George Stevens Byng, 2nd Earl of Strafford, PC (8 June 1806 – 29 October 1886), styled Viscount Enfield between 1847 and 1860, of

Wrotham Park Wrotham Park (pronounced , ) is a neo-Palladian English country house in the parish of South Mimms, Hertfordshire. It lies south of the town of Potters Bar, from Hyde Park Corner in central London. The house was designed by Isaac Ware in 17 ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

(now

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

) and of 5

St James's Square St James's Square is the only square in the St James's district of the City of Westminster and is a garden square. It has predominantly Georgian and Neo-Georgian architecture. For its first two hundred or so years it was one of the three or fou ...

, London, was a British peer and Whig politician.

Origins

Byng was the eldest son of Field Marshal

John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford Field Marshal John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford (1772 – 3 June 1860) was a British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the ...

(1772–1860) by his first wife, Mary Mackenzie.thepeerage.com George Stevens Byng, 2nd Earl of Strafford
/ref>

Military career

In 1822, after graduating from the Royal Military College, Byng joined the

29th Regiment of Foot The 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1694. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot to become the 1st Battalion, the Worcestershire Reg ...

as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

by purchase. In 1825 he transferred to the 85th Regiment of Foot as a lieutenant and was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in 1826, in which rank he served in the

60th Rifles The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

. In 1837, after he had begun his political career, he was appointed

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

of the part-time

Royal West Middlesex Militia The Royal West Middlesex Militia, later the Edmonton Royal Rifle Regiment, was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in Middlesex in the Home counties of England during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. It later became part of the King' ...

. On the death of the regiment's

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in 1844 Byng succeeded to the command. His eldest son, the Hon George Byng, was commissioned as his lt-col on 30 October 1853. He retired from the command and became the regiment's Honorary Colonel on 5 December 1859.

Political career

Byng's political career began in 1830 when he was elected as a

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 ...

for

Milborne Port Milborne Port is a village, electoral ward and civil parish in Somerset, England, east of Sherborne, and in the South Somerset district. It has a population of 2,802. The parish includes the hamlets of Milborne Wick and Kingsbury Regis. The vil ...

, a seat he briefly held before taking the post of

Comptroller of the Household The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the British royal household, nominally the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department after the Treasurer of the Household. The Comptroller was an ''ex officio'' member of t ...

to the

Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdo ...

(his father-in-law, Lord Anglesey), less than a year later. When his former co-MP, William Sturges-Bourne resigned his seat a few weeks later, Byng returned to his former seat and held it until the

Great Reform Bill The Representation of the People Act 1832 (also known as the 1832 Reform Act, Great Reform Act or First Reform Act) was an Act of Parliament, Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom (indexed as 2 & 3 Will. IV c. 45) that introduced major chan ...

of 1832 abolished the constituency. From 1834 he was MP for the new constituency of

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

, a seat he held until 1835 and again from 1837 to 1852. He served under

Lord Melbourne William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, (15 March 177924 November 1848), in some sources called Henry William Lamb, was a British Whig politician who served as Home Secretary (1830–1834) and Prime Minister (1834 and 1835–1841). His first pre ...

as a

Lord of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the ...

between June and November 1834. According to the '' Legacies of British Slave-Ownership'' at the

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

, Strafford made an unsuccessful claim for compensation in the aftermath of the

Slavery Abolition Act 1833 The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. IV c. 73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which provided for the gradual abolition of slavery in most parts of the British Empire. It was passed by Earl Grey's reforming administrati ...

with the

Slave Compensation Act 1837 The Slave Compensation Act 1837 (1 & 2 Vict. c. 3) was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, signed into law on 23 December 1837. It authorised the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt to compensate slave owners in the Briti ...

. Between 1836 and 1837 he represented

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...

in parliament. He again served under

between 1835 and 1841 and as

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons. The current holder of the office is Ma ...

between June and August 1841 and was sworn of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

in 1835. When

Lord John Russell John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, (18 August 1792 – 28 May 1878), known by his courtesy title Lord John Russell before 1861, was a British Whig and Liberal statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1852 and ag ...

became Prime Minister in 1846, Byng was appointed Joint Secretary to the Board of Control, a post he retained until 1847. After losing his parliamentary seat in 1852, Byng was summoned to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

through a

writ of acceleration A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, is a type of writ of summons that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with more than one peerage to attend the British or Irish House of Lords, using one of his father ...

in his father's barony of Strafford a year later and inherited his father's earldom in 1860.

