The title Earl of Home (pronounced "Hume") was created in 1605 in the Peerage of Scotland for Alexander Home of that Ilk, who was already the 6th Lord Home. The Earl of Home holds the subsidiary titles of Lord Home (created 1473), and Lord Dunglass (1605), in the Peerage of Scotland; and Baron Douglas, of Douglas (1875) in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Various Earls of Home have also claimed the title of Lord Hume of Berwick. The Earl is also Chief of the Name and Arms of Home and heir general to the House of Douglas. The title Lord Dunglass is the courtesy title of the eldest son of the Earl. The most famous holder of the title was the 14th Earl, Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, better known as Sir Alec Douglas-Home. After the unexpected resignation of Harold Macmillan, the 14th Earl was named Prime Minister by the monarch. For the first time in over sixty years, a sitting Prime Minister was a member of the House of Lords rather than of the House of Commons. Because he believed that it was impractical and unconventional to remain a member of the Lords, the Earl disclaimed his peerages in 1963 under the Peerage Act passed in the same year. He then contested the House of Commons seat of West Perth and Kinross, which happened to be vacant due to the death of the previous Member of Parliament. The Earldom and subsidiary titles belonged to no-one until the death of Sir Alec Douglas-Home, when they passed to his son, the present holder, David Douglas-Home, 15th Earl of Home. The family seats are The Hirsel, Berwickshire and Castlemains, Douglas, South Lanarkshire.
Lords Home (1473)
- Alexander Home, 1st Lord Home (d. 1490)
- Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home (d. 1506)
- Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home (d. 1516)
- George Home, 4th Lord Home (d. 1549)
- Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home (d. 1575)
- Alexander Home, 6th Lord Home (c. 1566-1619), created Earl of Home and Lord Dunglass in 1605
Earls of Home (1605)
- Alexander Home, 1st Earl of Home (c. 1566-1619)
- James Home, 2nd Earl of Home (d. 1633)
- James Home, 3rd Earl of Home (c. 1615-1666)
- Alexander Home, 4th Earl of Home (d. 1674)
- James Home, 5th Earl of Home (d. 1687)
- Charles Home, 6th Earl of Home (d. 1706)
- Alexander Home, 7th Earl of Home (d. 1720)
- William Home, 8th Earl of Home (d. 1761)
- Alexander Home, 9th Earl of Home (d. 1786)
- Alexander Home, 10th Earl of Home (1769-1841)
- Cospatrick Alexander Home, 11th Earl of Home (1799-1881), created Baron Douglas of Douglas in 1875
- Charles Alexander Douglas-Home, 12th Earl of Home (1834-1918)
- Charles Cospatrick Archibald Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home (1873-1951)
- Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home (1903-1995) (disclaimed 1963)
- David Alexander Cospatrick Douglas-Home, 15th Earl of Home (b. 1943)
The Heir Apparent is Michael David Alexander Douglas-Home, Lord Dunglass (b. 1987)
References
- Mosley, Charles (editor). (1999). Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 106th edition
- Charles Kidd & David Williamson, editors. (2003). Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage. Macmillan, London
