Viscount Torrington

Viscount Torrington is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1721 for the statesman Sir George Byng, along with the subsidiary title of Baron Byng, of Southill in the County of Bedford, also in the Peerage of Great Britain. He had already been created a Baronet, of Wrotham in the County of Kent, in the Baronetage of Great Britain in 1715.

His eldest son, the second Viscount, represented Plymouth and Bedfordshire in the House of Commons and later served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from 1746 to 1747. His younger brother, the third Viscount, was a Major-General in the Army. His grandson, the sixth Viscount, was a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy. His son, the seventh Viscount, served as Governor of Ceylon between 1847 and 1850.

On his death the titles passed to his nephew, the eighth Viscount, the son of Hon. Robert Barlow Palmer Byng, third son of the sixth Viscount. He was succeeded by his son, the ninth Viscount. However, this line of the family failed on his death in 1944 and the titles passed to the late Viscount's first cousin, the tenth Viscount. As of 2007 the titles are held by the latter's grandson, the eleventh Viscount, who succeeded on his grandfather's death in 1961.

Admiral Hon. John Byng, who was court-martialled and shot in 1757, was the third son of the first Viscount Torrington. Another member of the Byng family was the soldier John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford. He was the grandson of Hon. Robert Byng, third son of the first Viscount. Also, the soldier Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, was the youngest son of the second Earl of Strafford.

The family seat is Great Hunts Place, near Winchester, Hampshire.

Viscounts Torrington (1721)

*George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington (1663–1733)
*Pattee Byng, 2nd Viscount Torrington (1699–1747)
*George Byng, 3rd Viscount Torrington (1701–1750)
*George Byng, 4th Viscount Torrington (1740–1812)
*John Byng, 5th Viscount Torrington (1742–1813)
*George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington (1768–1831)
*George Byng, 7th Viscount Torrington (1812–1884)
*George Stanley Byng, 8th Viscount Torrington (1841–1889)
*George Master Byng, 9th Viscount Torrington (1886–1944)
*Arthur Stanley Byng, 10th Viscount Torrington (1876–1961)
*Timothy Howard St George Byng, 11th Viscount Torrington (b. 1943)

The Heir Presumptive is the present holder's fifth cousin Colin Hugh Byng (b. 1960), who lives in Toronto. He is the great-great-great-grandson of Vice-Admiral Hon. Henry Dilkes Byng, fourth son of the fifth Viscount.

The Heir Presumptive's Heir Apparent is his son eldest John Nicolas Byng (b. 1990)

ee also

*Earl of Strafford (1847 creation)
*Viscount Byng of Vimy

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]