Roper-Curzon family

The Roper-Curzon family is a British aristocratic family, with royal ancestry coming from Charles II.^[1][2] The history of this family can be traced back to the early 1000s. Members of the family have had a significant impact on the economy and politics since the ruling of Elizabeth I. They have the hereditary title Baron of Teynham and family land is Pylewell Park.^[3] The family holds two last names of two prominent English families including Roper and Curzon. In 1788, the fourteenth Baron of Teynham, joined the two family names because of the important history behind each.

The current Baron of Teynham, Lord John Christopher Roper-Curzon, his wife Lady Elizabeth Roper-Curzon, is the daughter of the 11th Earl of Dundee, and a direct descendant of Queen Mary of Scots.^[4] Lady Elizabeth Roper-Curzon is also related to the British royal family, she is the cousin of Duchess Sarah Ferguson of York, and aunt to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Both the Roper and Curzon family’s held titles. The Curzon family held titles such as Curzon baronets (eg. Sir John Curzon, 1st Baronet and Sir Nathaniel Curzon, 4th Baronet)^[11][12][13], Barons Scarsdale (Alfred Nathaniel Holden Curzon, 4th Baron Scarsdale^[14][15][16] and George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston), Marquesses Curzon (George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston)^[17] and Viscounts Scarsdale (Richard Nathaniel Curzon and Peter Ghislain Nathaniel Curzon, 4th Viscount Scarsdale).^[18][19] On the other hand, the Roper family held titles such as Baron Teynham (twenty barons), politicians (Hon. John Roper and William Roper)^[20], writers such as Margaret Roper, lieutenants, knights, governors, Chancellors, lawyers, and members of the House of Lords.

The Roper-Curzon family own a large amount of property in United Kingdom. Inheriting numerous estates in his history including Kedleston Estate, Kent Estates, Pylewell Park, Trimdon Estates, and Galway Estates, Chestfeild, Brambiltighe, Kingsdown, Dodington, Bexley, Woolwich, Kydbroke, Esthorne Manor, Well Hall, Kingsdowne, Saint Dunstans, Norton, East Greenwich, Modingham, Candelwick, Lee, Cheselherst, Bradford, Horne, Hyde and Charlton.^[21]

The Roper-Curzon’s have been members of the House of Lords and the Royal Forces throughout all of the generations. The family is known for its peerage of UK and England found in Kent County which was started by Sir John Roper with the title of Baron Teynham.^[18][22][23] The Fifth Baron by the name Christopher Roper was a great-great-grandson of Sir John Roper who served as Kent’s Lord-Lieutenant.

A list of the Noble Titles the Roper-Curzon’s have held:

• 1. Baron Teynham
• 2. Viscounts Scarsdale
• 3. Marquesses Curzon
• 4. Curzon baronets
• 5. Earl Howe
• 6. Barons Howe
• 7. Viscounts Howe
• 8. Viscount Baltinglass
• 9. Baronet
• 10. Baronetess
• 11. Baron Curzon
• 12. Viscount Curzon
• 13. Baron Scarsdale
• 14. Knights
• 15. Member of House of Lords

In 1788, Henry Francis Roper-Curzon, the 14th Baron, used a Royal license instead of his title to acquire the Curzon surname.^[24] The reason why he decided to acquire the Curzon name is that he inherited his cousin’s land at Water Perry by the name John Barnewall-Curzon. This cousin had no one to inherit his property and therefore his name could be lost. Later, in 1813 he also used a Royal license to resume Roper, his original last name together with Curzon and therefore making the name Roper-Curzon. From the year 1946 to 1959, the nineteenth Baron was his great-great-grandson who served in the House of Lord as the Deputy Chairman.

The family seat is Pylewell Park in Hampshire near Lymington. The estate has a stunning sea aspect as well as rolling countryside sweeping views because it is set in 1500 acres, with a private beach, a private 15-acre lake and rambling house gardens of 27 acres where other family members of Roper-Curzon live in around thirty country houses. The eldest son David John Roper-Curzon lives in Pylewell Park with his eldest son Henry “Harry” Christopher Roper-Curzon and children.^[3]

Sir Thomas More was born in 1478 and died in 1535.^[25][26][27] He was a Chancellor, Renaissance humanist, statesman, author, social philosopher and an English lawyer.^[24][28] He is related to Roper-Curzon through marriage because his daughter Margaret Moore married Lord William Roper the son of Lord John Roper.^[20] William Roper was a Member of Parliament and an English lawyer. John Roper was the first Baron to be knighted by Elizabeth I in the year 1587. But he was later knighted again in 1616 due to his service.^[18] Sir William Roper, Knight was knighted too.

He was the son of Henry George Roper-Curzon. In 1892, his father died and he inherited his title and became a member or the House of the Lord’s.^[29] After eight years of service, he became a second lieutenant in 1900 after being sent into Kent Yeomanry of the Royal East.^[18] During the First World War, he became Major after he was transferred to The Buffs. Additionally, the French Legion of Honour chose him as a Chevalier and later became a Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for Kent, where he lived in an land called Lynsted Lodge close to Sittingbourne.^[30] In the year 1895, he married Colonel Henry Green Wilkinson’s daughter called Mabel Wilkinson of Pennington Hall. They gave birth to two sons named Ralph Henry Roper-Curzon and Christopher John Henry Roper-Curzon.^[24][31] He also became Fanti Investment Company director and the chairman of Peacehaven Water Company, Peacehaven Estates Ltd and Glebofi Petroleum Company.^[32]

Christopher John Henry Roper-Curzon was born in 1896 and died in 1972. He was an English peer and Royal Navy officer and the 19th Baron Teynham and also served in House of Lords and later become Committee Chairman of Lord Merthyr and Deputy of Drogheda. His father Henry Roper-Curzon was the eighteenth Baron. He was educated in two colleges namely Royal Naval and Royal Naval.^[18] During the First World War, his active service earned him Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Service Cross after serving as Staff Signal Officer in the Grand Fleet of HMS Minotaur. During the Second World War, he was Naval Control Service Officer for the Port of London, after which he commanded ships, including HMS Ambitious (F169) on minesweeping duties for the invasion of Europe in 1944.^[33] Teynham served in the House of Lords, as a Deputy Chairman of Committees from 1946 to 1959.^[34][35]