Fitton Gerard, 3rd Earl of Macclesfield (15 October 1663 – 26 December 1702), was an English peer, styled Hon. Fitton Gerard until 1701.

Biography

He was the younger son of

Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, PC (c. 16187 January 1694) was an English aristocrat, soldier and courtier. He fought as a Royalist during the English Civil War, before spending a period in exile under the Commonwealth. After returnin ...

, and represented several constituencies, mostly in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, in the

House of Commons of England The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was re ...

, before succeeding his brother

Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield ( 1659 – 5 November 1701), was an English peer, soldier and MP. Biography He was born in France, the eldest son of Charles Gerard, Baron Brandon (later 1st Earl of Macclesfield), and Jeanne, the daughte ...

, to the earldom in 1701. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Lancashire that year, but died in the following year, the earldom becoming extinct. After his death, there was a long legal dispute between the

Duke of Hamilton Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Duke of Rothesay, Dukedom of Rothesay held by the sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the pr ...

, and

Lord Mohun Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun ( – 15 November 1712), was an English politician best known for his frequent participation in duels. He was killed in the Hamilton–Mohun duel in Hyde Park, London. Biography Mohun was the second child of C ...

over who should succeed to Gawsworth Hall and Macclesfield's estates. Hamilton's claim was through his wife, Elizabeth Gerard, a granddaughter of

, while Mohun's was as the named heir of his friend the second earl of Macclesfield. On 15 November 1712, the two men fought a famous duel in Hyde Park,

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, described in Thackeray's '' The History of Henry Esmond'' and in

Bernard Burke Sir John Bernard Burke, (5 January 1814 – 12 December 1892) was a British genealogist and Ulster King of Arms, who helped publish ''Burke's Peerage''. Personal life Burke, of Irish descent, was born at London and was educated in London an ...

's ''Anecdotes of the Aristocracy''. Sir Bernard Burke, ''Anecdotes of the Aristocracy'' (Walford, 1878), pp. 375–405.

References

1663 births 1702 deaths Deputy lieutenants of Lancashire Gerard, Fitton English MPs 1690–1695 English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 Fitton

103 103 may refer to: *103 (number), the number *AD 103, a year in the 2nd century AD *103 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 103 (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Field Squadron, a territorial regiment * 103 (Newcastle) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers * 103 ...

Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Lancashire Younger sons of earls {{1698-England-MP-stub