Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor ( ; 18 June 1731 – 5 August 1802) was an English landowner,

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

politician and peer who sat in the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

representing the parliamentary constituency of the City of Chester from 1754 to 1761.

Early life

Richard Grosvenor was born at Eaton Hall, Cheshire, the elder son of Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet and Jane Warre. He was educated at

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...

, graduating MA in 1751 and DCL in 1754.

Political career

He became Member of Parliament for

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

in 1754 and continued to represent the city until 1761, when he became Baron Grosvenor and was elevated to the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. He was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Chester in 1759 and in 1769 he paid for the building of the Eastgate in the city. Grosvenor extended his estate by the purchase of the village of Belgrave, and the manor of Eccleston in 1769. He succeeded as 7th baronet on the death of his father in 1755.Farrell, S. M. (2004) (online edition 2008)
Grosvenor, Richard, first Earl Grosvenor (1731–1802)
, ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'',

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, Retrieved on 10 April 2010. Initially, Grosvenor was, like his father, a

, but later he came to support the ideas of

William Pitt the Elder William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him "Chatham" or "Pitt the Elder" to distinguish him from his son ...

. In 1758 he declared himself in favour of the Pitt–Newcastle ministry and following this he was created Baron Grosvenor in 1761. However, when the Tory Earl of Bute became Prime Minister the following year, Grosvenor changed his allegiance. Then, when Pitt was returned to power in the Chatham Ministry of 1766–1768, Grosvenor returned to support him. During the 1770s he supported Lord North during the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. He voted against Fox's India Bill in 1783 and was rewarded by

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British statesman who served as the last prime minister of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1783 until the Acts of Union 1800, and then first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, p ...

with title of Earl Grosvenor the following year.

Personal life

Grosvenor was interested in the acquisition of art, as well as

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

and

horse breeding Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given Horse breed, breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired chara ...

. He bred several Thoroughbred racehorses, including Medley (1776 – 1792), whom Grosvenor subsequently sold to Sir

John Lade Sir John Lade, 2nd Baronet (1 August 1759 – 10 February 1838) was a prominent member of English Regency, Regency society, notable as an owner and breeder of racehorses, as an accomplished Driving (horse), driver, associated with Samuel Jo ...

; he also purchased the racehorses and stallions Gimcrack in 1771, and Potoooooooo ("Pot-8-Os") in 1778, the latter at the 1200 Guineas Stakes. Grosvenor also owned the racehorses Mambrino (b. 1768), Protector (b. 1770), Sweet William (b. 1768), and Sweetbriar (b. 1769), as well as bred

Rhadamanthus In Greek mythology, Rhadamanthus () or Rhadamanthys () was a wise king of Crete. As the son of Zeus and Europa (mythology), Europa he was considered a demigod. He later became one of the Greek underworld#Judges of the underworld, judges of the ...

(b. 1787), who was sold to William Frisby by 1795;

Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek language, Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin language, Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan language, Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. H ...

(b. 1791), whom Grosvenor sold to a "Mr. A. Bayton" at the end of 1794; ''et al.'' He was also the principal patron of the

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Early satirical authors *Aes ...

and journalist William Gifford. For his art collection he acquired works from Italy, and also bought paintings from

Benjamin West Benjamin West (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as ''The Death of Nelson (West painting), The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the ''Treaty of Paris ( ...

(including his painting of '' The Death of General Wolfe''),

Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (; 14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists o ...

, Richard Wilson and

George Stubbs George Stubbs (25 August 1724 – 10 July 1806) was an English painter, best known for his paintings of horses. Self-trained, Stubbs learnt his skills independently from other great artists of the 18th century such as Joshua Reynolds and Thoma ...

. In 1788 a collection of literary pieces composed at Eaton was published as ''The Eaton Chronicle, or The Salt-Box''. Grosvenor was appointed as a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1777. To breed his race horses Grosvenor established studs at

Wallasey Wallasey () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the mouth of the River Mersey, on the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic county bou ...

and at Eaton. His horses won the

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

on three occasions and the Oaks six times. His racing silks were yellow, with a black cap. In the 1760s, Grosvenor occupied Aubrey House, in the Campden Hill area of

Holland Park Holland Park is an area of Kensington, on the western edge of Central London, that lies within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and largely surrounds its namesake park, Holland Park. Colloquially referred to as 'Millionaire's Row', ...

