Washington Shirley, 2nd Earl Ferrers (22 June 1677 – 14 April 1729), styled Hon. Washington Shirley until 1714 and Viscount Tamworth from 1714 to 1717, was a British nobleman and soldier. The second but first surviving son of

Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers PC (20 October 1650 – 25 December 1717)—known as Sir Robert Shirley, 7th Baronet, from 1669 to 1677 and Robert Shirley, 14th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, from 1677 to 1711—was an English peer and courtier. S ...

(by his first wife, Elizabeth Washington), he matriculated at

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

in 1693. In 1697, he was commissioned 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 ...

in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

. He left the regiment some time after 1702. From 1713 until 1715, he sat for Fore in Ireland, apparently on his wife's interest. Upon the death of his nephew

Robert Shirley, Viscount Tamworth Robert Shirley, Viscount Tamworth (28 December 1692 – 5 July 1714) of Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, was an English nobleman and politician. Robert Shirley was the eldest son of Hon. Robert Shirley (1673–1699) and his wife Anne Ferrers ( ...

in 1714, he adopted that title as

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to his father. He succeeded to the earldom in 1717, but the estates were much diminished by his stepmother's

jointure Jointure is, in law, a provision for a wife after the death of her husband. As defined by Sir Edward Coke, it is "a competent livelihood of freehold for the wife, of lands or tenements, to take effect presently in possession or profit after the dea ...

and bequests to his brothers and half-brothers. He married Mary Levinge (d. January 1740), daughter of

Sir Richard Levinge, 1st Baronet Sir Richard Levinge, 1st Baronet (2 May 1656 – 13 July 1724) was an Irish politician and judge, who played a leading part in Irish public life for more than 30 years. Background Levinge was born at Leek, Staffordshire, the second son of Rich ...

and his first wife Mary Corbin, around 1704. They had three daughters: *Lady Elizabeth Shirley (1704 – 17 August 1734), married Joseph Gascoigne Nightingale and had issue. A remarkable monument to the couple exists in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

. * Lady Selina Shirley (1707–1791), married

Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon (12 November 1696 – 13 October 1746) was the son of Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon and Mary Frances Fowler. Hastings married Lady Selina Shirley, daughter of Washington Shirley, 2nd Earl ...

. She was a leading early

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

. *Lady Mary Shirley (25 September 1712 – 12 August 1784), married

Thomas Needham, 9th Viscount Kilmorey 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 Ap ...

, without issue Appointed

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

and

Custos Rotulorum of Staffordshire This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Staffordshire. * William Whorwood bef. 1544–1545 * William Paget, 1st Baron Paget bef. 1547–1563 * Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex 1569–1576 * Thomas Trentham be ...

in 1725, he died in 1729. The earldom, for lack of male issue, passed to his brother

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

, a lunatic.

References

* 1677 births 1729 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Coldstream Guards officers 02 Shirley, Washington Lord-Lieutenants of Staffordshire Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Westmeath constituencies {{Ireland-pre1801-MP-stub