Lord Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton has announced his engagement

 _. Lord Mowbray, Seagrave and Stourton, head of one of Britain's senior Roman Catholic dynasties, and holder of three ancient English peerages, has announced his engagment just weeks after succeeding his father.

James Charles Peter Stourton, the 28th Baron Mowbray, the 29th Baron Segrave, and the 25th Baron Stourton [born 12 Dec, 1991], has announced his engagement to Anna Maria R. Sparrow [born 1992], daughter of Mr Edward C.A. Sparrow [born 1953], of East Molesey, Surrey, and his wife the former Jane A.I. Jefferson [born 1954]. 

Lord Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton is the only son of the late Lord Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton [1953-2021], of Allerton Park, Knaresborough, and his wife the former Penelope Lucy [Nell] Brunet.

James succeeded to his father's peerages only three weeks ago when his father died tragically at his North Yorkshire home following a fall.

The family has a fascinating history. The Lords Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton claimed unsuccessfully in 1912 the ancient Earldom of Norfolk [1312] to which he was the senior co-heir. The Norfolk earldom had originally been bestowed on the Bigod family. Roger Bigod surrendered the earldom to the King in 1302 and ten years later it had been regranted to Thomas of Brotherton, and the success of this claim depended on the validity of the surrender, as it was the regranted peerage which was under claim. He failed in his case, as it was held (in 1906) that the surrender of 1302 was invalid, and, as "The Complete Peerage" states: "the decision in the case involved a denial of the existence of the earldom in Thomas of Brotherton and his issue." The barony of Stourton which was created by patent in 1448, has existed continuously in the male line since that date. The baronies of Mowbray and Segrave were a different case. The first Lord Mowbray received a writ of summons to Shrewsbury in 1283 and other later summonses to undoubted Parliaments. The first Lord Segrave was also at Shrewsbury, but was also summoned to Parliament in 1295. The daughter of the 4th Lord Segrave married the fourth Lord Mowbray, and the titles since then have been held together. The baronies came through the Mowbrays, Dukes of Norfolk, to the Howards, Dukes of Norfolk, and so to 1777, when they fell into abeyance between the two daughters of Philip Howard, brother of the 9th Duke of Norfolk. One married the 16th Lord Stourton and the other the 9th Lord Petre. In 1877 the 20th Lord Stourton applied for the termination of the abeyance, and the case was decided in his favour.

The future Lady Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton has six siblings - Tamsin [born 1980], Benedicte [born 1982], Christopher [born 1985], Charles [born 1989], and twins Edward and Catriona [born 1995]

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