Edward Gordon Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn (born Douglas; 20 June 1800 – 31 March 1886), was a British
Conservative Party politician, landowner in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, and slave owner in
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
. He played a major part in the development of the
Welsh slate industry.
Life
Penrhyn was the younger son of the Hon. John Douglas and his wife, Lady Frances Lascelles, daughter of the
1st Earl of Harewood.
The 14th Earl of Morton was his paternal grandfather and
The 17th Earl of Morton was his elder brother. He served as an officer in the
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...
.
He inherited the
Penrhyn Estate near
Bangor in north-west Wales through his wife's father,
George Hay Dawkins-Pennant
George Hay Dawkins-Pennant (born George Hay Dawkins; 20 February 1764 – 17 December 1840) was a British politician who represented Newark and New Romney in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1814 to 1830.
Early life
George Hay ...
, and changed his name to Douglas-Pennant by Royal licence in 1841.
This made him the owner of the
Penrhyn Quarry near
Bethesda, Wales
Bethesda (; ) is a town and community in Gwynedd, Wales. It is on the banks of Afon Ogwen and on the edge of Snowdonia. It is about south-west of Bangor. It is a predominantly Welsh-speaking town.
History
The settlement's ancient name w ...
, which under his ownership developed into one of the two largest slate quarries in the world. He was also involved in politics and sat as Member of Parliament for
Caernarvonshire
Caernarfonshire (; , ), previously spelled Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire, was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the north-west of Wales.
Geography
The county ...
between 1841 and 1866. He also held the honorary post of
Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire
This is a list of individual who served as Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire. Since 1778, all Lord Lieutenants have also held the position of Custos Rotulorum of Caernarvonshire. The office was abolished on 31 March 1974 and succeeded by the posi ...
.
On 30 August 1852, he was commissioned as
Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant to revive and command the county
militia regiment, the
Royal Carnarvon Rifles
The Carnarvonshire Militia, later the Royal Carnarvon Rifles, was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in the county of Caernarfonshire (then spelt Carnarvonshire) in North Wales during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. Primarily inten ...
. He commanded the regiment until 1858, when he became its
Honorary Colonel.
In 1866, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Penrhyn, of
Llandegai
Llandygai (, ; ; also Llandegai) is a small village and community on the A5 road between Bangor and Talybont in Gwynedd, Wales. It affords a view of the nearby Carneddau mountain range. The population of the community taken at the 2011 Cen ...
in the
County of Carnarvon.
In 1868, he sacked 80 workers from Penrhyn Quarry for failing to vote for his son
George Douglas-Pennant in the general election.
The village of
Llandygai
Llandygai (, ; ; also Llandegai) is a small village and Community (Wales), community on the A5 road (Great Britain), A5 road between Bangor, Gwynedd, Bangor and Talybont, Bangor, Talybont in Gwynedd, Wales. It affords a view of the nearby Car ...
was developed by Lord Penrhyn as a 'model village' for his estate workers, in which 'no corrupting alehouse' was permitted.
[A. H. Dodd (1968) ''A History of Caernarvonshire'', Caernarvonshire Historical Society/Bridge Books .] The village lies immediately outside of the walls of the Penrhyn Castle demesne walls, with the entrance to the village being some 100m from the castle's Grand Lodge. Pennant loaned the land the village was to be built on as a 30-year lease to the quarrymen who were to live there. The quarrymen built the entire village infrastructure and buildings with no help from Pennant, but 30 years later he took full ownership of the land and village.
Lord Penrhyn also earned a fortune from slave labour plantations in Jamaica.
Lord Penrhyn died in 1886, aged 85.
Marriage and issue
Lord Penrhyn married, firstly, Juliana Isabella Mary (died 25 April 1842), daughter of
George Hay Dawkins-Pennant
George Hay Dawkins-Pennant (born George Hay Dawkins; 20 February 1764 – 17 December 1840) was a British politician who represented Newark and New Romney in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1814 to 1830.
Early life
George Hay ...
, in 1833. They had two sons and four daughters.
*Hon. Caroline Elizabeth Emma (20 May 1834 – 1 June 1924), married in 1857
James McGarel-Hogg, 1st Baron Magheramorne
James Macnaghten McGarel-Hogg, 1st Baron Magheramorne, KCB (3 May 1823 – 27 June 1890), was a British politician, Member of Parliament, and local government leader.
Early life
James Macnaghten Hogg was born in Calcutta on 3 May 1823 into an ...
*Hon. Emma Juliana Sophia (17 July 1835 – 11 August 1909), died unmarried
*Major
Hon. George Sholto Gordon (30 September 1836 – 10 March 1907), married firstly in 1860, Pamela Blanche (died 1989), daughter of
Sir Charles Rushout Rushout, 2nd Baronet
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part o ...
; secondly to Gertrude Jessy, daughter of Rev.
Henry Glynne, M.P.
*Hon. Archibald Charles Henry (22 November 1837 – 7 September 1884), married in 1865, Hon. Harriet Ella Gifford, daughter of
Robert Gifford, 2nd Baron Gifford; father of
Frank Douglas-Pennant, 5th Baron Penrhyn
*Hon. Eleanor Frances Susan (12 December 1838 – 13 September 1919)
*Harriet (20–24 June 1840), died in infancy
After her death, he married, secondly, Lady Maria Louisa, daughter of
Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton
Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton (10 February 1790 – 26 March 1863), styled Viscount Ipswich until 1811 and Earl of Euston between 1811 and 1844, was a British peer and politician.
Grafton was the son of George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton ...
, in 1846. They had five daughters:
*Hon. Louisa Mary (13 July 1847 – 19 June 1911), died unmarried
*Hon. Mary Georgina (1 May 1849 – 20 October 1926), died unmarried
*Hon. Eva Anna Caroline (12 January 1852 – 3 January 1934), married
Lord William Seymour
*Hon. Gertrude Emma (11 June 1856 – 20 July 1944), died unmarried
*Hon. Adela (26 May 1858 – 26 May 1955), died unmarried
He died in 1886 and was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son, George.
Arms
Notes
References
*''
Dictionary of Welsh Biography
The ''Dictionary of Welsh Biography'' (DWB) (also ''The Dictionary of Welsh Biography Down to 1940'' and ''The Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1941 to 1970'') is a biographical dictionary of Welsh people who have made a significant contribution to ...
''
* Bryn Owen, ''History of the Welsh Militia and Volunteer Corps 1757–1908: 1: Anglesey and Caernarfonshire'', Caernarfon: Palace Books, 1989, ISBN 1-871904-00-5.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penrhyn, Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron
1800 births
1886 deaths
British mining businesspeople
History of Gwynedd
Grenadier Guards officers
Lord-lieutenants of Caernarvonshire
Carnarvon Militia officers
Slate industry in Wales
19th-century Welsh businesspeople
UK MPs 1841–1847
UK MPs 1847–1852
UK MPs 1852–1857
UK MPs 1857–1859
UK MPs 1859–1865
UK MPs 1865–1868
UK MPs who were granted peerages
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies
Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn
Edward Gordon Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn (born Douglas; 20 June 1800 – 31 March 1886), was a British Conservative Party politician, landowner in Wales, and slave owner in Jamaica. He played a major part in the development of the Wels ...
1
Edward
Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”.
History
The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...
Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria
19th-century Welsh landowners