The arms are those of Fox, as borne by Stephen Fox, born in 1704, the son of Sir Stephen Fox of whom it was said, in later years, he had originally been a footman. The younger Fox sat as an M.P. between 1726 and 1741, in which year he was created Baron Ilchester. The story of his creation is related thus in the Earl of Egmont's Diary: "The Countess of Yarmouth [the King's mistress] having applied to the King for a gift of /p30,000, he refused, but allowed her to have the creation of two peers, and to get the money out of them. The other was Henry Bromley, cr. 9 May 1741 Lord Montford".

Fox married in 1735 Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Strangways of Dorset, by whom he acquired considerable lands. He was created Earl of Ilchester in 1756. The elopment and marriage of his daughter Susan in 1764 "reckoned both pretty and clever" with William O'Brien, the actor, caused a great stir at the time and was used by Thackeray in his novel The Virginians [Complete Peerage].