Baron Masham is a title that has been created three times, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was first created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1712 when the courtier Samuel Masham was made Baron Masham, of Otes. In 1723 he also succeeded as fourth Baronet of High Lever. The barony became extinct on the death of the second Baron in 1776. The Masham baronetcy, of High Lever in the County of Essex, had been created by James I in the Baronetage of England on 20 December 1621 for Samuel Masham. The third Baronet was Member of Parliament for Essex. The baronetcy became extinct along with the barony in 1776.[1]
It was created for a second time in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1891, when the industrialist Samuel Lister was made Baron Masham, of Swinton in the County of York. This creation became extinct upon the death of the third Baron in 1924.
It was created for at third time in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1955 when the Conservative politician Philip Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Viscount Swinton, was made Baron Masham, of Ellington in the County of York. He was created Earl of Swinton at the same time. Born Philip Lloyd Grame, he was the husband of Mary Constance Cunliffe-Lister, granddaughter of the first Baron of the 1891 creation, and had assumed the surname of Cunliffe-Lister in 1924 when his wife succeeded to the substantial Masham estates. Susan Cunliffe-Lister, wife of the second Earl of Swinton, was created a life peer as Baroness Masham of Ilton in her own right in 1970.
Note: there is an older, separate title Baron Scrope of Masham that belongs to the Scrope family. It is in abeyance since 1517.