Charles Dormer, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon

Charles Dormer, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon (Peter Lely)

Sir Charles Dormer of Wing, 3rd Baronet, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon, 2nd Viscount Ascott, 3rd Baron Dormer of Winge (25 October 1632 – 29 November 1709) was an English peer.

Baptised in St Benet's in London, he was the son of Robert Dormer, 1st Earl of Carnarvon and Lady Anna Sophia Herbert, daughter of Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke. Dormer was educated at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated Master of Arts in 1648. In 1643, on his father's death at the First Battle of Newbury he succeeded to his father's titles and became Headmaster of Immanuel College and Keeper of the King's Hawks.

Carnarvon was witty, hospitable and extravagant; Samuel Pepys records his saying that God provides timber so that men may pay their debts. He rarely spoke on public affairs, but his intervention in the House of Lords debate on the impeachment of the Earl of Danby in 1678 may have been crucial. In a speech of great wit and humour he drew examples going back over a century to show that managing the impeachment of another public figure was virtually a guarantee of being impeached oneself and cheerfully urged his fellow peers to "mark the man who first dares to run down Lord Danby and see what becomes of him". The Lords then voted not to commit Danby to prison until he had been heard in his own defence.

He was a friend of the future Queen Anne, and was one of the few who remained loyal to her after her violent quarrel with William and Mary in 1692 led to her banishment from Court. When Anne was reconciled with William after Mary's death in 1694, Carnarvon noted with cynicism the large crowds at her house, and said he hoped she would remember the time when none of them called on her.

An oil-on-canvas portrait of Charles Dormer, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon, 50 x 40 inches.

He died in Ascott House and was buried in Wing in Buckinghamshire. With his death the earldom and the viscountcy became extinct, while the baronetcy and barony were inherited by Rowland Dormer, a grandson of the second son of the 1st Baron Dormer.

His first wife, Elizabeth Capel (Peter Lely)

Dormer was married twice. Firstly to Hon. Elizabeth Capel, daughter of the 1st Baron Capel around 1653. They had 3 daughters and 1 son:

• Lady Anna Sophia Dormer
• Lady Elizabeth Dormer married Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield
• Charles Dormer, 3rd Viscount Ascott, born 25 June 1652, died before 1673. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, on 22 April 1664. He graduated from Merton College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, on 8 September 1665 with a Master of Arts (M.A.).^[1]
• Lady Isabella Dormer, born 27 Aug 1663, married Charles Coote, 3rd Earl of Mountrath^[2]

Secondly he was married to Lady Mary Bertie, daughter of 2nd Earl of Lindsey, with whom he had no issue.^[3]

After his death his estate passed to his daughters Elizabeth and Isabella.^[4]

References

1. G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume III, page 45. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.
2. Lundy, Darryl. "Lady Isabella Dormer". The Peerage. Retrieved December 2011. External link in |publisher= (help)
3. Lundy, Darryl. "Lady Mary Bertie". The Peerage. Retrieved December 2011. External link in |publisher= (help)
4. Catalog note for the portrait of Charles Dormer by Peter Lely

External links

• "Charles Dormer, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon". Retrieved 2007-03-22.