George William Coventry, 7th Earl of Coventry (25 April 1758 – 26 March 1831), styled Viscount Deerhurst until 1809, was a British peer and

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

Life

On 7 May 1776, Coventry was commissioned an ensign in the

64th Regiment of Foot The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was created as the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment of Foot in 1756, redesignated as the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1758, and took a county title ...

. On 21 January 1777, he became a lieutenant in the 17th Regiment of Light Dragoons. In 1776 he had eloped to

Gretna Green Gretna Green is a parish in the southern council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the Scottish side of the border between Scotland and England, defined by the small river Sark, which flows into the nearby Solway Firth. It was historica ...

with Lady Catherine Henley, daughter of the Earl of Northington, leading to a long-standing estrangement from his father, the 6th Earl. Forbidden to return home, he spent much time with his friend

Sir Richard Worsley, 7th Baronet Sir Richard Worsley, 7th Baronet, (13 February 17518 August 1805), of Appuldurcombe House, Wroxall, Isle of Wight, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1801. He was a noted collector of antiquities. Early ...

Appuldurcombe House Appuldurcombe House (also spelt Appledorecombe or Appledore Combe) is the shell of a large 18th-century English Baroque country house of the Worsley family. The house is situated near to Wroxall on the Isle of Wight, England. It is now managed ...

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

. He had an affair with Lady Worsley and was later involved in her scandalous elopement with George Bisset in 1781, and the subsequent trial. Deerhurst was later appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Worcestershire Militia on 10 May 1806. He succeeded his father

George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry George William Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry (26 April 1722 – 3 September 1809), styled Viscount Deerhurst from 1744 to 1751, was a British peer and Tory politician. Early life Coventry was the second but eldest surviving son of William Cov ...

Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. Since 1719, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire. Lord Lieutenants of Worcestershire to 1974 *''see Lord Lieutenant of Wales for pre- ...

in 1808 and as

Earl of Coventry Earl of Coventry is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation for the Villiers family was created in 1623 and took its name from the city of Coventry. It became extinct in 1687. A decade later, the second ...

in 1809.

Family

In 1783, Coventry married Peggy Pitches, daughter of the brandy merchant Sir Abraham Pitches. They had five sons including the future 8th Earl, and six daughters, one son and one daughter dying young: *Lady Barbara (d. 4 Sep 1838) married Lt.-Col. Alexander Charles Craufurd, son of Sir James Gregan-Craufurd, 2nd Baronet *Lady Sophia Catherine (d. 29 Mar 1875) married twice. Firstly,

Sir Roger Gresley, 8th Baronet Sir Roger Gresley, 8th Baronet (27 December 1799 – 12 October 1837) was an English author and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1835 to 1837. Gresley was the son of Sir Nigel Bowyer Gresley, 7th Baronet and his second wife M ...

, on 2 June 1821. After Sir Roger's death, she married secondly, Rev. Lt.-Col. Sir Henry William Des Voeux, 3rd Baronet. She had no issue with either of them. * George, 8th Earl of Coventry (16 Oct 1784 – 15 May 1843) *Lady Augusta Maria (circa 1786 - 1 Nov 1865) married Lt.-Gen. Sir Willoughby Cotton on 16 May 1806. They had two sons and one daughter. *Hon. William James (1 Jan 1797 – 11 Mar 1877) Upon his death in 1831, he was succeeded by his son, George.

References

External links

* 1758 births 1831 deaths 17th Lancers officers Lord-Lieutenants of Worcestershire North Staffordshire Regiment officers British Militia officers Earls of Coventry {{England-earl-stub