{ { Infobox nobility title
| name = Earldom of Plymouth
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Arms of Windsor-Clive: Quarterly: 1st & 4th, Argent, on a Fess Sable, three Mullets Or (Clive); 2nd & 3rd, Gules, a Saltire Argent, between twelve Crosses-Crosslet Or (Windsor). Crests: 1st: a Griffin statant Argent, ducally gorged Gules (Clive). 2nd: a Stag's Head affrontée, couped at the neck Argent, attired Or (Windsor). Supporters: On either side a Unicorn Argent, armed, maned, tufted and unguled Or.| creation_date = 18 December 1905 (3rd Creation) | creation = Third | monarch = King Edward VII | peerage = Peerage of the United Kingdom | baronetage = | first_holder = Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth | last_holder = | present_holder = Ivor Windsor-Clive, 4th Earl of Plymouth | heir_apparent = Robert Windsor-Clive, Viscount Windsor | heir_presumptive = | remainder_to = the 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten | subsidiary_titles = Viscount WindsorBaron Windsor | status = Extant | extinction_date = | family_seat = | former_seat = | motto = (I trust in God) | footnotes = }}
Earl of Plymouth is a title that has been created three times: twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
History
The first creation was in 1675 for Charles FitzCharles, one of the dozens of illegitimate children of King Charles II and one of a few by his mistress Catherine Pegge. He died without heirs in 1680, and the title became extinct.
The second creation came in 1682 in favour of Thomas Hickman-Windsor, 7th Baron Windsor. The family descends from Sir Andrew Windsor, who fought at the Battle of the Spurs in 1513, where he was knighted. In 1529 he was summoned to Parliament as Baron Windsor, of Stanwell in the County of Buckingham. His grandson, Edward, the third Baron, fought at the Battle of St Quentin in 1557. Edward's elder son Frederick, the fourth Baron, died unmarried at an early age and was succeeded by his younger brother, Henry. The latter's son, Thomas, the sixth Baron, was a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy. On Thomas's death in 1641, the barony fell into abeyance between his sisters.
The abeyance was terminated in 1660 in favour of his nephew, Thomas Hickman. He was the son of Elizabeth Windsor, and her husband Dixie Hickman, and assumed the additional surname of Windsor as 7th Baron. He notably served as Governor of Jamaica and as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. In 1682, he was created Earl of Plymouth in the Peerage of England, a higher title of nobility. He was succeeded by his grandson Other, who notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, Denbigh and Flint. His grandson and namesake, Other, the fourth Earl, was Lord Lieutenant of Glamorganshire.
On the death of fourth Earl's childless grandson, Other, the sixth Earl, in 1833, the barony and earldom separated. The barony fell into abeyance between his sisters Lady Maria Windsor, wife of Arthur Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire, and Lady Harriet Windsor, wife of Robert Clive, second son of Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis (see below for further history of the barony and Earl of Powis for earlier history of the Clive family). The sixth Earl was succeeded in the earldom by his uncle, Andrew, the seventh Earl. The seventh Earl died unmarried and was succeeded by his younger brother, Henry, the eighth Earl. The eighth Earl was childless and on his death in 1843 the earldom became extinct. The barony of Windsor remained in abeyance until 1855 when the abeyance was terminated in favour of Lady Harriet Windsor-(Clive), who became the thirteenth Baroness. The same year she re-assumed by Royal licence her maiden surname, as a first barrel of her name. Her eldest son Robert Windsor-Clive predeceased her and she was succeeded by her grandson, Robert, the fourteenth Baron, who was a prominent Conservative politician and held office as Paymaster General and First Commissioner of Works.