The title Marquess of Winchester was created in 1551 in the Peerage of England, making it the oldest English (and British) Marquessate still in existence. Therefore, the holder is considered the Premier Marquess of England. The Marquess of Winchester, incidentally, is the only Marquess in the Peerage of England without a higher title; all other Marquesses in that Peerage are also Dukes.

The subsidiary titles of Lord Winchester are: Earl of Wiltshire (created 1550) and Baron St John (1539). The title Earl of Wiltshire is used as the courtesy title of Lord Winchester's eldest son and heir, and Lord Wiltshire's son as heir has the courtesy title Lord St John.

The original holder of all three titles was Sir William Paulet, a politician who held the office of Lord Treasurer of England. His descendant, the sixth Marquess, was created Duke of Bolton in 1689. However, with the death of the sixth duke, no more descendants of the first duke remained, and the title of Duke of Bolton became extinct. The title Marquess of Winchester, however, was inherited by a member of another branch of the Paulet family.

There were four medieval Earls of Winchester. The first was Saer de Quincy, who received the earldom in 1207/8 after his wife inherited half of the lands of the Beaumont earls of Leicester. This creation went extinct in 1265 upon the death without male heirs of Saer's son Roger de Quincy.

In 1322 Edward II created the elder Hugh le Despenser Earl of Winchester. This creation lapsed after Despenser's execution in 1326.

During his exile in 1470-71 Edward IV had been the guest of a Flemish nobleman, Louis de Bruges. After Edward's return to the throne Louis was rewarded with the earldom of Winchester. He returned it the crown in 1500.

In medieval times earldoms closely associated with counties, and the Earls of Winchester were sometimes referred to as Earls of Southampton (for Winchester is the county seat of Hampshire, which in those days was known as County Southampton or Southamptonshire).

Earls of Winchester, First Creation (1207/8)

• Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester (d. 1219)
• Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester (d. 1265)

Earl of Winchester, Second Creation (1322)

• Hugh le Despenser, Earl of Winchester (d. 1326) (attainted)

Earl of Winchester, Third Creation (1471/5)

• Louis de Bruges , Earl of Winchester (resigned 1500)

Marquesses of Winchester (1551)

• William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester (d. 1572)
• John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester (c. 1517-1576)
• William Paulet, 3rd Marquess of Winchester (c. 1535-1598)
• William Paulet, 4th Marquess of Winchester (c. 1560-1628)
• John Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester (c. 1598-1674)
• Charles Paulet, 1st Duke of Bolton, 6th Marquess of Winchester (d. 1699)
• Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton, 7th Marquess of Winchester (1661-1722)
• Charles Paulet, 3rd Duke of Bolton, 8th Marquess of Winchester (1685-1754)
• Harry Paulet, 4th Duke of Bolton, 9th Marquess of Winchester (1691-1759)
• Charles Paulet, 5th Duke of Bolton, 10th Marquess of Winchester (d. 1765)
• Harry Paulet, 6th Duke of Bolton, 11th Marquess of Winchester (1720-1794)
• George Paulet, 12th Marquess of Winchester (1722-1800)
• Charles Ingoldsby Paulet, 13th Marquess of Winchester (1765-1843)
• John Paulet, 14th Marquess of Winchester (1801-1887)
• Augustus John Henry Beaumont Paulet, 15th Marquess of Winchester (1858-1899)
• Henry William Montague Paulet, 16th Marquess of Winchester (1862-1962)
• Richard Charles Paulet, 17th Marquess of Winchester (1905-1968)
• Nigel George Paulet, 18th Marquess of Winchester (b. 1941)

Heir Apparent: Christopher John Hilton Paulet, Earl of Wiltshire

Lord Wiltshire's Heir Apparent: Michael John Paulet, Lord St John