. A

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

commemorates Grosvenor and other residents of the house.

Family and death

On 19 July 1764 Grosvenor married Henrietta Vernon, daughter of Henry Vernon of Hilton Park, Staffordshire; they had four sons. However, the marriage was not happy, and Henrietta had an

affair An affair is a relationship typically between two people, one or both of whom are either married or in a long-term Monogamy, monogamous or emotionally-exclusive relationship with someone else. The affair can be solely sexual, solely physical or ...

with Henry, Duke of Cumberland, the younger brother of George III. The couple were discovered '' in flagrante delicto'' in 1769, which led to Grosvenor bringing an action against the Duke for "

criminal conversation At common law, criminal conversation, often abbreviated as ''crim. con.'', is a tort arising from adultery. "Conversation" is an old euphemism for sexual intercourse that is obsolete except as part of this term. It is similar to breach of pr ...

" (that is,

adultery Adultery is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal consequences, the concept ...

). He was awarded

damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognized at ...

of £10,000, which together with

costs Cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something or deliver a service, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it is ...

, amounted to an award of £13,000 (£ in 2015). But Grosvenor was also known to be guilty of adultery himself, regularly seeking out prostitutes around Leicester Square, so he could not sue for divorce. The couple separated and he settled an annual allowance of £1,200 (£ in 2015) on his estranged wife, who entered the demi-monde and was a leading member of The New Female Coterie. Grosvenor died at Earls Court in 1802 and was buried in the family vault at St Mary's Church, Eccleston. His assets amounted to "under £70,000" (£ in 2015), but his debts were "over £100,000" (£ in 2015). In 1799 he (or his immediate family benefit trust) was estimated the wealthiest small family unit in Britain by a margin of 49%, owning £6.25M (). He was succeeded at Eaton Hall by his eldest son

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

Horses

racehorses bred or owned by Lord Grosvenor include: * Gimcrack (b. 1760), sold to Lord Grosvenor by Sir Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet in 1769 at the age of 9. * Mambrino (b. 1768), sold to Lord Grosvenor in 1775 at the age of 7. *Sweet William (b. 1768), sold to Lord Grosvenor in 1772 at age 4, and painted by

in 1779. * Sweetbriar (b. 1769), bred by either Thomas Meredith or Lord Grosvenor, and also painted by

. *Protector (b. 1770), bred by

Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, 3rd Viscount St John (21 December 1732 – 5 May 1787), was a British peer and landowner. His father was John St John, 2nd Viscount St John, half-brother of Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke ( ...

; sold by Sir Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet to Lord Grosvenor. * Potoooooooo ("Pot-8-Os") (b. 1773), sold to Lord Grosvenor in 1778 at the age of 5 for 1,500 guineas. * Medley (b. 1776), bred by Lord Grosvenor, and subsequently sold to Sir John Lade. Exported to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. *

Messenger Messenger, Messengers, The Messenger or The Messengers may refer to: People * Courier, a person or company that delivers messages, packages, or mail * Messenger (surname) * Bicycle messenger, a bicyclist who transports packages through cities * M ...

(b. 1780), bred by Lord Grosvenor, per some sources, and sired by Mambrino. Exported to

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. *Alexander (b. 1782), a son of

Eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event which occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ...

owned by Lord Grosvenor. Famous

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

and dam sire. *Meteor (b. 1783), bred by Lord Grosvenor. A son of

named for the 1783 Great Meteor. *

(b. 1787), bred by Lord Grosvenor, and sold to William Frisby by 1795. *John Bull (b. 1789), bred and owned by Lord Grosvenor. Sired over 35 foals at Grosvenor's stud farm. *

(b. 1791), bred by Lord Grosvenor, and sold to a "Mr. A. Bayton" at the end of 1794, after an unsuccessful career.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosvenor, Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl 1731 births 1802 deaths People from Cheshire British racehorse owners and breeders Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor Owners of Epsom Derby winners Grosvenor, Richard, 7th Baronet Grosvenor, Richard, 7th Baronet Fellows of the Royal Society Earls Grosvenor Peers of Great Britain created by George III