George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey, GCH, PC (19 August 1773 – 3 October 1859), previously George Villiers and styled Viscount Villiers until 1805, was a British courtier and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician from the

Villiers family Villiers ( ) is an aristocratic family in the United Kingdom. Over time, various members of the Villiers family were made knights, baronets, and peers. Peerages held by the Villiers family include the dukedoms of Buckingham (1623–1687) and Cleve ...

. He added the name of Child to his own by royal license in 1819.

Background and education

Styled Viscount Villiers from birth, he was the son of

George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey, PC (9 June 173522 August 1805, Tunbridge Wells) was an English nobleman, peer, politician and courtier at the court of George III. He was the oldest surviving son of William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Je ...

, by his wife Frances Twysden, daughter of the Right Reverend Philip Twysden, Bishop of Raphoe. He attended Harrow and obtained a Master of Arts degree from

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corporation established by a charter dated 9 April 1511. The ...

. He was a

Gentleman of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Households of the United Kingdo ...

to the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

in 1795.

Political career

Lord Jersey succeeded in the earldom on the death of his father in 1805 and took his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

. He served as

Lord Chamberlain of the Household Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

under the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister ...

between July and November 1830 and was sworn of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...

in July 1830. He was Lord Chamberlain for a second time under

Sir Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...

from 1834 to 1835. He again held office under Peel as

Master of the Horse Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today. (Ancient Rome) The original Master of the Horse ( la, Magister Equitu ...

from 1841 to 1846, and again briefly under

Lord Derby Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, (29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869, known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley) was a British statesman, three-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ...

in 1852. He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law by the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

.thePeerage.com
/ref>

Family

Lord Jersey married Lady Sarah Sophia Fane, daughter of

John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland, (1 June 175915 December 1841), styled Lord Burghersh between 1771 and 1774, was a British Tory politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, who served in most of the cabinets of the period, primari ...

, on 23 May 1804. She was the eldest grandchild and heiress of Robert Child, the principal shareholder of the banking firm

Child & Co Child & Co. is a private bank. Founded in 1664, it is the oldest bank in the United Kingdom, and the third oldest bank in the world. Formerly independent, it is now owned by the NatWest Group. The Royal Bank of Scotland incorporating Child & Co ...

. Lord Jersey added the surname Child to the Villiers surname by royal licence in 1819. Lady Jersey was one of the great hostesses of English society, a leader of the ''

ton Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean * the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds ...

'' during the

Regency era The Regency era of British history officially spanned the years 1811 to 1820, though the term is commonly applied to the longer period between and 1837. King George III succumbed to mental illness in late 1810 and, by the Regency Act 1811, ...

and the reign of George IV, and a patroness of Almack's. Lord Jersey was an ardent fox hunter and a breeder and trainer of horses, owning two

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surre ...

winners, in Mameluke (1827) and Bay Middleton (1836) as well as other notable

thoroughbreds 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 con ...

such as Glencoe. His wife's numerous love affairs did not trouble him: asked why he had never fought a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and ...

to protect her honour, he replied that he could hardly fight every man in London.Ridley, Jasper ''Lord Palmerston'' Constable London 1970 p.42 Lord and Lady Jersey had seven children: *

George Child Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey George Augustus Frederick Child Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey (4 April 1808 – 24 October 1859), styled Viscount Villiers until 1859, was an English peer and politician from the Villiers family. Life Villiers was born on 4 April 1808 in London, t ...

(1808–1859), married Julia Peel, daughter of the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, Bt. * The Honourable Augustus John Villiers (1810–1847), married Georgiana Elphinstone (d. 1892), daughter of

George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith (7 January 1746 – 10 March 1823), was a British naval officer active throughout the Napoleonic Wars. Career Early service George Elphinstone was the fourth son of Charles Elphinstone, 10th ...

and Hester Maria ("Queeny") Thrale on 20 September 1831. * The Honourable Frederick William Child Villiers (1815–1871), married Elizabeth Maria van Reede (18 December 1821 – 7 January 1897), daughter of the 7th

Earl of Athlone The title of Earl of Athlone has been created three times. History It was created first in the Peerage of Ireland in 1692 by King William III for General Baron van Reede, Lord of Ginkel, a Dutch nobleman, to honour him for his successful ...

on 12 July 1842.

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Weymouth between 1847 and 1852. * The Honourable Francis John Robert Child Villiers (11 October 1819 – 8 May 1862).

for

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

between 1852 and 1855. * Lady Sarah Frederica Caroline Child Villiers (1822–1853), married Nicholas Paul (Miklós Pál), 9th Prince Esterhazy (1817–1894). * Lady Clementina Augusta Wellington Child Villiers (1824–1858). * Lady Adela Corisande Maria Child Villiers (1828–1860), married Lt.-Col. Charles Parke Ibbetson (1820–1898) on 17 November 1845 and had one daughter Adela Sarah Ibbetson. Lord Jersey died on 3 October 1859, aged 86, and was succeeded by his eldest son, George. The Countess of Jersey died in January 1867, aged 81.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jersey, George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of 1773 births 1859 deaths 18th-century English nobility 19th-century English nobility Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge 5 Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey Owners of Epsom Derby winners Earls in the Jacobite peerage Viscounts Grandison