Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey

The Right Honourable
The Earl de Grey
KG PC FRS

The Earl de Grey. Sketch by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1816.
First Lord of the Admiralty
In office
22 December 1834  8 April 1835
Monarch William IV
Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, Bt
Preceded by The Lord Auckland
Succeeded by The Lord Auckland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office
11 September 1841  17 July 1844
Monarch Queen Victoria
Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, Bt
Preceded by Viscount Ebrington
Succeeded by The Lord Heytesbury
Personal details
Born 8 December 1781 (1781-12-08)
Died 14 November 1859 (1859-11-15) (aged 77)
Nationality British
Political party Tory
Spouse(s) Lady Henrietta Cole
(d. 1848)
Alma mater St John's College, Cambridge

Thomas Philip de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey, 3rd Baron Grantham and 6th Baron Lucas KG PC FRS (8 December 1781 14 November 1859), known as The Lord Grantham from 1786 to 1833, was a British Tory politician and statesman of the 19th century. Born Thomas Philip Robinson, his surname was Weddell from 1803 and de Grey from 1833.

Background and education

De Grey was the eldest son of Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham and his wife, Mary, a daughter of the Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey and younger sister of the Amabel Hume-Campbell, 1st Countess de Grey. Prime Minister Lord Goderich was his younger brother. He succeeded his father as third baron in 1786, and became the sixth baronet Robinson of Newby in 1792. In 1833 he succeeded his aunt as second Earl de Grey according to a special remainder and also inherited the Wrest Park estate in Silsoe, Bedfordshire. In 1798 he was admitted to St John's College, Cambridge, graduating MA in 1801.[1] He became second Earl de Grey and Baron Lucas of Crudwell in 1833.

Political career

He was made Privy Counsellor in December 1834 while holding office as first Lord of the Admiralty till April 1835, and a Knight of the Garter in 1844. He was colonel-commandant of the Yorkshire Hussar Regiment of Cavalry for over forty years and was appointed yeomanry aide-de-camp to William IV and held similar position under Queen Victoria. Thomas de Grey was nominated as Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire in 1818, an office which he held until his death. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from September 1841 to July 1844. During his time in Ireland he disagreed with Peel's religious conciliation of Ireland, claiming that economic conciliation was a greater priority.[2] He called for more legislation focused on Ireland whilst Peel pursued economic legislation aimed at benefitting the UK as a whole.[3]

Other public positions

On the founding of the Institute of British Architects in London in 1834 he was invited to become its first president remaining so till his death in 1859. The institute received its Royal Charter in 1837 becoming Royal Institute of British Architects in London. Earl de Grey was also a fellow of the Royal Society from 1841, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and served as one of the New Buckingham Palace Commissioners from 1848. Besides remodelling his London home at No.4 St James's Square (now the Naval & Military Club) he designed the new Wrest House inspired by French architecture at his Wrest Park estate in Bedfordshire between February 1833 and October 1839, assisted by James Clephan, and maintained the Park adding a number of decorations and statues.

Styles of address

Family

Central part of an engraved escutcheon Robinson quartering Weddell, for 3rd Lord Grantham, on silver gilt, 1802.

Lord de Grey married Lady Henrietta, daughter of William Cole, 1st Earl of Enniskillen, in 1805. They had two daughters - Ann Florence and Mary Gertrude. His wife Henrietta died in 1848. Lord de Grey survived her by eleven years and died in November 1859, aged 77.

He was succeeded in the barony of Lucas of Crudwell by his daughter, Ann, who was Countess Cowper by marriage, as well as Baroness Lucas in her own right.

His other titles passed to his nephew, George Robinson, 2nd Earl of Ripon.

See also

References

  1. "Grantham, Lord Thomas Philip (GRNN798TP)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  2. C. Read, 'Peel, De Grey and Irish Policy 1841-44' History, January 2014, pp1-18.
  3. Ibid.
Honorary titles
Preceded by
The Earl of Upper Ossory
Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire
18181859
Succeeded by
The Duke of Bedford
Political offices
Preceded by
The Lord Auckland
First Lord of the Admiralty
18341835
Succeeded by
The Lord Auckland
Preceded by
Viscount Ebrington
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
18411844
Succeeded by
The Lord Heytesbury
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Amabel Hume-Campbell
Earl de Grey
18331859
Succeeded by
George Robinson
Peerage of England
Preceded by
Amabel Hume-Campbell
Baron Lucas of Crudwell
18331859
Succeeded by
Anne Cowper
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by
Thomas Robinson
Baron Grantham
17861859
Succeeded by
George Robinson
Baronetage of England
Preceded by
Norton Robinson
Baronet
(of Newby)
17921859
Succeeded by
George Robinson
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