Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess Of Londonderry
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Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, (born Charles William Stewart; 1778–1854), was an
Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...
nobleman, a British soldier and a politician. He served in the
French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
, in the suppression of the
Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The m ...
, and in the
Napoleonic wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
. He excelled as a cavalry commander in the
Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
(1807–1814) under John Moore and Arthur Wellesley (became Wellington in 1809). On resigning from his post under Wellington in 1812, his half-brother Lord Castlereagh helped him to launch a diplomatic career. He was posted to
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in 1813, and then as ambassador to
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, where Castlereagh was the British plenipotentiary at the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
. He married Lady Catherine Bligh in 1804 and then, in 1819, Lady Frances Anne Vane, a rich heiress, changing his surname to hers, thus becoming Charles Vane instead of Charles Stewart. In 1822 he succeeded his half-brother as 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, inheriting estates in the north of Ireland where, as an unyielding landlord, his reputation suffered in the Great Famine. It was a reputation he matched as a coal operator on his wife's land in
County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...
. In opposition to the Mines and Collieries Act 1842, he insisted on his right to use child labour.


Birth and origins

Charles was born on 18 May 1778 in Dublin as the second son of Robert Stewart and the first son by his second wife Frances Pratt. His father's family was Ulster-Scots and had been a
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
before converting to the established Anglican communion of the
Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...
aristocracy within whose ranks money (an East-India fortune acquired through his first wife) enabled him to move. Robert Stewart was created Viscount Castlereagh in 1795 and the Marquess of Londonderry in 1816. Charles's mother was English, a daughter of
Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (baptism, baptised 21 March 1714 – 18 April 1794) was an English lawyer, judge and Whig (British political faction), Whig politician who was first to hold the titl ...
, a leading English jurist. His parents had married on 7 June 1775. Charles was brought up as an Anglican, a member of the
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
. Charles had a half-brother from his father's first marriage who played an important role in his life: *
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 ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
(1769–1822), known as "Lord Castlereagh", who achieved prominence as Foreign Secretary In addition Charles had 11 full siblings, who are listed in his father's article.


Early life and parliamentary career

In 1789, when he was 11, his father, Robert Stewart, was created Baron Londonderry. On 3 April 1791, at the age of 12, Charles Stewart entered the British Army as an ensign in the 108th Regiment. He was commissioned a lieutenant on 8 January 1793 in this same unit. He saw service in 1794 in the Flanders Campaign of the
French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
, and on the
Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
and
Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
in 1795. He was lieutenant-colonel of the 5th Royal Irish Dragoons by the time he helped put down the
Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The m ...
. In 1803, Stewart was appointed '' aide-de-camp'' to
King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
. In 1795 his father was created Viscount Castlereagh and in 1796 Marquess of Londonderry in the
Irish peerage The peerage of Ireland consists of those Peerage, titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lordship of Ireland, Lord or Monarchy of Ireland, King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great B ...
. In 1800, Charles Stewart was elected in the Tory interest to the Irish House of Commons as member of parliament for Thomastown borough,
County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
, in place of George Dunbar, and after only two months exchanged this seat for that of
County Londonderry County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...
, being replaced at Thomastown by John Cradock. After the abolition of the Irish Parliament with the Act of Union in 1801, In July and August 1802 Stewart was re-elected for the country in the first general election of the United Kingdom and sat until the parliament's dissolution in 1806. He was reelected again in 1806, in 1807, after which he became Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, and again in 1812. In July 1814 he was summoned to the House of Lords and replaced as MP for Londonderry by his uncle Alexander Stewart of Ards.


