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3rd and 4th Marquesses of Northampton
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| Coat of arms of Charles Douglas-Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton |
Coat of arms of William Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton |
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Coronet
A coronet of an Marquess
Crest
1st, on a mount a beacon fired proper, behind it a ribbon inscribed with the words, Nisi Dominus (Compton); 2nd, a sanglier, sticking betwixt two clefts of an oak tree, with a chain and lock holding them, all proper, in a scroll above, Lock sicker (Douglas).
Escutcheon
Quarterly, 1st and 4th sable, a lion passant guardant or, between three esquires' helmets argent (Compton); 2nd and 3rd quarterly, 1st and 4th argent, a man's heart gules, ensigned with an Imperial crown proper, and on a chief azure, three stars of the first; 2nd and 3rd argent, three piles issuing from a chief gules, on the last two stars of the first, all within a bordure azure, charged with eight buckles or (Douglas).
Supporters
Dexter, a dragon ermine, ducally gorged and chained or; Sinister, an unicorn argent, horned, maned, hoofed, and tufted sable.
Motto
Je ne serche qu'un. I seek but one. |
Coronet
A coronet of an Marquess
Crest
1st, on a mount a beacon fired proper, behind it a ribbon inscribed with the words, Nisi Dominus; 2nd, a battle-axe erect in pale, crossed by a branch of laurel and cypress in saltire, all proper; 3rd, a sanglier, sticking betwixt two clefts of an oak tree, with a chain and lock holding them, all proper, in a scroll above, Lock sicker.
Escutcheon
Quarterly, Ist and 4th grand quarters sable, a lion passant guardant or, between three esquires' helmets argent (Compton); 2nd grand quarter quarterly, 1st argent, a lion rampant gules; 2nd argent, a dexter arm in armour issuing from the sinister in fesse proper, holding a cross crosslet in pale azure; 3rd per fesse argent and vert, a galley, her oars in action and sails furled sable, in base a salmon naiant proper; 4th azure, a castle triple tower proper, with flags gules (Maclean); 3rd grand quarter quarterly, 1st and 4th argent, a man's heart gules, ensigned with an Imperial crown proper, and on a chief azure, three stars of the first; 2nd and 3rd argent, three piles issuing from a chief gules, on the last two stars of the first, all within a bordure azure, charged with eight buckles or (Douglas).
Supporters
Dexter, a dragon ermine, ducally gorged and chained or; Sinister, an unicorn argent, horned, maned, hoofed, and tufted sable.
Motto
Je ne serche qu'un. I seek but one |
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Charles Douglas-Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton (1816–1877), known as Earl Compton until 1851, was a British peer with strong ancestral ties to both the Compton and Douglas-Maclean-Clephane families. Born in Parliament Street, London, to Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton, and Margaret Douglas-Maclean-Clephane, he adopted the additional surname Douglas in 1831 following his mother’s death. He succeeded his father in 1851.
Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he earned an MA in 1837 and later received an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from Oxford in 1850. In 1841, he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Argyllshire and served as a trustee of the National Gallery. As the heir to Compton Wynyates in Warwickshire, he commissioned Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt in 1867 to restore the historic estate.
Douglas-Compton married Theodosia Vyner in 1859, granddaughter of Lincolnshire MP Robert Vyner. The union was childless, and his titles passed to his younger brother, William. A second marriage noted to Mary Noel appears to conflate historical figures and dates, as she predeceased him by over a century.
A man of public service, cultural patronage, and noble lineage, Douglas-Compton contributed to heritage preservation while upholding the legacy of both the Compton and Douglas families.
Admiral William Douglas-Maclean-Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton (1818–1897), was a distinguished naval officer and peer. Born in York Place, London, the second son of the 2nd Marquess and Margaret Douglas-Maclean-Clephane, he entered the Royal Navy in 1831 and served during the First Opium War. Retiring as captain in 1856, he later advanced to rear admiral in 1869 and full admiral in 1880, both on the retired list.
In 1851, he adopted the surname Maclean by royal licence, and later added Douglas upon inheriting the marquessate from his elder brother in 1877. That same year, he entered the House of Lords and was appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1885.
A benefactor of education, he donated land in Northampton Square, Clerkenwell, in 1894 for the founding of the Northampton Institute—now City, University of London.
He married Eliza Harriet Elliot, daughter of Admiral Sir George Elliot, in 1844. They had eight children, including Charles, Earl Compton (who died childless), and William, who succeeded as 5th Marquess. Eliza died in Florence in 1877; William outlived her by two decades, passing away in 1897 at the age of 78, shortly after acquiring a country home in Tysoe, Warwickshire.
See also:
• Stained glass, Crosby Hall, Bishopsgate, London
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Source
Sources for this article include:
The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland
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