Baron Delamere

Barony of Delamere
Blazon
  • Arms: Gules two Esquire's Helmets in chief proper in base a Garb Or.
  • Crests: A Demi Griffin segreant Sable beaked and membered ducally gorged and Wings elevated Or holding between the claws a Helmet as in the Arms.
  • Supporters: On either side a Griffin Sable beaked membered and Wings elevated ducally gorged and chained Or.
Creation date17 July 1821
Created byKing George IV
PeeragePeerage of the United Kingdom
First holderThomas Cholmondeley, 1st Baron Delamere
Present holderHugh Cholmondeley, 6th Baron Delamere
Heir apparentNone
Heir presumptiveHenry Cholmondeley
StatusExtant
Seat(s)Sugoni Farm
Former seat(s)Vale Royal Great House
MottoCASSIS TUTISSIMA VIRTUE
(Virtue is the safest helmet)
Vale Royal Great House, the former seat of the Barons Delamere.

Baron Delamere, of Vale Royal in the County Palatine of Chester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.[1] It was created on 17 July 1821 for Thomas Cholmondeley, a former Member of Parliament for Cheshire. This Vale Royal branch of the Cholmondeley family descends from Thomas Cholmondeley (died 1653), younger brother of Robert Cholmondeley, 1st Earl of Leinster, and Hugh Cholmondeley (1591–1665), ancestor of the Marquesses of Cholmondeley. The first Baron was succeeded by his son. Before acceding to the title in 1855, the second Baron represented Denbighshire and Montgomery in the House of Commons as a Tory.

His eldest son, also named Hugh, acceded to the title in 1887, and in the same year, he immigrated to Kenya, where he acquired a major estate. The third Baron's eldest son inherited his father's title in 1931. In 1934, he attempted to re-establish his family at Vale Royal, the family's country home and baronial seat from the 17th century; however, the great house was requisitioned as a sanatorium during the war years.[2] When it was sold in 1947, the fourth Baron returned to Kenya. As of 2024 the title was held by the sixth Baron, who succeeded his grandfather in 2024.

The family surname is pronounced /ˈtʃʌmli/ CHUM-lee.

  1. ^ "No. 17724". The London Gazette. 14 July 1821. p. 1462.
  2. ^ Holland, G. D et al. (1977). Vale Royal Abbey and House, p. 32; Westair-Reproductions: Cheshire, Museum finder Archived 7 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine