These illustrious Ordes descend from Sir John Orde (1702)
ORDE-POWLETT
John Orde b. 1702 succeeded to Grindon in 1748. He first married Mary Ward of Morpeth and it was their son William (b 1743) who in 1771 married Ann Ward heiress of the Nunnykirk estate of which more later.
By his second marriage to Ann Marr , John had two sons, Thomas (b.1746) and John (b.1752).
The Powletts came to the extensive estate in Yorkshire lands when a Powlett who had been garrisoned at Bolton Castle during the Civil War, married the natural daughter and heiress of the 5th Duke of Bolton.
Thomas Orde (1746) see above, had similar good fortune; he acquired the Bolton connection through his wife the Bolton heiress Jean Mary Browne. She was the natural daughter of the last Duke of Bolton and his only heir, whom Thomas married in 1778. The family name was changed to Orde-Powlett in 1795 and Thomas was created the 1st Baron Bolton in 1797. In addition to the Yorkshire estate he also acquired the manor and estate of Old Basing, Hampshire
Sir Thomas educated at Eton and Kings College, Cambridge was a barrister, MP and at one time Chief Secretary for Ireland and from 1791 until his death in 1807 was Govenor of the Isle of Wight.
The Barony survives today in the hands of Harry Orde-Powlett the 8th Lord Bolton and the family own Bolton Castle, Bolton House and 20,000 acres in Yorkshire and Hackwood Park, Old Basing, Hampshire
An Orde-Powlett daughter was buried in a vault in the parish church Sidmouth in 1806.
The Powlett family hold the ancient Marqisate of Winchester.
CAMPBELL-ORDE
John (1752) see above was an Admiral in the Royal Navy. During his career he was involved in some controversy with Nelson , he was forced out of the navy before Trafalgar but later was a pallbearer at Nelsons funeral in 1805. He was appointed Governor of Dominica 1784 to 1789 was knighted for his services in 1790. He became Governor of the Isle of Wight in 1807 on the death of this brother. In his spare time he was MP for Yarmouth. His son John Powlett Orde married co-heir Eliza Campbell of Kilmory.
His grandson John William Powlett Orde changed the family name to Campbell-Orde in 1880. This line continues and today’s baronet is the sixth.
GRINDON/NUNNYKIRK
The main Nunnykirk line continued through Sir John’s first son William (b.1743).
He married Ann Ward heiress of Nunnykirk in 1771. A long line of Williams and Charles Williams followed.
One of these William b. 1774 was a barrister at Lincolns Inn and High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1819 He was a well known breeder of horses, who had particular success with ‘Nunnykirk’ which won the 2000 Guineas in 1848 and
‘Newminster’ which won the St Leger in 1851. ‘Newminster’ went on to sire two Derby winners ( 1856 and 1864).
The name of this racehorse ‘Newminster’ suggests a connection between the family of Ordes at Nunnykirk near Morpeth and the Ords of Fenham and Newminster Abbey in the parish of Morpeth.
Sir Charles William b. 1884 was knighted KCMG in 1940 on his appointment as Ambassador to Chile
His son Charles William b. 1810 continued tradition in the law and horse breeding. He carried out considerable improvements at Nunnykirk Hall. He was High Sheriff in 1846.
William b.1854 was in residence at Nunnykirk for the 1881 census, together with the family and eleven servants. His will of 1920 left estate valued at £27,000.
Charles William b. 1884 educated at Eton like his father, and at Kings College, Cambridge was a diplomat and was knighted on appointment as Ambassador to Chile in 1940. His other home was at Tandridge Priory, Oxted, Surrey.
Nunnykirk Hall is now the British School of Dyslexia (click here for link to photograph)