Spencer Compton, 8th Earl of Northampton (16 August 1738 – 7 April 1796) was a British
peer and
Member of Parliament.
Northampton was the younger son of the Hon. Charles Compton, third son of
George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton
George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, PC (18 October 1664 – 15 April 1727), styled Lord Compton from 1664 to 1681, was a British peer and politician.
Northampton was the son of James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton, and his wife Mary (n� ...
and Mary Lucy. He was educated at
Westminster School
Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...
from 1746.
He was elected to the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
for
Northampton
Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...
in 1761, a seat he held until 1763 when he succeeded his elder brother 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 ...
. He also served as a
Groom of the Bedchamber
Groom of the Chamber was a position in the Royal Household, Household of the monarch in early modern Kingdom of England, England. Other ''Ancien Régime'' royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles. In King ...
to George III (1760–63), as
Recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to:
Newspapers
* ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper
* ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
* ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...
of
Northampton
Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...
from 1763 to his death, and as
Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
Below is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. Since 1735, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Northamptonshire. The lieutenancy included the Soke of Peterborough until 1965, when the Lord Li ...
from 1771 to death.
Lord Northampton married Jane, daughter of Henry Lawton, in 1758. He died in April 1796, aged 57, and was succeeded in his titles by his son
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 ''* ...
, who was created
Marquess of Northampton
Marquess of Northampton is a title that has been created twice, firstly in the Peerage of England (1547), then secondly in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1812). The current holder of this title is Spencer Compton, 7th Marquess of Northampton ...
in 1812.
References
Source
*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Northampton, Spencer Compton, 8th Earl of
1738 births
1796 deaths
British MPs 1761–1768
08
Spencer
Lord-lieutenants of Northamptonshire
Compton, Spencer