Marriages and progeny

Byng married twice: *Firstly on 7 March 1829 to Lady Agnes Paget (d. October 1845), a daughter of Field Marshal

Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (17 May 1768 – 29 April 1854), styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as the Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815, was a British Army officer and politician. After serving as a member ...

, by whom he had six children: **

George Byng, 3rd Earl of Strafford George Henry Charles Byng, 3rd Earl of Strafford (22 February 1830 – 28 March 1898), styled Viscount Enfield between 1860 and 1886, was a British Liberal politician. Background and education Byng was the eldest son of George Byng, 2nd Earl ...

(22 Feb 1830 – 28 Mar 1898), eldest son and heir. Died without surviving male progeny. **

Henry Byng, 4th Earl of Strafford Henry William John Byng, 4th Earl of Strafford (21 August 1831 – 16 May 1899) was a British peer and courtier. Biography Byng was the second son of George Byng, 2nd Earl of Strafford and his first wife, Agnes. From 1840 he was a Page of H ...

(21 Aug 1831 – 16 May 1899), 2nd son, who succeeded his elder brother in the titles. Died without surviving male progeny. **Lady Agnes Mary Georgiana Byng (29 Oct 1833 – 7 Apr 1878), who married

Hedworth Jolliffe, 2nd Baron Hylton Hedworth Hylton Jolliffe, 2nd Baron Hylton DL (23 June 1829 – 31 October 1899), was a British peer and Conservative Member of Parliament. Birth and education Hylton was the second son of William George Hylton Jolliffe, 1st Baron Hylton, an ...

. **

Francis Edmund Cecil Byng, 5th Earl of Strafford Rev. Francis Edmund Cecil Byng, 5th Earl of Strafford (15 January 1835 – 18 January 1918) was an English Anglican minister and member of the peerage. Background Byng was born 15 January 1835, third son of George Byng, 2nd Earl of Straffo ...

(1835–1918), 3rd son, who succeeded his elder brother in the titles. **Lady Mary Caroline Charlotte Byng (1838–1933), who married the barrister

Richard Arkwright Sir Richard Arkwright (23 December 1732 – 3 August 1792) was an English inventor and a leading entrepreneur during the early Industrial Revolution. He is credited as the driving force behind the development of the spinning frame, known as t ...

. **Lady Victoria Alexandrina Anna Maria Byng (11 Mar 1842 – 1899), who married Arthur Fuller. *Secondly in 1848 he married the Hon. Harriett Cavendish, a daughter of

Charles Cavendish, 1st Baron Chesham Charles Compton Cavendish, 1st Baron Chesham (28 August 1793 – 12 November 1863) was a British Liberal politician. Early life Cavendish was the fourth son of George Augustus Henry Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington, third son of the former Pri ...

, by whom he had a further seven children: **Hon. Charles Cavendish George Byng (1849–1918). **Hon. Alfred John George Byng (1851–1887). **Lady Susan Catherine Harriet Byng (19 Mar 1854 – 1936), who married Thomas Trueman. **Lady Elizabeth Henrietta Alice Byng (31 Dec 1855 – 1920). **Hon. Lionel Francis George Byng (1858–1915), who in 1902 married Lady Eleanor Mabel Howard (1873–1945), a daughter of the

Henry Howard, 18th Earl of Suffolk Henry Charles Howard, 18th Earl of Suffolk, 11th Earl of Berkshire (10 September 1833 – 31 March 1898), styled Viscount Andover between 1851 and 1876, was a British peer and Liberal Party politician. Background Suffolk was the eldest son of C ...

, by whom he had issue. **Lady Margaret Florence Lucy Byng (6 Nov 1860 – 1945), who married Hon. John Richard Boscawen. **

Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy Field Marshal Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, (11 September 1862 – 6 June 1935) was a British Army officer who served as Governor General of Canada, the 12th since the Canadian Confederation. Known to friends as "Bun ...

(1862–1935).

Death

Lord Strafford died in October 1886, aged 80, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son,

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

. The Countess of Strafford died in June 1892.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strafford, George Byng, 2nd Earl of 1806 births 1886 deaths Earls in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Byng, George Byng, George Byng, George Byng, George Byng, George Byng, George Byng, George Enfield, George Byng, Viscount UK MPs who inherited peerages 29th Regiment of Foot officers Middlesex Militia officers Byng, George Treasurers of the Household Fellows of the Royal Society Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst

British slave owners