First marriage and son

On 8 August 1804 at the church of
St George's, Hanover Square St George's, Hanover Square, is an Church of England, Anglican church, the parish church of Mayfair in the City of Westminster, central London, built in the early eighteenth century as part of a project to build fifty new churches around London ...
, London, Charles Stewart married Lady Catherine Bligh. She was the 4th and youngest daughter of the 3rd Earl of Darnley. She was three years older than he. On 7 July 1805 the couple had a son, named Frederick, who was to become the 4th Marquess of Londonderry. She died during the night of 10–11 February 1812, of fever following a minor operation, while her husband was on his way home from Spain. Son by Catherine Bligh: # Frederick William Robert Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry (1805–1872)


Peninsular War

The remainder of his military career developed during the
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
, more exactly in the
Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
.


Corunna

The war started with the Corunna Campaign (1808–1809), in which the British troops were commanded by Sir John Moore. In this campaign Charles Stewart commanded a brigade of cavalry, and played, together with Lord Paget, a prominent role in the cavalry clash of Benavente where the French General Lefebvre-Desnouettes was taken prisoner. He suffered from ophthalmia during the latter stages of the retreat. Moore sent him back to London carrying dispatches for Castlereagh and other leading figures and he missed the climactic battle where British forces successfully managed to evacuate in the face of
Marshal Soult Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman. He was a Marshal of the Empire during the Napoleonic Wars, and served three times as President of the Council of ...
's army at which Moore was killed in action.


Wellesley's Spanish campaign

When British troops returned to the Iberian Peninsula after the Corunna Campaign, they were commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the
Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...
). Charles Stewart was appointed, in April 1809, Adjutant General to Wellesley. This was an administrative job and not much to his liking, especially as Wellesley never discussed his decisions with subordinates. Nevertheless, he sometimes managed to see action and distinguished himself, for example spontaneously leading a squadron cavalry charge at the Second Battle of Porto (May 1809), and further distinguishing himself at the
battle of Talavera The Battle of Talavera (27–28 July 1809) was fought just outside the town of Talavera de la Reina, Spain some southwest of Madrid, during the Peninsular War. At Talavera, a British army under Sir Arthur Wellesley combined with a Spanish ...
(July 1809), for which he received the thanks of the Parliament on 2 February 1810, when he returned to England due to illness. He also excelled at Bussaco in September 1810 and at Fuentes de Oñoro (May 1811) where he took a French Colonel prisoner in single combat. He resigned his position as Adjutant General in February 1812. Some say due to bad health, but others say that Wellington fired him. Wellington apparently appreciated him as a soldier but judged him a "sad brouillon and mischief-maker" among his staff. On 30 January 1813 he became a Knight Companion of the Bath, which made him Sir Charles Stewart. On 20 November 1813, he was made
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
of the 25th Light Dragoons, an honorary position.


Diplomatic career

His half-brother Robert had made a brilliant diplomatic and political career. Charles and his half-brother remained lifelong friends and wrote each other many letters. Robert helped Charles to start a diplomatic career.


Berlin

From May 1813 until the end of the war, Sir Charles was Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...
to Berlin, and was also Military Commissioner with the allied armies, being wounded at the Battle of Kulm in August 1813.


Vienna

In 1814 he was also appointed Ambassador to Austria, a post he held for nine years (1814–1823). On 18 June 1814, to make him more acceptable in Vienna, Stewart was ennobled as Baron Stewart, of Stewart's Court and Ballylawn in
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
, by the Prince Regent. In the same year, he received
honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
s from
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
and
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, was admitted to the Privy Council, and was appointed a
Lord 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 Household, the term being fir ...
to the
king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
. Lord Stewart, as he now was, attended the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
with his half-brother Lord Castlereagh as one of the British plenipotentiaries. He was not well regarded as he made a spectacle of himself with his loutish behaviour, was apparently rather often inebriated, and frequented prostitutes quite openly. He earned himself the sobriquet of Lord Pumpernickel after a loutish character in a play in fashion. In the following years he also served as British observer at the congresses of Troppau, Laibach and
Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
. As the great powers were taking an increasingly reactionary approach, the British government sent Lord Stewart to observe, but not participate in the decisions.


