Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater(11 August 1681 – 11 January 1744), styled asViscount Brackleyfrom 1687 to 1701 and as theEarl of Bridgewaterfrom 1701 to 1720, was an English peer, courtier and landowner. Born into theEgerton family,he succeeded asEarl of Bridgewaterin 1701, before being createdDuke of Bridgewateron 18 June 1720, withsubsidiary titlesincludingMarquess of Brackley.
The Duke of Bridgewater | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 11 August 1681 |
| Died | 11 January 1744(aged 62) |
| Alma mater | Whitgift School |
| Spouses | |
| Children |
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| Parent(s) | John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater Lady Jane Paulet |
Early life
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Scroop Egerton was born on 11 August 1681, the third son ofJohn Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater,and his second wife,Lady Jane Paulet.His maternal grandparents wereCharles Paulet, 1st Duke of Bolton,and his second wife,Mary Scrope,natural daughterofEmanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland.[2]Egerton is recorded as being educated at theWhitgift School,Croydon.[3]
Career
editBridgewater, aWhig,served twice asLord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire,first from 1702 to 1711 (during the reign ofQueen Anne) and later again from 1714 to 1728 (the reigns ofGeorge IandGeorge II).
Bridgewater first saw royal service when appointed to thehouseholdofPrince George of DenmarkasGentleman of the BedchamberandMaster of the Horse.Later, he served asLord ChamberlaintoCaroline, Princess of Wales,and subsequently asLord of the Bedchamberto her husband, who had by then acceded to the throne asKing George II.
Scroop Egerton commissioned the building ofBrackley'snew Town Hallin 1704, and it was completed in 1706. He was the lord of the manor, and alsoLord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshireat this time.
Family life
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On 9 February 1703, Bridgewater married his first wife,Lady Elizabeth Churchill,daughter ofJohn Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough,and the formerSarah Jenyns.The couple had two children:
- John Egerton, Viscount Brackley (b. 1703/4, d. 1718/9) died at age 14 at Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire, England. He was buried on 5 February 1718/19 at Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England. He was styled as Viscount Brackley between 1704 and 1719.[4]
- Lady Anne Egerton(d. 1762); married firstWriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford,and, secondlyWilliam Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey.Through Anne, they are ancestors ofDiana, Princess of Wales,and of her sons, Princes William, the Prince of Wales, and Harry, Duke of Sussex.
The Countess of Bridgewater died on 22 March 1714. About eight years later, on 4 August 1722, Bridgewater married his second wife, Lady Rachael, daughter ofWriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford,and ElizabethnéeHowland. The couple had eight children:
- Lady Louisa Egerton (30 April 1723 –14 March 1761); marriedGranville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford.
- Lady Caroline Egerton (b. 21 May 1724).
- Charles Egerton, Marquess of Brackley (27 July 1725 –2 May 1731).[5]
- John Egerton, 2nd Duke of Bridgewater(29 April 1727 –26 February 1748).
- Lord William Egerton (15 January 1728 –10 February 1729).
- Lord Thomas Egerton (18 April 1730 -1 May 1730).
- Lady Diana Egerton (3 March 1731/2 –13 August 1758); marriedFrederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimoreon 9 March 1753.[6]The union was not a success, and the couple spent most of their married life apart. They had no children, and in May 1756 they were formally separated, due to an "incompatibility of temper".[7]In 1758, Lady Diana "died from a hurt she received by a fall out of aPhaethon carriage",while accompanied by her husband. Although Lord Baltimore was suspected of foul play, no charges were ever brought.[7]
- Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater(21 May 1736 –8 March 1803).[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Debrett's Peerage,1968, p.1077,Duke of Sutherland
- ^"Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater".Burke's Peerage & Baronetage. 2003. pp. 1233–1234.
- ^"Transforming boys' lives through education".Whitgift School.
- ^G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume II, page 314.
- ^Buried on 5 May 1731 at St James's, Westminster, London. Source:The Register of Burials in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster. 1723-1754.5 May 1731.
- ^Walpole, Horace (1806).A Catalogue of the Royal and Noble Authors of England, Scotland, and Ireland;: With Lists of Their Works.Vol. 5. John Scott. p. 278.
- ^ab"Frederick Calvert".Epsom and Ewell history explorer.Retrieved1 August2012.
- ^"Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater".Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage. 2015.
Bibliography
- Mosley, Charles (2010).Burke's Peerage & Baronetage.London:Cassells.
- Kidd, Charles (2015).Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage.London:Debretts Publishing Ltd.
External links
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- Collins, Arthur (1812).Collins's Peerage of England; Genealogical, Biographical, and Historical.F. C. and J. Rivington, Otridge and son. p. 397.
- ashridgehouse.org.uk