Walpoles

The Walpoles are an English aristocratic family from Norfolk, whose name is derived from the village of Walpole in Norfolk. The family achieved national prominence in the 17th and 18th centuries through political service and landownership, and it remains a well-documented lineage in British genealogical and peerage records.

Sir Robert Walpole (1676–1745) is the best-known member, and is generally regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, governing in the early Georgian era. The Walpoles held peerages, including the title Earl of Orford, and many members served in Parliament, diplomacy, or court roles, reinforcing the family's influence in royal and political circles of the time.

Key seats associated with the Walpoles include Wolterton Hall and Houghton Hall in Norfolk, which served as country residences for generations and helped shape the family's status. Through the 18th century, the Walpole network extended across government and society, and the name became closely linked with the early development of the British administrative system.

In later centuries the family remained part of the aristocratic landscape, though fewer members held high office. Today the Walpoles persist in genealogical records and in the history of British peerage. The surname also appears in local histories and in place-names, reflecting the family's long regional roots.