Compton family, Marquesses of Northampton

The Compton family was established at Compton Wynyates (Warwickshire) in the 13th century and purchased Castle Ashby (Northamptonshire) in 1512. The 2nd Baron Compton, created Earl of Northampton in 1618, acquired estates in Buckinghamshire (Moulsoe), Middlesex (Canonbury), Somerset (Pitney and Wearne, Long Sutton) and elsewhere through his marriage in 1594 to Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Sir John Spencer, Lord Mayor of London. The Buckinghamshire estate and property in Warwickshire (Whatcote) was disposed of in the 19th century.

Spencer Compton (d. 1743), second son of the 3rd Earl, was created Earl of Wilmington in 1730 and acquired an estate in Sussex which passed on his death to his brother, the 4th Earl of Northampton. This, together with the Somerset property, later descended to Lord George Augustus Henry Cavendish through his marriage in 1782 to Elizabeth, daughter of the 7th Earl of Northampton.

On the death of the 5th Earl in 1754 the barony of Compton, together with some papers, descended to his daughter, suo jure Baroness Ferrers, and thence to the Townshend family, Marquesses Townshend. The 9th Earl was created Marquess of Northampton in 1812.

The Torloisk (Mull, Argyllshire) and Kinross-shire estate was acquired through the marriage of the 2nd Marquess of Northampton to Margaret Clephane in 1815, but passed to the 4th Marquess's son Lord Alwyne Compton (d. 1911). The 4th Marquess (1851-1913) married in 1884 Mary Florence, daughter of William Bingham Baring (1799-1864), 2nd Baron Ashburton, and through her inherited the Ross & Cromarty, Cornwall (Callington) and Devon (Cotleigh) estates. Of these, the English estates were sold by the 6th Marquess in 1919-20.

Estates in 1883: Northampton: 9,649 acres in Northamptonshire; 4,985 acres in Warwickshire; 3 acres in Buckinghamshire; 8,000 acres in Argyllshire; 864 acres in Kinross-shire; worth a total of £23,870 a year. Ashburton: 2,676 acres in Devon; 1,872 acres in Cornwall; 190 acres in Hampshire; 28,556 acres in Ross & Cromarty, worth £6,002 a year.