Second marriage and children

Before the end of his diplomatic career Lord Stewart had, on 3 April 1819, married his second wife, Lady Frances Anne Vane-Tempest, daughter and heiress of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, at her mother's house in Bruton Street,
Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...
, and took her surname of Vane, by Royal licence, as had been stipulated in her father's will. He was henceforth known as Charles William Vane, whereas his son from his first marriage stayed Frederick Stewart. Children by Frances Anne Emily Vane-Tempest: # George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry (1821–1884) # Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane (1822–1899); married John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough. # Lady Alexandrina Octavia Maria Vane (1823–1874), godchild of Alexander I of Russia; married Henry Dawson-Damer, 3rd Earl of Portarlington. # Lord Adolphus Frederick Charles William Vane-Tempest (1825–1864), politician; became insane, and had to be medically restrained. # Lady Adelaide Emelina Caroline Vane (c. 1830–1882); disgraced the family by eloping with her brother's tutor, Rev. Frederick Henry Law. # Lord Ernest McDonnell Vane-Tempest (1836–1885), fell in with a press-gang and had to be bought a commission in the army, from which he was subsequently cashiered. Through his daughter Lady Frances, Lord Londonderry is the maternal grandfather of
Lord Randolph Churchill Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (13 February 1849 – 24 January 1895) was a British aristocrat and politician. Churchill was a Tory radical who coined the term "One-nation conservatism, Tory democracy". He participated in the creation ...
, and consequently a great-grandfather of
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
.


Castlereagh's suicide

On 12 August 1822, his half-brother committed suicide. He succeeded his half-brother as 3rd Marquess of Londonderry in 1822. The following year Lord Londonderry was also created Earl Vane and Viscount Seaham, of
Seaham Seaham ( ) is a seaside town in County Durham (district), County Durham, England. Located on the Durham Coast, Seaham is situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham, England, Durham. The town grew from the late 19th century onwards as ...
in the County Palatine of Durham, with remainder to the heirs male of the body of his second wife. His half-brother's death also meant the end of his diplomatic career. He quit the diplomatic service in 1823.
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
had a low opinion of Londonderry's abilities as a civil servant. She said that he should, in her opinion, not be given any post of importance.


Residences

Lord Londonderry used his new bride's immense wealth to acquire the Seaham Hall estate in
County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...
, developing the coalfields there. He also built the harbour at Seaham, to rival nearby
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
. He commissioned Benjamin Wyatt to build a mansion at Wynyard Park. It was completed by Philip Wyatt in 1841 and cost £130,000 (equivalent to £10,772,000 in 2016) to build and furnish. Unfortunately, just as the mansion was being completed, a fire broke out and gutted the house; it was later restored and remodelled by
Ignatius Bonomi Ignatius Bonomi (1787–1870) was an English architect and surveyor, with Italian origins by his father, strongly associated with Durham in north-east England. Life He was the son of an architect and draughtsman, Joseph Bonomi (1739&ndash ...
. The family also used their newfound wealth to redecorate their country seat in Ireland,
Mount Stewart Mount Stewart is a 19th-century house and garden in County Down, Northern Ireland, owned by the National Trust. Situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey, it was the Iris ...
, and bought Holdernesse House on London's
Park Lane Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park to ...
, which they renamed Londonderry House.


