Viscount de Vesci
Viscount de Vesci, of Abbeyleix in the Queen's County, now called County Laois, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1776 for Thomas Vesey, 2nd Baron Knapton and 3rd Baronet.
History
The baronetcy, of Abbeyleix in the Queen's County, was created in the Baronetage of Ireland on 28 September 1698 for Reverend Thomas Vesey, Bishop of Killaloe and Bishop of Ossory.The title Baron Knapton was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1750 for John Vesey, 2nd Baronet, son of the 1st Baronet, who had earlier represented Newtownards in the Irish House of Commons.
The 2nd Baron Knapton was made Viscount de Vesci in 1776.
The family title of Vesci is pronounced "Vessee" and the family surname of Vesey is pronounced "Veezey".
The family seat was Abbeyleix House, near Abbeyleix, County Laois.
Vesey baronets, of Abbeyleix (1698)
Baron Knapton (1750)
Viscount de Vesci (1776)
- Thomas Vesey, 1st Viscount de Vesci
- John Vesey, 2nd Viscount de Vesci
- Thomas Vesey, 3rd Viscount de Vesci
- John Robert William Vesey, 4th Viscount de Vesci
- Ivo Richard Vesey, 5th Viscount de Vesci
- John Eustace Vesey, 6th Viscount de Vesci
- Thomas Eustace Vesey, 7th Viscount de Vesci
Holders
The first viscount was Thomas Vesey, the 2nd Baron Knapton.The second viscount was the son of the first viscount and a Member of the Irish House of Commons for Maryborough. He sat in the House of Lords as an Irish representative peer from 1839 to 1855, and served as Lord Lieutenant of Queen's County between 1831 and 1855.
The third viscount represented Queen's County in the House of Commons as a Conservative and was an Irish representative peer from 1857 to 1875.
The fourth viscount served as Lord Lieutenant of Queen's County from 1883 to 1903. In 1884, the fourth Viscount was created Baron de Vesci, of Abbey Leix in the Queen's County, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him an automatic seat in the House of Lords. However, this title became extinct on his death while he was succeeded in the Irish titles by his nephew, the fifth Viscount.
The fifth viscount succeeded to the title in 1903. In 1905, he was a lieutenant in the Irish Guards. He was an Irish representative peer from 1909 to 1958. On his death, the titles passed to his nephew, the sixth viscount.
The seventh viscount was Thomas Vesey, the son of the sixth viscount. He succeeded his father to the title in 1983. The 7th viscount was the son of Susan Anne Armstrong-Jones, sister of Antony Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon.