Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor ( ; 18 June 1731 – 5 August 1802) was an English landowner,

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

politician and peer who sat in the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...

representing the parliamentary constituency of the City of Chester from 1754 to 1761.

Early life

Richard Grosvenor was born at Eaton Hall, Cheshire, the elder son of

Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet (7 May 1695 – 1 August 1755) of Eaton Hall, Cheshire, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1733 to 1755. He was an ancestor of the present Dukes of Westminster. Grosvenor was t ...

and Jane Warre. He was educated at

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

, graduating MA in 1751 and DCL in 1754.

Political career

He became Member of Parliament for

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

in 1754 and continued to represent the city until 1761, when he became Baron Grosvenor and was elevated to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

. He was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Chester in 1759 and in 1769 he paid for the building of the

Eastgate Eastgate may refer to: Places Canada * Eastgate, Alberta, Canada * Eastgate, British Columbia, Canada United Kingdom * Eastgate, County Durham, England * Eastgate, Norfolk, England * Eastgate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England * Eastgate, C ...

in the city. Grosvenor extended his estate by the purchase of the village of Belgrave, and the manor of Eccleston in 1769. He succeeded as 7th baronet on the death of his father in 1755.Farrell, S. M. (2004) (online edition 2008)
Grosvenor, Richard, first Earl Grosvenor (1731–1802)
, ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'',

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, Retrieved on 10 April 2010. Initially, Grosvenor was, like his father, a

, but later he came to support the ideas of

William Pitt the Elder William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him Chatham or William Pitt the Elder to distinguish ...

. In 1758 he declared himself in favour of the Pitt–Newcastle ministry and following this he was created Baron Grosvenor in 1761. However, when the Tory

Earl of Bute Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute, John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute. Family history John Stuart ...

became Prime Minister the following year, Grosvenor changed his allegiance. Then, when Pitt was returned to power in the

Chatham Ministry The Chatham ministry was a British government led by William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham that ruled between 1766 and 1768. Because of Pitt's former prominence before his title, it is sometimes referred to as the Pitt ministry. Unusually for a poli ...

of 1766–1768, Grosvenor returned to support him. During the 1770s he supported Lord North during the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. He voted against Fox's India Bill in 1783 and was rewarded by

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ire ...

with title of Earl Grosvenor the following year.

Personal life

Grosvenor was interested in the acquisition of art, as well as

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

and

horse breeding Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in ...

. He bred several Thoroughbred racehorses, including

Medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music *Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this nam ...

(1776 – 1792), whom Grosvenor subsequently sold to Sir John Lade; he also purchased the racehorses and stallions

Gimcrack Gimcrack (1760 – after 1777) was an English thoroughbred racehorse. Background Gimcrack was a small grey horse at 14.2 hands sired by Cripple, a son of the Godolphin Arabian, his dam Miss Elliot was by (Grisewood's) Partner. Racing career De ...

in 1771, and Potoooooooo ("Pot-8-Os") in 1778, the latter at the

1200 Guineas Stakes The 1200 Guineas Stakes was a flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged five years. It was run at Newmarket and was one of the most important races of the second half of the 18th century. History The 1200 Guineas was establishe ...

. Grosvenor also owned the racehorses

Mambrino Mambrino was a fictional Moorish king, celebrated in the romances of chivalry. His first appearance is in the late fourteenth-century ''Cantari di Rinaldo'', also known as ''Rinaldo da Monte Albano'', ''Rinaldo Innamorato'' or ''Innamoramento di R ...

(b. 1768), Protector (b. 1770), Sweet William (b. 1768), and

Sweetbriar Sweetbriar is a Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical mansion in the Federal architecture, Federal style built in 1797 in West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. The mansion was built by Samuel Breck (politician), Samuel Breck and named for the ro ...

(b. 1769), as well as bred

Rhadamanthus In Greek mythology, Rhadamanthus () or Rhadamanthys ( grc, Ῥαδάμανθυς) was a wise king of Crete. As the son of Zeus and Europa he was considered a demigod. His name means "showing stern and inflexible judgement". He later became one o ...

(b. 1787), who was sold to William Frisby by 1795;

Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, an ...

(b. 1791), whom Grosvenor sold to a "Mr. A. Bayton" at the end of 1794; ''et al.'' He was also the principal patron of the satirist and journalist

William Gifford William Gifford (April 1756 – 31 December 1826) was an English critic, editor and poet, famous as a satirist and controversialist. Life Gifford was born in Ashburton, Devon, to Edward Gifford and Elizabeth Cain. His father, a glazier and ...

. For his art collection he acquired works from Italy, and also bought paintings from Benjamin West (including his painting of ''

The Death of General Wolfe ''The Death of General Wolfe'' is a 1770 painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West, commemorating the 1759 Battle of Quebec, where General James Wolfe died at the moment of victory. The painting, containing vivid suggestions of martyrdom, ...

''),

Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of ...

, Richard Wilson and George Stubbs. In 1788 a collection of literary pieces composed at Eaton was published as ''The Eaton Chronicle, or The Salt-Box''. Grosvenor was appointed as 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 science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1777. To breed his race horses Grosvenor established studs at

Wallasey Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Pe ...

and at Eaton. His horses won the

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

on three occasions and the Oaks six times. His racing silks were yellow, with a black cap. In the 1760s, Grosvenor occupied

Aubrey House Aubrey House is a large 18th-century detached house with two acres of gardens in the Campden Hill area of Holland Park in west London, W8. It is a private residence. Known for a long time as Notting Hill House, by the 1860s it had been named ...

, in the Campden Hill area of

Holland Park Holland Park is an area of Kensington, on the western edge of Central London, that contains a street and public park of the same name. It has no official boundaries but is roughly bounded by Kensington High Street to the south, Holland Road ...

. A

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...

commemorates Grosvenor and other residents of the house.

Family and death

On 19 July 1764 Grosvenor married Henrietta Vernon, daughter of Henry Vernon of Hilton Park, Staffordshire; they had four sons. However, the marriage was not happy, and Henrietta had an

affair An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of i ...

with Henry, Duke of Cumberland, the younger brother of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. Both kingdoms were in a personal union under him until the Acts of Union 1800 merged them ...

. The couple were discovered '' in flagrante delicto'' in 1769, which led to Grosvenor bringing an action against the Duke for " criminal conversation" (that is,

adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...

). He was awarded damages of £10,000, which together with

costs In production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something or deliver a service, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which ...

, amounted to an award of £13,000 (£ in 2015). But Grosvenor was also known to be guilty of adultery himself, regularly seeking out prostitutes around Leicester Square, so he could not sue for divorce. The couple separated and he settled an annual allowance of £1,200 (£ in 2015) on his estranged wife, who entered the

demi-monde is French for "half-world". The term derives from a play called , by Alexandre Dumas , published in 1855. The play dealt with the way that prostitution at that time threatened the institution of marriage. The was the world occupied by elite me ...

and was a leading member of The New Female Coterie. Grosvenor died at Earls Court in 1802 and was buried in the family vault at

St Mary's Church, Eccleston St Mary's Church is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It ...

. His assets amounted to "under £70,000" (£ in 2015), but his debts were "over £100,000" (£ in 2015). In 1799 he (or his immediate family benefit trust) was estimated the wealthiest small family unit in Britain by a margin of 49%, owning £6.25M (). He was succeeded at Eaton Hall by his eldest son

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

Horses

racehorses Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

bred or owned by Lord Grosvenor include: *

(b. 1760), sold to Lord Grosvenor by Sir Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet in 1769 at the age of 9. *

(b. 1768), sold to Lord Grosvenor in 1775 at the age of 7. *Sweet William (b. 1768), sold to Lord Grosvenor in 1772 at age 4, and painted by George Stubbs in 1779. *

(b. 1769), bred by either Thomas Meredith or Lord Grosvenor, and also painted by George Stubbs. *Protector (b. 1770), bred by

Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, 3rd Viscount St John (21 December 1732 – 5 May 1787), was a British Viscount and landowner. His father was John St John, 2nd Viscount St John, half-brother of Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbrok ...

; sold by Sir Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet to Lord Grosvenor. * Potoooooooo ("Pot-8-Os") (b. 1773), sold to Lord Grosvenor in 1778 at the age of 5 for 1,500 guineas. *

(b. 1776), bred by Lord Grosvenor, and subsequently sold to Sir John Lade. Exported to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. *

Messenger ''MESSENGER'' was a NASA robotic space probe that orbited the planet Mercury between 2011 and 2015, studying Mercury's chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field. The name is a backronym for "Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geoche ...

(b. 1780), bred by Lord Grosvenor, per some sources, and sired by

. Exported to

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. *Alexander (b. 1782), a son of

Eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...

owned by Lord Grosvenor. Famous

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

and dam sire. *Meteor (b. 1783), bred by Lord Grosvenor. A son of

named for the

1783 Great Meteor The 1783 Great Meteor was a meteor procession observed on 18 August 1783 from the British Isles, at a time when such phenomena were not well understood. The meteor was the subject of much discussion in the ''Philosophical Transactions of the Roya ...

. *

(b. 1787), bred by Lord Grosvenor, and sold to William Frisby by 1795. *John Bull (b. 1789), bred and owned by Lord Grosvenor. Sired over 35 foals at Grosvenor's stud farm. *

(b. 1791), bred by Lord Grosvenor, and sold to a "Mr. A. Bayton" at the end of 1794, after an unsuccessful career.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosvenor, Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl 1731 births 1802 deaths People from Cheshire British racehorse owners and breeders

Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor (; 18 June 1731 – 5 August 1802), known as Sir Richard Grosvenor, Bt between 1755 and 1761 and as The Lord Grosvenor between 1761 and 1784, was a British peer, racehorse owner and art collector. H ...

Owners of Epsom Derby winners Grosvenor, Richard, 7th Baronet Grosvenor, Richard, 7th Baronet Fellows of the Royal Society Earls Grosvenor Peers of Great Britain created by George III