Declines Orange invitation

In 1836 the
Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...
was accused of plotting to place Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Imperial Grand Master of the Orange Order, on the throne in place of Victoria when his brother
King William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...
died. Once the plot was revealed, the House of Commons called upon the King to disband the Order. Under pressure from
Joseph Hume Joseph Hume Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (22 January 1777 – 20 February 1855) was a Scottish surgeon and Radicals (UK), Radical Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP.Ronald K. Huch, Paul R. Ziegler 1985 Joseph Hume, the People's M.P ...
, William Molesworth and
Lord John Russell John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (18 August 1792 – 28 May 1878), known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was a British Whig and Liberal statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1852 and again from 1865 to 186 ...
, the King indicated measures would have to be taken and the Duke of Cumberland was forced to dissolve the Orange lodges. Hume laid evidence before the House of Commons that the plotters had approached Londonderry. In July 1832, the Marquess had received a letter from Lieutenant-Colonel W. B. Fairman, the Deputy Grand Secretary of the Orange Institution of Great Britain, advising him that following "a death of importance" (the passing of the King) the Orangemen would abandon their policy of "non-resistance" to the present "Popish Cabinet, and democratical Ministry" (the
parliamentary reform The Reform Acts (or Reform Bills, before they were passed) are legislation enacted in the United Kingdom in the 19th and 20th century to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the U ...
ministry of Earl Grey) and that "it might be political" for the Marquess to join them. Noting that there were already Orange lodges in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
,
South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England; it is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. The town was once known in Roman Britain, Roman times as ''Arbeia'' and as ''Caer Urfa'' by the Early Middle Ag ...
, and
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
, Fairman also suggested to Londonderry that to assume the role in Durham of County Grand Master might be advantageous to him "in a personal sense": his "pitmen" (the miners employed in his collieries) might be induced to organise lodges among themselves which would "prove a partial check against their entering into cabals .e. trade unions">trade_union.html" ;"title=".e. trade union">.e. trade unionshereafter". While he conceded that he wished the government should do more to check "the baneful influence of the Liberal and Radical associations", including trade unions, Londonderry went to some length in the House of Lords to deny any possible connection between himself and "the alleged project for altering the succession to the throne". To Fairman he had replied: "the present state of liberal Whig feeling in this very Whig county, and the very refractory and insubordinate state of the pitmen, entirely preclude the possibility of successful efforts at this juncture". He had also spoken with Lord Kenyon (his then house guest, who had led opposition to Catholic emancipation">Catholic Emancipation) and had "no doubt" he would "convince his Royal Highness" (the Duke of Cumberland), as well as Fairman, "that the present moment is not the time when the object can be forwarded."


Industrialist and landlord


Mines and Collieries Act

Londonderry led the opposition to the Mines and Collieries Act 1842">Mines and Collieries Act of 1842 in the House of Lords. He is reported to have raged furiously against any attempt to deny the collieries the use of child labour. Speaking on behalf of the Yorkshire Coal-Owners Association, Londonderry said "With respect to the age at which males should be admitted into mines, the members of this association have unanimously agreed to fix it at eight years... In the thin coal mines it is more especially requisite that boys, varying in age from eight to fourteen, should be employed; as the underground roads could not be made of sufficient height for taller persons without incurring an outlay so great as to render the working of such mines unprofitable". Londonderry was a major participant in the Limitation of the Vend, a long-standing
price fixing Price fixing is an anticompetitive agreement between participants on the same side in a market to buy or sell a product, service, or commodity only at a fixed price, or maintain the market conditions such that the price is maintained at a given ...
combination of north eastern mine owners. He was widely blamed for its eventual collapse.


Irish famine

By the time of the outbreak of the
Great Irish Famine The Great Famine, also known as the Great Hunger ( ), the Famine and the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of mass starvation and disease in Ireland lasting from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a historical social crisis and had a major impact o ...
in 1845, Londonderry was one of the ten richest men in the United Kingdom. While many landlords made efforts to mitigate the worst effects of the famine on their tenants, Londonderry was criticised for meanness: he and his wife gave only £30 to the local relief committee but spent £15,000 renovating
Mount Stewart Mount Stewart is a 19th-century house and garden in County Down, Northern Ireland, owned by the National Trust. Situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey, it was the Iris ...
, their Irish home. In contrast to his neighbour, the
Marquess of Downshire Marquess of Downshire is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1789 for Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, a former Secretary of State. Hill had already been created Earl of Hillsborough and Viscount Kilwarlin of County Down ...
, he rejected rent reductions (for which he was excoriated by James MacKnight in the Presbyterian weekly, the ''Banner of Ulster''). Invoking the admonitions of the Prime Minister Lord Russell and of his predecessor Sir Robert Peel, he advised his tenants "to help themselves and heaven will help them": only the most "supine and inert" among them could be "suffering in any serious degree under the failure of the potato". During the tenant right campaign of the early 1850s, Londonderry insisted on his full rights and this alienated many of his tenants. He was in disagreement over this question with his eldest son and heir Frederick, who was more liberally inclined.


