox, who represented Dungannon in the Irish House of Commons . He received the titles of Baron Wells of Dungannon in the county of Tyrone ( 1781 ) and Viscount Northland of Dungannon in the county of Tyrone ( 1791 ). Both titles were part of the peery of Ireland . Lord Northland also served in the House of Lords of Great Britain , being one of 28 Irish representative peers .

In 1840, Thomas Knox, 1st Earl, was succeeded by his son, Thomas Knox, 2nd Earl Ranfurly (1786-1858). He sat in the House of Commons from the counties of Tyrone and Dungannon . His son, Thomas Knox, 3rd Earl of Ranfurley (1816–1858), also represented Dungannon in parliament . After his early death in 1858, the titles were inherited by his eight-year-old son, Thomas Grenville Henry Knox, 4th Earl of Ranfurly (1849–1875). He also died young, and his younger brother, Hubert Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly (1856-1933) became his successor. He served as Lord-on-hold (1895–1897) in the third conservative government of Lord Salisbury and was Governor of New Zealand (1897–1904).

His grandson, the 6th Earl of Ranfurly, known as Dan Ranfurly (1913-1988), became famous for his exploits during the Second World War , and also served as governor of the Bahamas (1953-1956). His wife Hermione, Countess Ranfurley (1913-2001) left memories of her life and that of her husband during World War II. The 6th Earl was remembered for the organization of library services, creating the organization Book Aid International. They had one daughter, Lady Caroline Knox (born 1948 ), but had no sons. In 1988, he was succeeded by a distant relative, Gerald Knox, 7th Earl of Ranfurly (born 1929 ). He is a descendant of the Honorable John Knox, the third son of the 1st Earl of Ranfurley.

The Honorable William Knox (1826–1900), the youngest son of the 2nd Earl of Ranfurley, was a member of the House of Commons of Great Britain from Dungannon (1851–1874).

Earls of Ranfurley's family residence is the Maltinges Chase , near the village of Neyland in Suffolk County.

• 1791-1818: Thomas Knox, 1st Viscount Northland (April 20, 1729 - November 5, 1818), son of Thomas Knox (d. 1769) and Hester Echlin (d. 1766)
• 1818-1840: Thomas Knox, 2nd Viscount Northland (August 5, 1754 - April 26, 1840), the eldest son of the previous one, Earl of Ranfurley since 1831

• 1831-1840: Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurley (August 5, 1754 - April 26, 1840), the eldest son of the 1st Viscount Northland and Anne Wiesey (d.1803)
• 1840-1858: Thomas Knox, 2nd Earl of Ranfurly (April 19, 1786 - March 21, 1858), the eldest son of the previous
• 1858-1858: Thomas Knox, 3rd Earl of Ranfurly (November 13, 1816 - May 20, 1858), the eldest son of the previous
• 1858–1875: Thomas Grenville Stuart Henry Knox, 4th Earl of Ranfurly (July 28, 1849 - May 10, 1875), second son of the 2nd Earl of Ranfurley
• 1875-1933: Uhter ​​John Mark Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly (August 14, 1856 - October 1, 1933), the youngest son of the 2nd Earl of Ranfurly
• 1933-1988: Thomas Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurley (May 29, 1914 - November 6, 1988), the eldest son of Thomas Uchter Knox, Viscount Northland (1882-1915) and grandson of the 5th Earl of Ranfurley
• 1988 - present: Gerald Francois Needham Knox, 7th Earl of Ranfurly (born January 4, 1929), eldest son of Captain John Needham Knox (1890-1967) and descendant of John Henry Knox (1788-1872), third son of the 1st Count Ranfurly.
  • Heir: Edward John Knox, Viscount Northland (born May 21, 1957), the eldest son of the previous
    • Second heir: Adam Henry Knox (born December 7, 1994), the only son of the previous one.

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• thepeerage.com