Baron Clitheroe
Title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
title: "Baron Clitheroe" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["baronies-in-the-peerage-of-the-united-kingdom", "noble-titles-created-in-1955", "ashton-family", "1955-establishments-in-the-united-kingdom", "peerages-created-for-uk-mps"] description: "Title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Clitheroe" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox nobility title"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Baron Clitheroe |
| image | [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg |
| [[File:Assheton arms.svg | 180px]] |
| caption | Argent, a mullet sable pierced of the field |
| creation_date | 20 June 1955 |
| monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
| peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
| first_holder | Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe |
| present_holder | Ralph Assheton, 3rd Baron Clitheroe |
| heir_apparent | Hon. Ralph Assheton |
| remainder_to | 1st Baron's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| family_seat | Downham Hall |
| motto | Nec arrogo nec dubito ("I am neither proud nor hesitant") |
| :: |
| name = Baron Clitheroe | image = [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|150px]] [[File:Assheton arms.svg|180px]] | image_size = | alt = | caption = Argent, a mullet sable pierced of the field | creation_date = 20 June 1955 | creation = | monarch = Queen Elizabeth II | peerage = Peerage of the United Kingdom | baronetage = | first_holder = Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe | last_holder = | present_holder = Ralph Assheton, 3rd Baron Clitheroe | heir_apparent = Hon. Ralph Assheton | heir_presumptive = | remainder_to = 1st Baron's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten | subsidiary_titles = | status = | extinction_date = | family_seat = Downham Hall | former_seat = | motto = Nec arrogo nec dubito ("I am neither proud nor hesitant") | footnotes =
Baron Clitheroe of Downham in the County of Lancaster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in the 1955 Birthday Honours for the Conservative politician Ralph Assheton, who had previously served as Financial Secretary to the Treasury. He was the son of Ralph Cockayne Assheton, for many years a member of the Lancashire County Council, who had been created baronet of Downham in the County of Lancaster, on 4 September 1945. Three months after being raised to the peerage, Lord Clitheroe succeeded his father in the baronetcy. The titles are currently held by the first Baron's grandson.
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Ralph Assheton also acquired title to the manorial and mineral rights as well as land holdings within the former Honour of Clitheroe. These were purchased out of the Clitheroe Estate Company following its administration in 1945. They included the Lordship of the Forest of Pendle.
The Assheton family, also spelled Ashton, derive from Ashton-under-Lyne. The military commander Sir John de Assheton (or de Ashton) was among their ancestors.
The family seat is Downham Hall, near Downham, Lancashire.
Assheton baronets of Downham (1945)
- Sir Ralph Cockayne Assheton, 1st Baronet (1860–1955)
- Sir Ralph Assheton, 2nd Baronet (1901–1984) (created Baron Clitheroe in 1955)
Barons Clitheroe (1955)
- Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe (1901–1984)
- Ralph John Assheton, 2nd Baron Clitheroe (1929−2026)
- Ralph Christopher Assheton, 3rd Baron Clitheroe (born 1962)
The heir apparent is the present holder's son, the Hon. Ralph Anthony Assheton (born 1998).
Line of succession
- [[File:Ulster.svg|15px]] Sir Ralph Cockayne Assheton, 1st Baronet (1860–1955)
- [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|15px]] Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe (1901–1984)
- [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|15px]] Ralph John Assheton, 2nd Baron Clitheroe (1929−2026)
- [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|15px]] Ralph Christopher Assheton, 3rd Baron Clitheroe (born 1962)
- (1) Hon. Ralph Anthony Assheton (born 1998)
- (2) Hon. John Hotham Assheton (born 1964)
- (3) William Hotham Assheton (born 1992)
- (4) James Charles Assheton (born 1999)
- [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|15px]] Ralph Christopher Assheton, 3rd Baron Clitheroe (born 1962)
- Hon. Nicholas Assheton (1934–2012)
- (5) Thomas Assheton (born 1963)
- (6) Noah Frederick Assheton (born 1991)
- (5) Thomas Assheton (born 1963)
- [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|15px]] Ralph John Assheton, 2nd Baron Clitheroe (1929−2026)
- [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|15px]] Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe (1901–1984)
References
References
- {{London Gazette. (21 June 1955)
- (9 June 1955). "Four Barons in Honours List". [[The Times]].
- (2003). "Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood". Burke's Peerage & Gentry.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::