George Hastings, 8th Earl Of Huntingdon
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George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon (22 March 1677 – 22 February 1705) was the son of
Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon (10 December 165030 May 1701) was a 17th-century English politician and Jacobite. One of the few non-Catholics to remain loyal to James II of England after November 1688, on the rare occasions he is ...
and his first wife Elizabeth Lewis; he succeeded his father in 1701. He served briefly in the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
but left the army in 1703 and spent the next two years travelling in Europe. He returned to London, where he died of fever on 22 February 1705.


Life

George Hastings was born in March 1677, son of
Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon (10 December 165030 May 1701) was a 17th-century English politician and Jacobite. One of the few non-Catholics to remain loyal to James II of England after November 1688, on the rare occasions he is ...
(1650–1701) and his first wife, Elizabeth Lewis (died 1688). His mother was the co-heiress of Sir John Lewis, a wealthy merchant who owned Ledston Hall, in
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
. They had nine children, but only George and his sister Elizabeth (1682-1739) survived into adulthood. The two remained close friends until his death; in 1935, a collection of their letters was published by his distant relative, George Hastings Wheler. Elizabeth was an intelligent and energetic woman, who became a noted philanthropist and supporter of women's education. Two years after Elizabeth Lewis died in 1688, the Earl married Mary Fowler (1664–1723), widow of Thomas Needham, 6th Viscount Kilmorey (1659-1687). They had two sons and four daughters; Ann (1691-1755), Catherine (1692-1739), Frances (1693-1750), Theophilus, 9th Earl of Huntingdon (1696-1746), Margaret (1699-1768) and Ferdinando (1699-1726). Hastings succeeded as Earl when his father died in May 1701 but never married and the title passed to his half-brother Theophilus after his death in February 1705. He left an illegitimate son named Henry in
Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...
, who was brought up by Elizabeth and is thought to be the Henry Hastings who was treasurer of the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge in 1747.


Career

Hastings was initially sent to
Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
, but was so unhappy there, his father removed him. Thereafter, he was educated at Maidwell's School, a fashionable academy for members of the nobility, near modern-day Carnaby Street, London. He subsequently attended
Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...
. The 7th Earl was closely associated with James II and lost his offices after the November 1688
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...
. Arrested during the Jacobite invasion scare of 1692, he was released without charge but was one of only five peers to vote against the 1701 Act of Settlement. He and George fought a long-running legal dispute over Elizabeth Lewis' estate, which was not resolved until 1703. In December 1688, his father was removed as colonel of the 13th Foot and replaced by his cousin Ferdinand Hastings, who was dismissed for extortion in 1695. Despite this unpromising background, Hastings was appointed captain in the First Foot Guards, shortly before the
Nine Years War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between France and the Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial possessions in the Americas, India, and West Africa. Relat ...
ended in 1697. By 1699, he was a Lieutenant-Colonel and succeeded his father as Earl of Huntingdon in May 1701. He carried the
Sceptre A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a Staff of office, staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of regalia, royal or imperial insignia, signifying Sovereignty, sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and M ...
at the coronation of Queen Anne in April 1702; his half-brother Theophilus performed the same office when George I was crowned in 1714. A close friend was his distant relative, James Stanhope (1673-1721), who led the Whig government from 1717 until his death in 1721. His father
Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...
was a senior diplomat from a junior and less wealthy branch of the Earls of Chesterfield; in 1702, Hastings is thought to have provided James an annuity of £400 per year. Other friends included the Brudenell brothers, George, 3rd Earl of Cardigan and his younger brother James, who both had reputations for wild living. When the army was expanded with the outbreak of the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
in 1701, Hastings was appointed Colonel of Huntingdon's, later 33rd Foot. This was posted to the
Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
, where he was badly wounded in the June 1702 assault on
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. After the army went into winter quarters, he resigned and transferred his regiment to Henry Leigh. In early 1703, he travelled to Utrecht where he met the German orientalist, Heinrich Sieke, or Henry Sike (1669-1712). Hastings engaged Sike to accompany him to
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, intending to study Arabic; they reached
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
in May 1703, but decided against going further, as the plague was raging there. Instead, they went to
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
in January 1704. Here Hastings met the Brudenells, who were in Italy from 1703 to 1706, and the Duke of Shrewsbury, a former Secretary of State, who left England in 1700 pleading ill-health. In April 1704, Shrewsbury recommended him to Richard Hill, British envoy in
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, writing "he is a young man, extreme studious and of good parts...he was weary of the service (army), I know not why...(but) his qualities will be of assistance to you in Turin". Hill's correspondence indicates Hastings arrived there in May, but decided to return to the army in September 1704. However, he changed his mind, writing to Elizabeth in October of his intention to 'live quietly at home...without a wife.' He and Sike returned to London, where he died suddenly on 22 February 1705; Elizabeth paid for an elaborate memorial at St James' Church, Piccadilly, which can still be found in the east gallery, south side. After the church suffered bomb damage during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the memorial was apparently reassembled incorrectly.


References


Sources

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Huntingdon, George Hastings, 8th Earl Of 1705 deaths 1677 births Grenadier Guards officers 33rd Regiment of Foot officers Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford People educated at Eton College 8 George Hastings Barons Hastings Barons Botreaux Barons Hungerford