Horatio Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford (13 ''or'' 24 June 1752 – 15 June 1822), styled The Honourable Horatio Walpole between 1757 and 1806 and Lord Walpole between 1806 and 1809, was a British peer and politician.

Background

Orford was the son of Horatio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, son of

Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole, (8 December 16785 February 1757) was an English diplomat, politician and peer who served as the British ambassador to France from 1724 to 1730. He was the son of Robert Walpole and the younger brother of ...

(of Wolterton), brother of Prime Minister

Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (; 26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745), known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British Whigs (British political party), Whig statesman who is generally regarded as the ''de facto'' first Prim ...

, 1st Earl of Orford. His mother was Lady Rachel Cavendish, daughter of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire. He gained the courtesy title Lord Walpole when the earldom of Orford was revived in favour of his father in 1806.

Political career

Orford was elected Member of Parliament for

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

in 1780, a seat he held until 1784, and then represented

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

between 1784 and 1809. The latter year he succeeded his father in the earldom and entered 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 ...

. During the American War of Independence his kinsman George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford (of the first creation), as Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, appointed him Lieutenant-Colonel of the East Norfolk Militia. After the earl died, Horatio was promoted to succeed him as

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 West Norfolk Militia. On his own death in 1822, he was succeeded in command by his son Horatio Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford.Arthur Sleigh, ''The Royal Militia and Yeomanry Cavalry Army List'', April 1850, London: British Army Despatch Press, 1850/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 1991, ISBN 978-1-84342-410-9, p. 81.

Family

Lord Orford was twice married. He married firstly Sophia, daughter of Charles Churchill and granddaughter of

, in 1781. After her death in 1797, he married secondly Catherine, daughter of Reverend James Tunstall, in 1806. She died the following year. Lord Orford survived her by 15 years and died in June 1822. He was succeeded in the earldom by his son, Horatio.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orford, Horatio Walpole, 2nd Earl of 1752 births 1822 deaths Earls in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies UK MPs 1801–1802 UK MPs 1802–1806 UK MPs 1806–1807 UK MPs 1807–1812 UK MPs who inherited peerages Politics of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan Horatio Earls of Orford Norfolk Militia officers