BLAZON OF ARMS:
SHIELD: Quarterly, first and fourth vert, three primroses within a double tressure flory-counter-flory Or (for Primrose); second and third argent, a lion rampant double queued sable (for Cressy).
SOURCE, NOTES & CREDITS: The illustration of arms for background is from the internet Wikipedia article. Text is adapted from the same source plus information from the artist J. H. Gaylor, for which we thank him. The Earldom of Rosebery is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. The thing about the arms of the Earl of Rosebery is that his ‘primroses’ are so described only because his surname is Primrose; they are simply cinqfoils Or.
Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery (1664–1723) was a Scottish politician. He was the fourth and youngest son of Sir Archibald Primrose, 1st Baronet, a Lord of Session under the title Lord Carrington, whose eldest son William was the father of James Primrose, who was created Viscount of Primrose in 1703.
Archie was a Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland for Edinburgh county from 1695. He was created Lord Primrose and Dalmeny and Viscount of Rosebery in 1700 by King William III and II in the Peerage of Scotland with remainder to his issue male and female successively, and in default thereof to the heirs of entail in the lands of Rosebery.
Archibald was created Earl of Rosebery on the accession of Queen Anne in 1703, and was made Lord Dalmeny and Viscount of Inverkeithing at the same time as he was given the earldom (and with similar remainders to the earlier creations.). These titles were all in the Peerage of Scotland.
He was a Commissioner for union with England and was a Scottish representative peer in 1707, 1708, 1710 and 1713.
His third daughter, Dorothea Primrose, lived on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to care for her aunt Primrose Campbell, Lady Lovat (the Earl’s sister) the widow of the executed Lord Lovat ( Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, nicknamed the Fox, who was a Scottish Jacobite and Chief of Clan Fraser of Lovat, known for his feuding and changes of allegiance. In 1715, he had been a supporter of the House of Hanover, but in 1745 he changed sides and supported the Stuart claim on the crown of Great Britain, was made a Jacobite duke, and got his head chopped off for his trouble.)( Please see his file).
Archibald Philip Primrose, the fifth Earl, the son of Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny), was a prominent Liberal politician. He is the reason for this entry.
He served as Foreign Secretary in 1886 and between 1892 and 1894 and as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1894 and 1895. In 1911 he was created Baron Epsom, of Hyde in the County of Surrey, Viscount Mentmore, of Mentmore in the County of Buckingham and Earl of Midlothian, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Lord Rosebery was married to Hannah de Rothschild, the wealthy daughter and heiress of Baron Mayer Amschel de Rothschild.
The current earl is Neil Archibald Primrose, 7th Earl of Rosebery, 3rd Earl of Midlothian (born 11 February 1929), He was a member of the House of Lords from 1974 to 1999. His son and heir is Harry Primrose, Lord Dalmeny
The artwork is an interpretation of John Hamilton Gaylor
2024 0219
dqw266@gmail.com
