The title was first bestowed upon
Francis Aungier, 3rd Baron Aungier of Longford, in 1677, with remainder to his younger brother Ambrose. He had previously represented
Surrey in the
House of Commons and had already been created
Viscount Longford in the Peerage of Ireland in 1675, with similar remainder. He was succeeded according to the special remainder (and, normally, in the barony) by his brother Ambrose, the second Earl. On his death in 1706 all the titles became extinct. The title of
Baron Aungier of Longford was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1621 for the first Earl's grandfather
Sir Francis Aungier,
Master of the Rolls in Ireland. The latter was succeeded by his eldest son Gerald, the second Baron, who in his turn was succeeded by his nephew, the aforementioned third Baron and first Earl of Longford, the eldest son of Ambrose Aungier, Chancellor of
St Patrick's Cathedral, second son of the first Baron.
Gerald Aungier, brother of the first Earl, was
Governor of Bombay.
Alice Aungier, sister of the first and second Earl of Longford, married
Sir James Cuffe,
Member of Parliament for
County Mayo. Their son
Francis Cuffe also represented County Mayo in the Irish Parliament. Francis's son
Michael Cuffe sat as Member of Parliament for
County Mayo and
Longford Borough. Michael's daughter Elizabeth Cuffe married
Thomas Pakenham, of
Pakenham Hall, just outside
Castlepollard,
County Westmeath, in 1739. Thomas represented
Longford Borough in the
Irish House of Commons. In 1756 the Longford title held by his wife's ancestors was revived when he was raised to the
Peerage of Ireland as
Baron Longford, in the County of Longford. In 1785 the earldom was also revived when Elizabeth was created
Countess of Longford in her own right in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Longford was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Baron. He represented
County Longford in the Irish Parliament. He died aged only 49 and was succeeded by his son, the third Baron. In 1794 the third baron also succeeded his grandmother as second Earl of Longford. Lord Longford sat in the
British House of Lords as one of the 28 original
Irish representative peers. In 1821 he was created
Baron Silchester, of Silchester in the County of Southampton, in the
Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him and his heirs an automatic seat in the House of Lords. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Earl. He died unmarried and was succeeded by his younger brother, the fourth Earl. He was a
Conservative politician and served under the
Earl of Derby and
Benjamin Disraeli as
Under-Secretary of State for War from 1866 to 1868. His son, the fifth Earl, was
Lord-Lieutenant of County Longford from 1887 to 1915. Lord Longford was killed in action at
Gallipoli in 1915. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the sixth Earl. He was a minor playwright and poet and also sat as a member of
Seanad Éireann between 1946 and 1948. He died childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the seventh Earl. He was a prominent
Labour politician and social activist. In 1945, sixteen years before he succeeded his elder brother, he was raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom in his own right as
Baron Pakenham, of Cowley in the City of Oxford. Lord Longford served in the Labour administrations of
Clement Attlee and
Harold Wilson as
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster,
First Lord of the Admiralty,
Lord Privy Seal,
Leader of the House of Lords and
Secretary of State for the Colonies. In 1999, at the age of 94 and after the
House of Lords Act 1999 removed the automatic right of
hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, Lord Longford was created a
life peer as
Baron Pakenham of Cowley, of Cowley in the County of Oxfordshire. He was therefore able to remain a member of the House of Lords until his death in 2001. the titles (other than that of Baron Pakenham of Cowley, which as a life peerage became extinct in 2001) are held by his eldest son,
the eighth Earl. He does not use his title and did not use his
courtesy title of Lord Silchester which he was entitled to from 1961 to 2001. Known simply as Thomas Pakenham, he is a writer and historian. Several other members of the Pakenham family have also gained distinction.
Henry Pakenham, great-grandfather of the first Baron, represented
Navan in the
Irish House of Commons. His son
Sir Thomas Pakenham, grandfather of the first Baron, sat as
Member of Parliament for
Augher. Sir Thomas's son
Edward Pakenham, father of the first Baron, represented
County Westmeath in the Irish Parliament. The Honourable
Sir Thomas Pakenham, third son of the first Baron and the Countess of Longford, was an
admiral in the
Royal Navy. His fourth son Sir John Pakenham was also an admiral in the Royal Navy while his fifth son
Sir Richard Pakenham was a noted diplomat and served as
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States from 1843 to 1847. The Honourable
Sir Edward Pakenham, second son of the second Baron, was a
major-general in the army. He served in the
Peninsular Wars under his brother-in-law,
General Arthur Wellesey, who married his sister
Kitty Pakenham in 1806. Sir Edward Pakenham was killed at the
Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The Honourable
Sir Hercules Pakenham (1781–1850), third son of the second Baron, was a
lieutenant-general in the army and
Member of Parliament for
Westmeath. He was the father of 1)
Edward Pakenham, MP for
Antrim, and 2)
Sir Thomas Pakenham, also a lieutenant-general. The latter's eldest son
Hercules Pakenham was an
Ulster Unionist Party member of the
Senate of Northern Ireland. The Honourable Thomas Alexander Pakenham (1820–1889), third son of the second Earl, was a
rear-admiral in the Royal Navy. His second son
Sir William Pakenham was an admiral in the Royal Navy. The Honourable
Sir Francis Pakenham, seventh son of the second Earl, was a diplomat and notably served as
Ambassador to Sweden.
Lady Violet Pakenham, daughter of the fifth Earl, was a writer and critic and the wife of the author
Anthony Powell.
Elizabeth Pakenham (born Harman), Countess of Longford, wife of the seventh Earl, was a writer and social activist.
Lady Antonia Fraser and
Rachel Billington, daughters of the seventh Earl, are both prominent authors.
Lady Judith Kazantzis, daughter of the seventh Earl, is a poet. The Honourable
Sir Michael Pakenham, third son of the seventh Earl, is a diplomat. The ancestral seat of the Pakenham family is
Tullynally Castle,
County Westmeath. Previously known as Pakenham Hall, it was renamed by the current owner, Thomas Pakenham and
North Aston Hall near
North Aston,
Oxfordshire Not to be confused with
Baron Longford, a minor British Peerage title (1747) of the current
Earl of Radnor. ==Baron Aungier of Longford (1621)==