Thomas George Anson, 2nd Earl of Lichfield (15 August 1825 – 7 January 1892), known as Viscount Anson from 1831 to 1854, was a British politician from the

Anson family ) , type = , country = * , estates = Shugborough HallBirch Hall , titles = * Earl of Lichfield * Viscount Anson * Baronet Anson , founded = , founder = George Anson , current head ...

Early life

Lichfield was the eldest of four sons and four daughters born to

Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield PC (20 October 1795 – 18 March 1854), previously known as The Viscount Anson from 1818 to 1831, was a British Whig politician from the Anson family. He served under Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne as ...

, and his wife Louisa Catherine (née Philips). Among his siblings was Augustus Anson, a soldier who received the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

, and

Adelbert John Robert Anson Adelbert John Robert Anson Doctor of Divinity, DD (20 December 184027 May 1909) was a clergyman from the Anson family. He served as an Anglican bishop in late 19th century western Canada. Early life Anson was the fourth and youngest son of Thoma ...

, a clergyman who served as Bishop of Qu'Apelle in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. His paternal grandparents were

Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson (14 February 1767 – 31 July 1818) was a British politician and peer from the Anson family. Background and career Thomas Anson was born 14 February 1767, the first son of George Anson, of Shugborough and Mar ...

, and his wife Anne Margaret, daughter of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. His paternal uncle was Major-General the Hon. George Anson. His maternal grandfather was Nathaniel Philips.thepeerage.com Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield
/ref> He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

, in Windsor, England.

Career

Between 1846 and 1847, Viscount Anson was with the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...

. He was returned to Parliament for

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...

in 1847, a seat he held until 1854, when he succeeded his father in the earldom and took his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

. He also succeeded as the 3rd

Baron Soberton Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or ...

and the 4th

Viscount Anson 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 judicial ...

. From 1863 to 1871, he also served as Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire. His seat was

Shugborough Hall Shugborough Hall is a stately home near Great Haywood, Staffordshire, England. The hall is situated on the edge of Cannock Chase, about east of Stafford and from Rugeley. The estate was owned by the Bishops of Lichfield until the dissolutio ...

. In 1876, his Staffordshire estates amounted to 21,433 acres.

Personal life

On 10 April 1855, Lord Lichfield married Lady Harriett Georgiana Louisa, daughter of

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, (21 January 1811 – 31 October 1885), styled Viscount Hamilton from 1814 to 1818 and The Marquess of Abercorn from 1818 to 1868, was a British Conservative statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ir ...

and

Louisa Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn Louisa Jane Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, VA (née Lady Louisa Jane Russell; 8 July 1812 – 31 March 1905) was a member of the British aristocracy. She was the half-sister of Prime Minister John Russell, 1st Earl Russell. Biography She was th ...

(the eldest daughter of

John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, (6 July 1766 – 20 October 1839), known as Lord John Russell until 1802, was a British Whig politician who notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Ministry of All the Talents. He was the fathe ...

, by his second wife, Lady Georgiana Gordon, and the sister of Prime Minister

John Russell, 1st Earl 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 a ...

). Together, they were the parents of nine sons and four daughters: * Thomas Francis Anson, 3rd Earl of Lichfield (1856–1918), who married his cousin, Lady Mildred Coke, daughter of

Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester Thomas William Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester (26 December 1822 – 24 January 1909), known as Viscount Coke from 1837 to 1842, was a British peer. Background Leicester was the son of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, by his second wife Lady ...

. * Hon. Sir George Augustus Anson (1857–1947), who married Blanche Mary Miller in 1884. * Major Hon. Henry James Anson (1858–1904), who married Lady Adelaide Audrey Ryder, daughter of

Henry Ryder, 4th Earl of Harrowby Henry Dudley Ryder, 4th Earl of Harrowby (3 May 1836 – 11 December 1900), was a British hereditary peer. Early life and education Harrowby was the younger son of Dudley Ryder, 2nd Earl of Harrowby and his wife Frances Stuart, fourth daughter ...

, in 1902. * Lady Florence Beatrice Anson (1860–1946), who married Colonel Sir

Henry Streatfeild Henry Streatfeild (1706 - 1762) was a substantial British landowner and member of the prominent Chiddingstone, Kent Streatfeild family. Henry Streatfeild was born on 3 June 1706 in Chiddingstone. He was the son of Henry Streatfeild (1679-1747) and ...

(grandson of

Henrietta Mildred Hodgson Henrietta Mildred Hodgson (6 January 1805 – 19 November 1891) was an English lady with both British royal and American presidential genealogical connections. Life and family Born on 6 January 1805 in London Henrietta Mildred was the daughte ...

) in 1885. * Hon. Frederic William Anson (1862–1917), who married Florence Louisa Jane Lane (sister of Lilian Bromley-Davenport), in 1886. * Hon. Claud Anson (1864–1947), who married Lady Clodagh Beresford, daughter of

John Beresford, 5th Marquess of Waterford John Henry de la Poer Beresford, 5th Marquess of Waterford (21 May 184423 October 1895), styled Earl of Tyrone from 1859 to 1866, was an Irish peer and Conservative politician. He served as Master of the Buckhounds under Lord Salisbury from 1885 ...

, in 1901. * Lady Beatrice Anson (1865–1919), who married Lt.-Col.

Richard Hamilton Rawson Colonel Richard Hamilton Rawson, DL, JP (21 February 1863 – 11 October 1918) was a British Army officer and later a Conservative Party and National Party politician. Personal life Rawson was born in Aigburth, Lancashire, the son of Phili ...

in 1890. * Hon. Francis Anson (1867–1928), who married Caroline Cleveland, daughter of George Cleveland, a sheep rancher of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, in 1892. * Lady Mary Maud Anson (1869–1961), who married Hon. Edward Alan Dudley Ryder, son of

, in 1893. * Lady Edith Anson (1870–1932), who married Lionel King, 3rd Earl of Lovelace in 1895. * Hon. William Anson (1872–1926), who married actress Louisa van Wagenen in 1917. * Lady Evelyn Anson (1873–1895), who did not marry. * Hon. Alfred Anson (1876–1944), who in 1912 married Lela (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Alexander) Emery, the mother of John J. Emery and Audrey, Princess Romanovskaya-Ilyinskaya. Lord Lichfield died in January 1892, aged 66, and was buried at St Stephen's Church in

Great Haywood Great Haywood is a village in central Staffordshire, England, just off the A51 and about northwest of Rugeley and southeast of the county town of Stafford. Population details taken at the 2011 census can be found under Colwich. Haywood ...

.Memorial Inscriptions of Great Haywood, Staffordshire: St Stephen's Churchyard, accessed 1 October 2012
/ref> He was succeeded as Earl of Lichfield by his eldest son Thomas. Lady Lichfield died in 1913.

Notes

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lichfield, Thomas Anson, 2nd Earl of 1825 births 1892 deaths People educated at Eton College 2nd Earl of Lichfield Lord-Lieutenants of Staffordshire Anson, Thomas Anson, Viscount People associated with the Royal National College for the Blind UK MPs 1847–1852 UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs who inherited peerages

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...