Chandos Leigh, 1st Baron Leigh (27 June 1791 – 27 September 1850) was a British landowner and minor poet. He was Lord of the Manor of Hunningham.

Early life

Leigh was the son of James Henry Leigh, of Adlestrop,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, the son of James Leigh by Lady Caroline Brydges, daughter of

Henry Brydges, 2nd Duke of Chandos Henry Brydges, 2nd Duke of Chandos, KB (17 January 1708 – 28 November 1771), known from 1727 to 1744 by the courtesy title Marquess of Carnarvon, was the second son of the 1st Duke of Chandos and his first wife Mary Lake. He was the Member ...

. He was a descendant of Sir Thomas Leigh,

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

in 1558. His mother was the Hon. Julia Judith Twisleton, daughter of Thomas Twisleton, 13th Baron Saye and Sele. He was educated at Harrow and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

. Leigh's father had inherited the Leigh family seat at Stoneleigh Abbey,

Stoneleigh, Warwickshire Stoneleigh, or Stoneleigh-in-Arden, is a small village in Warwickshire, England, on the River Sowe, situated 4.5 miles (7.25 km) south of Coventry and 5.5 miles (9 km) north of Leamington Spa. The population taken at t ...

, following the death of his distant cousin Edward Leigh, 5th and last Baron Leigh.

Life

Leigh was

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

's schoolmate at Harrow and is said to have "inherited some of his master's poetical talent". He gained a reputation as an author and minor poet. He dined with Byron the evening before Byron left England for Europe in April 1816. He was also a close friend and confidant of

Leigh Hunt James Henry Leigh Hunt (19 October 178428 August 1859), best known as Leigh Hunt, was an English critic, essayist and poet. Hunt co-founded '' The Examiner'', a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles. He was the centre ...

. He was also a cousin of

Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...

, who visited Stoneleigh Abbey in 1806. There is good evidence that it was the model for the chapel of Sotherton Court in ''

Mansfield Park ''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by the English author Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton (publisher), Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray (publishing house), John Murray, st ...

'' (1814). Leigh was appointed High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1825. In 1839 the barony of Leigh was revived in his favour when he was made Baron Leigh, of Stoneleigh in the County of Warwick. In 1839, he also formed Stoneleigh Cricket Club in the Stoneleigh grounds at the request of his son Edward Chandos Leigh, who wanted to continue to play cricket on returning home from

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

in the summer months.

Personal life

Lord Leigh married Margarette Willes, daughter of Reverend William Shippen Willes, of Astrop House,

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

, in 1819. They had at least three sons and seven daughters, including:Mosley, Charles, editor. ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes.''

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

, U.S.A.:

Burke's Peerage Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher, considered an authority on the order of precedence of noble families and information on the lesser nobility of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1826, when the Anglo-Irish genea ...

(Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. * William Leigh, 2nd Baron Leigh (1824–1905), who married Lady Caroline Amelia Grosvenor, a daughter of

Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster (27 January 1795 – 31 October 1869), styled The Honourable Richard Grosvenor from 1795 to 1802, Viscount Belgrave from 1802 to 1831 and Earl Grosvenor from 1831 to 1845, was an English polit ...

. * Hon. Augusta Leigh (1825-1893), never married. Died Scarborough. * Hon. Mary Leigh (1826–1906), who married Reverend Hon. Henry Pitt Cholmondeley. * Hon. Sir Edward Chandos Leigh (1832–1915), who was a cricketer and barrister. * Hon. James Wentworth Leigh (1838–1923), Dean of

Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...

. Lord Leigh died in September 1850, aged 59, and was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son,

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

. Lady Leigh died in February 1860.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leigh, Chandos Leigh, 1st Baron 1791 births 1850 deaths Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford High sheriffs of Warwickshire Sheriffs of Warwickshire People from Warwick District Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria