Upon the death of the 5th Earl in 1730, there was no clear heir, and the title was dormant until 1855 when Sir James Carnegie, Bt , succeeded in proving his claim and was recognized as 9th Earl of Southesk. He was also made Baron Balinhard in 1869 .
Since 1992 , the Earldom has been a subsidiary title of the Duke Of Fife .
