Earl Annesley

Earl Annesley, of Castlewellan in the County of Down, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 17 August 1789 for Francis Annesley, 2nd Viscount Glerawly, with special remainder to his younger brother the Honourable Richard Annesley. He had previously represented Downpatrick in the Irish House of Commons. The titles of Baron Annesley, of Castlewellan in the County of Down, and Viscount Glerawly, in the County of Fermanagh, were created in the Peerage of Ireland on 20 September 1758 and 14 November 1766 respectively for his father William Annesley, who sat as Member of the Irish Parliament for Midleton. Annesley was the sixth son of the Honourable Francis Annesley, fourth son of Francis Annesley, 1st Viscount Valentia.

The first Earl Annesley had several illegitimate children but no legitimate issue. He was succeeded (in the earldom according to the special remainder) by his younger brother, the second Earl. He had earlier represented seven different constituencies in the Irish Parliament and served as a Commissioner of Customs for Ireland. His eldest son, the third Earl, sat in the British House of Commons as the representative for Downpatrick. On his death the titles passed to his eldest son, the fourth Earl. He sat as Conservative Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby and was an Irish Representative Peer in the House of Lords from 1857 to 1874.

He never married and was succeeded by his younger brother, the fifth Earl. He was a soldier and also represented County Cavan in Parliament as a Conservative. Between 1877 and 1908 he sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative Peer. His line of the family failed on the death of his only son, the sixth Earl, who was killed during the First World War. The late Earl was succeeded by his first cousin, the seventh Earl. He was the son of the Hon. William Octavius Beresford Annesley, sixth son of the third Earl. This line of the family failed in 1957 on the death of his son, the eighth Earl. He was succeeded by his third cousin once removed, the ninth Earl. He was the great-great-grandson of the Hon. Robert Annesley, second son of the second Earl. As of 2010 the titles are held by the ninth Earl's second son, the eleventh Earl, who succeeded his elder brother in 2001. As a descendant of the first Viscount Valentia Lord Annesley is also in remainder to this peerage and its subsidiary titles.

In 2007 many of the Earl Annesley's effects, remainder from the auction at Castlewellan in the 1960s, were sold at auction on-site at Shimna House, Newcastle, County Down, in the wake of the death of Mr. Gerald Annesley - son of Lady Mabel, heir to the estate. Amongst the items sold was a portrait of the Countess Annesley, which reached £23,000.

The 11th Earl, Philip, was born on 29 March 1927 and educated at Strodes Grammar School, Egham. He served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and married Florence Johnston in 1951. He lived in Crawley, West Sussex. After retirement from his career in flight simulation he moved to Bridport, Dorset where he died on 18 March 2011 .

The family surname is pronounced "Anzlee".