William Walter Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth (12 August 1823 – 4 August 1891), styled Viscount Lewisham until 1853, was a
British peer and
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
politician.
Political career
Legge was elected in 1849 as
Member of Parliament (MP) for
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council is based in Codsall. Other notable settlements include Brewood, Cheslyn Hay, Coven, Essington, Featherstone, Four Ashes, Great Wyrley, Huntington, ...
and held the seat until 1853, when he succeeded his father
William Legge, 4th Earl of Dartmouth. He was appointed a
deputy lieutenant of Staffordshire on 9 October 1852, and
Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire
This is a list of people who have served as lord lieutenant for Staffordshire. Since 1828, all lord lieutenants have also been custos rotulorum of Staffordshire.
Lord Lieutenants of Staffordshire
*Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford 1559
* George ...
in 1887.
Family
The Earl married
Lady Augusta Finch, daughter of
Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford, on 9 June 1846. They had two sons,
William Heneage, Viscount Lewisham (1851–1936), and the Hon.
Henry Charles
Henry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters
* Henry (surname)
* Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone
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(1852–1924), and four daughters, who died unmarried. It was the third intermarriage between the Earls of Dartmouth and Aylesford, as the
first Earl had married Lady Anne Finch, daughter of
Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Aylesford and also the
third Earl married Lady Frances Finch, daughter of
Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford.
He owned 20,000 acres, with most rent coming from 8,000 acres in West Yorkshire.
Military career
He raised the
27th Staffordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps at
Patshull
Patshull is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Pattingham and Patshull, in the South Staffordshire district, in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is 7 miles west of Wolverhampton and 7½ miles east of Bridgnorth. According to th ...
on 7 March 1860 during a French invasion scare, and commanded it in the rank of captain.
Legacy
In 1876, land from the Dartmouth estate was leased at Cooper's Hill for the creation of
Dartmouth Park
Dartmouth Park is a district of north west London in the London Borough of Camden, north of Charing Cross. The area adjoins Highgate and Highgate Cemetery (to the north) and Kentish Town (to the south). Parliament Hill, London, Parliament Hill ...
; the park was opened to the public by the Earl on 3 June 1878. In 1919, the freehold to the park was awarded to the people of West Bromwich.
Notes
References
* ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage,'' 100th Edn, London, 1953.
* Ray Westlake, ''Tracing the Rifle Volunteers'', Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2010, .
External links
*
1823 births
1891 deaths
5
Lord-lieutenants of Staffordshire
Lewisham, William Legge, Viscount
Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers
Lewisham, William Legge, Viscount
Lewisham, William Legge, Viscount
UK MPs who inherited peerages
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
William
William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...
Deputy lieutenants of Staffordshire
Younger sons of earls
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