The Beauclerk Earls of Burford

Who were the Earls of Burford and how did they come to be given such a title?

Come and hear some of the extraordinary twists and turns in the family fortunes, from the very first Earl – son of Charles II and his mistress Nell Gywn – to the present 14th Duke and his son, Charles Beauclerk, the erstwhile Earl.

Very different in character both in their public and private lives, the Beauclerks ranged from resolute to indolent and occasionally dissolute. Their wives were often wealthy heiresses, orphaned at an early age, mistreated and abandoned by their husbands. Others lived exemplary lives as Countesses of Burford and subsequently Duchesses of St. Albans.