William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth,
PC,
FRS (20 June 1731 – 15 July 1801), styled as Viscount Lewisham from 1732 to 1750, was a
British statesman who is most remembered as the namesake of
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
.
Background
Dartmouth was the son of George Legge, Viscount Lewisham, who died when Dartmouth was one year old. His mother was Elizabeth, daughter of
Sir Arthur Kaye, 3rd Baronet. Having entered
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 1748, he succeeded his grandfather in the earldom in 1750.
Political career
Lord Dartmouth was
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies.
History
The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasi ...
from 1772 to 1775. Lord Dartmouth's arrival in the Colonies was celebrated by
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly ( – December 5, 1784) was an American author who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Gates, Henry Louis, ''Trials of Phillis Wheatley: Ameri ...
's famous poem, "To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth."
It was Lord Dartmouth who, in 1764, at the suggestion of
Thomas Haweis, recommended
John Newton
John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...
, the former slave trader and author of "
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for bot ...
", to
Edmund Keene
Edmund Keene (1714 – 6 July 1781) was an English churchman and academic, who was Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge and later served first as Bishop of Chester, then Bishop of Ely.
Younger brother of the diplomat Benjamin Keene, the family were ...
, the
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.
The diocese extends across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in th ...
. He was instrumental in Newton's acceptance for the
Anglican ministry.
In 1772, in correspondence with
Sir William Johnson, the Superintendent of Northern Indian Affairs in America, he suggested that there was no reasonable way the British Government could support new trade regulations with the Indians.
He sympathised with Johnson's arguments but stated the Colonies did not seem inclined to concur with any new regulations.
Philanthropy
Lord Dartmouth was a large donor to and the leading trustee for the English trust that would finance the establishment of the
Moor's Charity School, in
Lebanon, Connecticut
Lebanon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,142 at the 2020 census. The town lies just to the northwest of Norwich, directly south of Willimantic, north of New London, and east of Hartford. The far ...
, by
Eleazar Wheelock to educate and
convert the
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
.
Wheelock subsequently founded
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
in
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of ...
, naming the school in Lord Dartmouth's honour, in hopes of getting his financial support. Lord Dartmouth refused. In London, Lord Dartmouth supported the new
Foundling Hospital
The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word " hospita ...
, a charitable institution for the care and maintenance of London's abandoned children. He served as a vice-president of the organisation from 1755 until his death. The famous painter
Sir Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depende ...
painted the Earl's portrait and donated it to the hospital.
The portrait is still in the Foundling Hospital Collection and can be seen at the
Foundling Museum in London. He was admitted a
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematic ...
on 7 November 1754.
Marriage and children
Lord Dartmouth married Frances Catherine Nicholl, daughter of
Sir Charles Gounter Nicoll, on 11 January 1755. They had nine children together:
*
George Legge, 3rd Earl of Dartmouth (born 3 October 1755, died 10 November 1810)
*Hon William Legge (born 4 February 1757)
*Hon Charles Gounter Legge (born 18 May 1759)
*Hon Heneage Legge (born 7 May 1761)
* Hon Henry Legge (born 23 January 1765, died 19 April 1844)
*
Admiral the Hon Sir
Arthur Kaye Legge
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
KCB (born 25 October 1766, died 12 May 1835)
*
Rt Rev
The Right Reverend (abbreviated The Rt Revd, The Rt Rev'd, The Rt Rev.) is a style applied to certain religious figures.
Overview
*In the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church in Great Britain, it applies to bishops, except that ''The M ...
and Hon
Edward Legge (11 December 1767 - 27 January 1827),
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The current bishop is Steven Croft, following the confirmation of his elect ...
1816–27
*
The Ven and Hon
Augustus George Legge (born 21 April 1773, died 1828),
Archdeacon of Winchester 1814–19
* Lady Charlotte Legge (5 October 1774 - 5 November 1848),
[''The Register of Births and Baptisms in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster. 1761-1786''. 8 November 1774.] married
Charles Duncombe, 1st Baron Feversham
Death
Dartmouth died at
Blackheath, Kent, on 15 July 1801, aged 70. He was buried in
Trinity Church in the Minories on 3 August 1801.
He was succeeded by his eldest son,
George. Lady Dartmouth died in July 1805. The family lived at
Sandwell Hall
Sandwell Hall was a mansion house in the county of West Midlands (originally in Staffordshire), England, about east of West Bromwich. The site is within Sandwell Valley Country Park. It was built in 1711 for William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth ...
(since demolished) in
Sandwell Valley.
References
;Attribution
External links
Biography, Arms, and Motto
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dartmouth, William Legge, 2nd Earl of
1731 births
1801 deaths
Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford
British officials in the American Revolution
Legge, William
2
English Methodists
Fellows of the Royal Society
William
William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...
Lords Privy Seal
Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain
Secretaries of State for the Colonies
Presidents of the Board of Trade
Foundling Hospital
British philanthropists
18th-century philanthropists