| Earldom of Temple of Stowe | |
| Creation Date: | 17 September 1822 |
| Present Holder: | James Temple-Gore-Langton, 9th Earl Temple of Stowe |
| Heir Presumptive: | The Hon. Robert Temple-Gore-Langton |
| Remainder To: | Special remainder - see main text |
| Status: | Extant |
| Motto: | 1st: TEMPLA QUAM DILECTA (How delightful are temples) (Temple) 2nd: FRANGAS NON FLECTES (You may break but you will not bend me) (Gore) 3rd: IN HOC SIGNO VINCES (In this sign thou shalt conquer) (Langton) |
Earl Temple of Stowe, in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1822 for Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Marquess of Buckingham, who was created Marquess of Chandos and Duke of Buckingham and Chandos at the same time. In contrast to the Marquessate and Dukedom, which were created with remainder to the heirs male of his body only, the Earldom was created with remainder to (1) the heirs male of his body, failing which to (2) the heirs male of his deceased great-grandmother the 1st Countess Temple, failing which to (3) his granddaughter Lady Anna Grenville (daughter of Richard, Earl Temple, later 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos) and the heirs male of her body, and then to possible younger daughters of Lord Temple and the heirs male of their bodies (there were, in the event, no other daughters).
The Earldom remained merged with the Dukedom until the death of the 1st Duke's grandson the 3rd Duke, when the Dukedom and four of its subsidiary titles became extinct (the Viscountcy and Barony of Cobham and the Lordship of Kinloss survived, however; see these titles for more information). The late Duke was succeeded in the Earldom of Temple of Stowe according to the special remainder by his nephew William Gore-Langton. He was the eldest son of the aforementioned Lady Anna Grenville and her husband William Gore-Langton. The latter was a descendant of Sir John Gore, Lord Mayor of London in 1624, whose elder brother Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, was the ancestor of the Earls of Arran (1762 creation), the Barons Annaly (1766 and 1789 creations) and the Barons Harlech.
The 4th Earl Temple of Stowe had previously represented Mid Somerset in Parliament as a Conservative. In 1892 he assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Temple. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the 5th Earl. He died childless and was succeeded by his nephew, the 6th Earl. He was the eldest son of Captain the Hon. Chandos Temple-Gore-Langton, second son of the 4th Earl. Chandos had two daughters. On his death the title passed to his younger brother, the 7th Earl. He was a travelling salesman in Australia and did not use the title. He never married and was succeeded by his cousin, the 8th Earl. He was the son of the Hon. Evelyn Arthur Grenville Temple-Gore-Langton, third and youngest son of the fourth Earl. Upon his death in 2013, he was succeeded by his son James. Lord Temple of Stowe is also in remainder to the Lordship of Kinloss.
There are no subsidiary titles held by the Earl. Consequently, the eldest son and heir of the Earl uses the invented title Lord Langton as a courtesy title.
The family seat from which the title derives was Stowe House in Buckinghamshire.
James Grenville Temple-Gore-Langton, 9th Earl Temple of Stowe (born 1955) is the elder son of the 8th Earl. In 2008 he married Julie Christine Mainwaring, daughter of Alan Mainwaring, of Brampton, Cumbria, and they have two children:[1]
The heir presumptive is the present holder's brother, the Hon. Robert Chandos Grenville Temple-Gore-Langton (born 1957), whose heir apparent is his son, Louis Grenville Gore-Langton (born 1990).[1]