Robert Shirley, 7th Earl Ferrers FSA DL (21 September 1756 – 2 May 1827), styled Viscount Tamworth from 1778 to 1787, was a British nobleman.

Early life

The eldest son of

Robert Shirley Sir Robert Shirley (or Sherley; c. 1581 – 13 July 1628) was an English traveller and adventurer, younger brother of Sir Anthony Shirley and Sir Thomas Shirley. He is notable for his help modernising and improving the Persian Safavid army ...

, he became a

courtesy Courtesy (from the word ''courteis'', from the 12th century) is gentle politeness and courtly manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the nobility was compiled in courtesy books. History The apex of European courtly c ...

viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...

after his father succeeded his brother in the earldom in 1778.

Career

On 4 July 1781, both Ferrers and Tamworth were appointed deputy lieutenants for

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

. He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1787. Ferrers was named a Fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

in 1788, and was much interested in genealogy.

Personal life

Robert married Elizabeth Prentiss (d. 14 September 1799) on 13 March 1778 at St Leonard's, Shoreditch. They had one son: * Robert Sewallis Shirley, Viscount Tamworth (1778–1824), who married Hon. Sophia Caroline Curzon, daughter of

Nathaniel Curzon, 2nd Baron Scarsdale Nathaniel Curzon, 2nd Baron Scarsdale (27 September 1752 – 27 January 1837) was an English Tory politician and peer. Early life Curzon was the son of Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale of Kedleston Hall, and his wife Lady Caroline Colyear. ...

, on 5 August 1800; he purchased a commission as cornet and sub-lieutenant in the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards on 6 October 1798, was promoted into the

1st Regiment of Foot Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

as a lieutenant on 4 November 1800, and retired from the Army in January 1802. He was commissioned major of the Derby Regiment of Volunteer Infantry (militia) on 26 April 1804. He married his second wife, Elizabeth Mundy (d. 22 February 1827), daughter of Wrightson Mundy, on 28 September 1799, by whom he left no issue. Since his son predeceased him, he was succeeded by his brother

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

when he died at

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

in 1827 aged 70. The Earl and his second wife were both buried at

Breedon on the Hill Breedon on the Hill is a village and civil parish about north of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in North West Leicestershire, England. The parish adjoins the Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes ...

Legacy

Although his son died without legitimate issue; he left a natural daughter, Caroline Shirley (1818–1897). He left the family estates at

Ragdale Ragdale is the former summer retreat of Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw (1869–1926), located in Lake Forest, Illinois. It is also the home of the Ragdale Foundation, an artist residency program that hosts creators from a number of disc ...

and Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Leicestershire, which had descended from the Basset family, to his granddaughter Caroline, later Duchess Sforza Cesarini.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferrers, Robert Shirley, 7th Earl 1756 births 1827 deaths Deputy Lieutenants of Derbyshire 07 Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London