Duke of Kent - Earls of Kent

Earls of Kent

In the peerage of England the first title of Kent was that of the Earl of Kent. After the death of his father, Godwin the Earl of Wessex, Leofwine (c. 1035–1066), sometime between 1056 and 1058, became Earl of Kent, a new earldom at the time. It is possible that Godwin was the first Earl of Kent, since he ruled over that area as well as many others.

After Leofwine's death at Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror named his half-brother, Odo of Bayeux (c. 1036–1097), who was also Bishop of Bayeux, the new Earl of Kent. However, Odo was twice removed from this title. The first occasion was in 1082, when he was imprisoned; the second was in 1088, after aiding in the Rebellion of 1088, after which he fled England.

It was not until 1141 that the title returned, this time for William de Ipres; but he was deprived of the title in 1155. In 1227 it was revived for Hubert de Burgh, but became extinct with his death. In 1321, it was again revived for Edmund of Woodstock, and through the marriage of Joan Plantagenet to Thomas Holland, the title passed to the Holland family, which held the title until 1408. In 1461 it was revived for William Neville, and then in 1465 for Edmund Grey. The Grey family held the title until Henry Grey died without male heirs.