Napoleon and Abd-el-Kader

Back in England, Londonderry befriended Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (later
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
) while the latter was exiled in London between 1836 and 1840. After Bonaparte had been elected president of France in 1851, Londonderry asked him to free Abd-el-Kader.


Late honours

Governor of County Londonderry from 1823, Londonderry was appointed
Lord Lieutenant of Durham This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Durham. Lord lieutenants *Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland 1552–? * Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon 2 August 1586 – 1595 *''vacant'' * Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Som ...
in 1842 and the following year became Colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards. When Wellington, whom he admired greatly, died in 1852, his place as
Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...
was given to Londonderry, who was officially invested on 19 June 1853.


Death, memorials, and succession

He died on 6 March 1854 at Londonderry House and was buried in Longnewton, County Durham. His widow honoured him by the Londonderry Equestrian Statue in Durham. Frederick built
Scrabo Tower Scrabo Tower is a high 19th-century lookout tower or folly that stands on Scrabo Hill near Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland. It provides wide views and is a landmark that can be seen from afar. It was built as a memorial to Charles ...
near Newtownards as a monument to the memory of his father. Of the 730 subscribers to the cost, just 450 were connected to the Stewart estate on which there were 1,200 tenants farmers and many associated employees (in 1850, organised in the all-Ireland
Tenant Right League The Tenant Right League was a federation of local societies formed in Ireland in the wake of the Great Famine to check the power of landlords and advance the rights of tenant farmers. An initiative of northern unionists and southern nationali ...
, 700 of these tenants had signed an address demanding
tenant right Tenant-right is a term in the common law system expressing the right to compensation which a tenant has, either by custom or by law, against his landlord for increment at the termination of his tenancy. In England, it was governed for most part b ...
and lower rents). Two-thirds of the cost of the tower was met by 98 subscribers (in a list headed by Emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
) most of whom were fellow gentry.* He was succeeded as Marquess of Londonderry by his eldest son, Frederick Stewart, the only child from his first marriage, and as Earl Vane by George Vane, the eldest son from his second marriage. At Charles's death Frederick, therefore, became the 4th Marquess of Londonderry, whereas George became the 2nd Earl Vane. George was later to become the 5th Marquess after his half-brother had died childless.


Styles

Charles was styled: # The Honourable Charles Stewart from 1789 until 1813 (because his father was created Baron Londonderry in 1789), # The Honourable Sir Charles Stewart from 1813 to 1814 (because he was made a Knight of the Bath), # The Right Honourable The Lord Stewart from 1814 to 1822 (because he was made a baron in his own right) # The Most Honourable The Marquess of Londonderry.


Works

The 3rd Marquess was a prolific writer and editor. He wrote books about his own military and diplomatic career and published many of his half-brother's papers.


War memoirs

The following two books describe the Napoleonic War as he saw them happen. The first describes his experience of the Peninsular War. The second the
War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition () (December 1812 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation (), a coalition of Austrian Empire, Austria, Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia, Russian Empire, Russia, History of Spain (1808– ...
, which forced Napoleon to abdicate: * ''Narrative of the Peninsular War'' (London: Henry Colburn, 1828
online at Internet Archive
* ''Narrative of the War in Germany and France: In 1813 and 1814'' (London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, 1830
online at Internet Archive


