See also: Kingdom of Kent and Duke of Kent. The peerage title Earl of Kent has been created eight times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In fiction, the Earl of Kent is also known as a prominent supporting character in William Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear.
The Earldom Kent was first created by Cnut the Great for Godwin, Earl of Wessex. Upon his death, in 1053, it was inherited by his son, Leofwine Godwinson. Leofwine, in 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, was killed, and his titles forfeited to the new King William.
After William, Duke of Normandy conquered England, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, his half-brother, was awarded the Earldom of Kent, the second creation. In 1076, Odo was found guilty of defrauding the crown, and most of his properties were forfeited to the crown, but he was not executed. In 1082, he was arrested for planning a military campaign to Rome and in 1088 his titles were forfeited. He died in 1097 at Palermo, on his way to join the First Crusade.
William of Ypres was the principal lieutenant of King Stephen and was thus rewarded the Earldom of Kent. He was deprived of the title in 1155, by King Henry II.
Hubert de Burgh was a loyal supporter of King John and in 1227 was created Earl of Kent by John's son and successor, King Henry III of England. He died in 1243, his Earldom becoming extinct, as the king had his issue from his first marriage disinherited.
Edmund of Woodstock was sixth son of Edward I of England. He was created Earl of Kent in 1321. Following his execution for high treason, his son Edmund became Earl of Kent. Edmund died the following year and the Earldom of Kent was inherited by his younger brother John, 3rd Earl of Kent. John died aged 22 and all his land was passed to his sister Joan, Countess of Kent. The Earldom of Kent, as a royal earldom, became extinct. Joan married Sir Thomas Holland and was created Earl of Kent in her own right, in what is considered a separate creation of the Earldom of Kent (see below).
The earls of Kent of this creation used Baron Holand (1353) as a subsidiary title; it became abeyant 1408. The first earl of Kent by this creation was the husband of Joan of Kent of the fifth creation.
The line of the earls of Kent became extinct with the death of Edmund, the fourth earl.
rect 190 95 295 150 rect 300 95 350 150 rect 365 95 435 140 rect 485 95 540 135 rect 615 95 715 150 rect 940 95 1025 150
rect 365 145 455 190
rect 70 200 120 260 rect 130 200 245 260 rect 250 200 310 260 rect 380 200 475 260 rect 485 200 527 260 rect 537 200 635 260 rect 660 200 800 260
rect 85 300 190 360 rect 250 300 360 350 rect 370 300 425 350 rect 445 300 510 330 rect 605 300 665 330 rect 730 300 800 330 rect 850 300 915 330
rect 430 340 530 380 rect 560 340 700 370 rect 710 340 810 380 rect 830 340 935 380 rect 945 340 1020 380
rect 400 390 550 430 rect 570 375 680 417 rect 705 390 825 430
rect 560 420 700 470
The Greys were a baronial family with substantial property in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and later around Ruthin in Wales. They rose to greater prominence during the Wars of the Roses. Edmund Grey, Lord Grey of Ruthin, started out a Lancastrian, but switched to the Yorkist side at the Battle of Northampton. He was a member of Edward IV's council, became Lord Treasurer in 1463/4, was created Earl of Kent in 1465 and was keeper of the Tower of London in 1470. He remained loyal through Richard III's accession, taking part in his coronation (1483).
Edmund's son George, the 2nd Earl, had continued as a Yorkist, marrying Anne Woodville, a sister of Edward IV's queen Elizabeth Woodville. (He was half-first cousin - both being grandsons of Reynold 3rd Lord Grey of Ruthin - to Queen Elizabeth's first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby.) He later married Catherine Herbert, daughter of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke.
The third earl, Richard, was the son of the second earl and Anne Woodville. He wound up heavily in debt, probably through gambling, and was forced to alienate most of his property. A good part ended up in the crown's hands; historians disagree regarding what this says about Henry VII's relationship with the aristocracy.
He was succeeded as earl by his half-brother Henry, son of the second earl and Catherine Herbert. Henry tried, with little success, to reacquire the property Richard had sold, and had to live as a modest gentleman, never formally taking title as earl.