Henry Belasyse, 2nd Earl Fauconberg (13 April 1742 – 23 March 1802) was a British politician and peer.

Family

Fauconberg was the son of Thomas Belasyse, 1st Earl Fauconberg and Catherine Betham.Arthur Collins, ''The peerage of England'' (1779), p. 364.

Career

He served as the Member of Parliament for Peterborough between 1768 and 1774, sitting for the Whig party. Following his succession to his father's title in 1774, Fauconberg assumed his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. He was a Lord of the Bedchamber from 1777 until his death in 1802, and was Custos Rotulorum and Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire over the same period. In 1779 he raised a Yorkshire regiment of fencible infantry, 'Lord Fauconberg's Regiment' or 'Fauconberg's Fencibles' of which he was

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 ...

. They were disbanded in 1783. He was also commissioned as colonel of the North York Militia on 18 November 1779 and remained in command until he resigned on grounds of ill health 25 May 1797.Major Robert Bell Turton, ''The History of the North York Militia, now known as the Fourth Battalion Alexandra Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)'', Leeds: Whitehead, 1907/Stockton-on-Tees: Patrick & Shotton, 1973, ISBN 0-903169-07-X, pp. 52, 56, 70–1, Appendix S.

Marriages and issue

On 29 May 1766, he married the Hon. Charlotte Lamb, the daughter of Sir Matthew Lamb, 1st Baronet and sister of Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne. Together they had four daughters: *Lady Anne Belasyse (1760–1808), married Sir George Wombwell, 2nd Baronet in 1791 and had issue. *Lady Charlotte Belasyse (1767–1825), married Thomas Edward Belasyse-Wynn. No issue. *Lady Elizabeth Belasyse (1770–1819), married firstly Bernard Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk in 1789 and had issue. Married secondly Richard Bingham, 2nd Earl of Lucan in 1794 and had issue. *Lady Harriet Belasyse (1776– died young). On 5 January 1791 he married Jane Cheshyre, daughter of John Cheshyre, Esq., of Bennington co. Hertford. She died 4 April 1820 and they had no children. As Fauconberg had no sons, his earldom became extinct upon his death. He was succeeded by his cousin, Rowland Belasyse, in his viscountcy and barony. Through his wife he was the uncle of the Whig Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne.

References

1742 births 1802 deaths Earls in the Peerage of Great Britain Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain Whig (British political party) MPs Lord-lieutenants of the North Riding of Yorkshire Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1768–1774 Viscounts Fauconberg North York Militia officers {{England-earl-stub