Castlereagh papers

The 3rd Marquess also compiled, edited, and published many of the papers left by his half-brother and published them in the following twelve volumes, divided in three series. The first series, consisting of four volumes, numbered 1 – 4, appeared in 1848 and 1849 under the title ''Memoirs and Correspondence''. The volumes are not marked "first series on the title pages. They are: * ''Memoirs and Correspondence of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Volume 1 (London: Henry Colburn, 1848
online at Internet Archive
- The Irish Rebellion * ''Memoirs and Correspondence of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Volume 2 (London: Henry Colburn, 1848
online at Internet Archive
- Arrangements for a Union * ''Memoirs and Correspondence of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Volume 3 (London: Henry Colburn, 1849
online at Internet Archive
- Completion of the Legislative Union * ''Memoirs and Correspondence of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Volume 4 (London, Henry Colburn, 1849
online at Internet Archive
- Concessions to Catholics and Dissenters: Emmett's Insurrection The second series, consisting of four volumes, appeared in 1851 under the title ''Correspondence, Despatches and Other Papers''. The volume numbers continue, despite being marked "2nd series" and are therefore 4 to 8. They are: * ''Correspondence Despatches and Other Papers of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Series 2, Volume 5 (London: William Shoberl, 1851
online at Internet Archive
- Military and Miscellaneous * ''Correspondence Despatches and Other Papers of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Series 2, Volume 6 (London: William Shoberl, 1851
online at Internet Archive
- Military and Miscellaneous * ''Correspondence Despatches and Other Papers of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Series 2, Volume 7 (London: William Shoberl, 1851
online at Internet Archive
- Military and Miscellaneous * ''Correspondence Despatches and Other Papers of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Series 2, Volume 8 (London: William Shoberl, 1851
online at Internet Archive
- Military and Miscellaneous The third series appeared in 1853. The four volumes have the same title as the second series. The volume numbering is irregular. They are: * ''Correspondence Despatches and Other Papers of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Volume 9 (London: John Murray, 1853
online at Internet Archive
- Military and Diplomatic * ''Correspondence Despatches and Other Papers of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Volume 11 (London: John Murray, 1853
online at Hathi Trust
* ''Correspondence Despatches and Other Papers of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Series 3, Volume 3 (London: John Murray, 1853
online at Internet Archive
- Military and Diplomatic * ''Correspondence Despatches and Other Papers of Viscount Castlereagh, Second Marquess of Londonderry'', Volume 12 (London: John Murray, 1853
online at Internet Archive


See also

*
Marquess of Londonderry Marquess of Londonderry, of the County of Londonderry ( ), is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. History The title was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry. He had earlier represented County Down in the Irish House of ...
– for his title * Earl Camden – for his maternal grandfather's title *
Vane-Tempest baronets The Vane, later Vane-Tempest Baronetcy, of Longnewton, Long Newton in the County of Durham, was a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. The Vane baronetcy was created on 13 July 1782 for Reverend Henry Vane, D.D., second son of George Vane of ...
– for the title of his father-in-law Sir Henry Vane-Tempest


Notes and references


Notes


Citations


Sources

* * * * * * * – L to M * – (later events) * – (for timeline) * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Londonderry, Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of 1778 births 1854 deaths 5th Royal Irish Lancers officers 10th Royal Hussars officers British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars British Army personnel of the Peninsular War British Life Guards officers Diplomatic peers Irish MPs 1798–1800 Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights of the Garter Lord-lieutenants of Durham 3 Stewart, Charles, Lord Stewart, Charles, Lord Stewart, Charles, Lord Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Peers of the United Kingdom created by George III Peers of the United Kingdom created by George IV Stewart, Charles Nobility from Dublin (city) People educated at Eton College People of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 Recipients of the Army Gold Medal Stewart, Charles Stewart, Charles Stewart, Charles Stewart, Charles Stewart, Charles Londonderry, M3 UK MPs who were granted peerages
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
Military personnel from Dublin (city) Politicians from Dublin (city) V Irish colonels British businesspeople in the coal industry