Earls of Lichfield and the Shugborough Estate

The Shugborough Estate, situated near Stafford in Staffordshire, served as the ancestral home of the Anson family—the Earls of Lichfield—for more than three centuries. Acquired by the family in the seventeenth century, the estate grew from a modest manor into a grand Georgian country house largely financed by naval fortunes, ultimately becoming the official seat of the Earldom of Lichfield in 1831. Even after ownership transitioned to the National Trust in the twentieth century, the Earls maintained a direct domestic presence on the property until the early 2000s.

The connection began in 1624 when William Anson, a local lawyer, purchased the Shugborough manor. The fortunes of the family transformed dramatically in the mid-eighteenth century thanks to his great-grandson, Admiral George Anson. After capturing a treasure-laden Spanish galleon during his circumnavigation of the globe, the Admiral used his vast wealth to finance the extensive remodelling of Shugborough Hall and its surrounding parkland, which his elder brother, Thomas Anson, embellished with neoclassical monuments and classical architecture.

In 1806, the family entered the peerage when Thomas Anson was created Viscount Anson. His son, Thomas William Anson, an influential Whig politician who served as Postmaster General, was subsequently created the 1st Earl of Lichfield in 1831 by King William IV. This formal elevation established Shugborough as the primary seat of the newly created earldom, prompting further architectural expansions, including the creation of magnificent state rooms designed to reflect the family's elevated aristocratic status.

The mid-twentieth century brought major financial changes to the estate. Following the death of the 4th Earl of Lichfield in 1960, heavy death duties forced the family to surrender the estate to the Treasury. In 1966, Shugborough was transferred to the National Trust and subsequently leased to the Staffordshire County Council for management.

Despite the change in ownership, the residential tie remained intact through Thomas Patrick John Anson, the 5th Earl of Lichfield. Widely celebrated as a society and royal photographer under the professional name Patrick Lichfield, he negotiated an agreement allowing him to lease and maintain private residential apartments in the hall's private wing. He lived and worked at Shugborough until his death in 2005. Today, the estate is managed directly by the National Trust, preserving the public halls alongside the 5th Earl’s private apartments as a lasting chronicle of the Anson family and the Earls of Lichfield.