William Montagu, 2nd Duke of Manchester, KB (April 1700 – 21 October 1739) was the son of

Charles Montagu, 1st Duke of Manchester Charles Edward Montagu, 1st Duke of Manchester, (''previously'' 4th Earl of Manchester) (20 January 1722) was a British aristocrat and statesman. Early life Charles was born into the Noble House of Montagu. He was the eldest son of the forme ...

, and his wife, Dodington Greville, daughter of Robert Greville, 4th Baron Brooke of Beauchamps Court. He married Lady Isabella Montagu, daughter of

John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, (1690 – 5 July 1749), styled Viscount Monthermer until 1705 and Marquess of Monthermer between 1705 and 1709, was a British peer. Life Montagu was an owner of a coal mine. Montagu went on the grand tour wi ...

, on 16 April 1723. He was made a Knight Companion of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

(KB) in 1725. He died in 1739, aged 39, childless and his titles passed to his brother, Robert Montagu. Prior to his death the Duke was involved with the establishment of a new

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

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 ...

which would work to save children

abandoned Abandon, abandoned, or abandonment may refer to: Common uses * Abandonment (emotional), a subjective emotional state in which people feel undesired, left behind, insecure, or discarded * Abandonment (legal), a legal term regarding property ** Chi ...

by their parents due to poverty and miserable conditions. The charity became known as the

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 "hospital" w ...

and its

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

, naming the Duke of Manchester one of its founding governors, was awarded only four days prior to the duke's death.

References

1700 births 1739 deaths William 2 Knights Companion of the Order of the Bath Lord-Lieutenants of Huntingdonshire William Montagu, 02nd Duke of Manchester {{GB-duke-stub