General William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington (18 December 1719 – 1 April 1779) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

. The son of

William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, PC (c. 16838 December 1756) was a British statesman and diplomat. Life William Stanhope was born in 1683 at the family home in Elvaston, Derbyshire, third surviving son of John Stanhope and Doro ...

, he took up a military career and joined the Foot Guards in 1741, and was also returned for

Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wy ...

. He was wounded at the

battle of Fontenoy The Battle of Fontenoy was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought on 11 May 1745 near Tournai in modern Belgium. A French army of 50,000 under Marshal Saxe defeated a Pragmatic Army of roughly the same size, led by th ...

and shortly thereafter (5 June 1745) was appointed colonel of the Second Troop of

Horse Grenadier Guards The Horse Grenadier Guards, usually referred to ''Horse Grenadiers'' were a series of cavalry troops in the British Household Cavalry between 1687 and 1788, who used grenades and other explosives in battle. Originally attached to the Horse Guar ...

, an appointment he held for the remainder of his life. Elvaston Castle Derbyshire Morris edited

He married Lady Caroline FitzRoy (1722–1784), daughter of

Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton, (25 October 1683 – 6 May 1757) was an Irish and English politician. Early life He was the only child and heir of Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton (1663–1690) (an illegitimate son of King Charles I ...

, on 11 August 1746. They had seven children: * Lady Caroline Stanhope (11 March 1747 – 9 February 1767), married

Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth FRS (15 January 1744 – 27 August 1781) was a British peer, politician, soldier and Chief of the Highland Clan Mackenzie. Origins Mackenzie was the son of Kenneth Mackenzie, Lord Fortrose (died 1761) ...

* Lady Isabella Stanhope (c. 1748 – 29 January 1819), married

Charles Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton Charles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton (11 October 1748 – 31 January 1795) was a Member of Parliament, Member of the Parliament of Great Britain, British Parliament and a member of the peerage of Ireland. He was born on 11 October 1748 ...

* Lady Amelia Stanhope (24 May 1749 – 5 September 1780), married

Richard Barry, 6th Earl of Barrymore Earl of Barrymore was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created for David Barry, 6th Viscount Buttevant, in 1627/28. Lord Barrymore held the subsidiary titles of Baron Barry (created c. 1261) and Viscount Buttevant (created 1541) in th ...

Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington General Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington (17 March 17535 September 1829), styled Viscount Petersham until 1779, was a British Army officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1779 when he succeeded to the pe ...

(1753–1829) * Capt. Hon.

Henry Fitzroy Stanhope 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, ...

(29 May 1754 – 20 August 1828), married Elizabeth Falconer and had issue; he was subject to a court martial in June 1783 over his actions during the

invasion of Tobago The Invasion of Tobago was a French invasion of the British-held island of Tobago during the Anglo-French War. On May 24, 1781, the fleet of Comte de Grasse landed troops on the island under the command of General Marquis de Bouillé. By June 2 ...

but was found not guilty. Gurney (1783): p.54 The Lieutenant Governor of the island George Ferguson was also cleared of any blame at a subsequent enquiry. Buchan (2008): p.35 Henry Stanhope went on to become MP for Bramber from February 1782 until 1784. * Lady Henrietta Stanhope (c. 1756 – 2 January 1781), married Thomas Foley, 2nd Baron Foley * Lady Anna Maria Stanhope (c. 1760 – 18 October 1834), married first

Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne Major-General Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne (1 July 1752 – 18 May 1795), known as Lord Thomas Pelham-Clinton until 1779 and as Earl of Lincoln from 1779 to 1794, was a British Army officer and politician who sat in the ...

and second Gen. Sir

Charles Craufurd Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Gregan Craufurd GCB (12 February 1763 – 26 March 1821) was a British soldier. He was born in Golden Square, London, the second son of Sir Alexander Crauford of Kilbirnie, 1st Baronet and his wife, Jane Crokatt. ...

In 1747, he became MP for

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market town, market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – ...

, and in 1755, was promoted

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. He succeeded to the earldom in 1756, and was promoted

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

in 1758 and

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

in 1770. He was known to society as "the goat of quality" for the dissipation of his personal life: he visited the brothel of Sarah Prendergast in King's Place,

St James's St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the de ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, four times a week. His wife Lady Harrington formed "

The New Female Coterie The New Female Coterie was an 18th-century London social club. The exact founding date is unknown, though it is assumed to be circa 1770, when Caroline Stanhope, Countess of Harrington was blackballed from joining the Female Coterie, a club f ...

", a group of demimondaines which met in the same house.

References

thePeerage.com
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harrington, William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of 1719 births 1779 deaths British Army generals British Life Guards officers British Army personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession 2 Petersham, William Stanhope, Viscount British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754

William William is a male given name of Germanic 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 conquest of Engl ...

Members of Parliament for Coventry English twins