George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry

The Most Honourable The Marquess of Londonderry KP
The Marquess of Londonderry
Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham
In office 1880–1884
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	The Earl of Durham
Succeeded by	The Earl of Durham
Personal details
Born	26 April 1821
Died	6 November 1884
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Mary Edwards (d. 1906)
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry KP (26 April 1821 – 6 November 1884), styled Viscount Seaham between 1823 and 1854 and known as The Earl Vane between 1854 and 1872, was a British aristocrat, businessman, diplomat and Conservative politician.

Background and education

Born George Vane, he was the eldest son of Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, by his second wife Frances Anne, daughter and heiress of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet. He was the nephew of the second Marquess, better known as the statesman Lord Castlereagh, and the half-brother of the fourth Marquess. He was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. He became known by the courtesy title Viscount Seaham in 1823 when his father was created Earl Vane and Viscount Seaham, with remainder to his sons by his second wife.^[1]

Political and diplomatic career

Lord Seaham entered the 1st Life Guards, purchasing a lieutenancy on 7 February 1845,^[2] and retiring on 5 May 1848.^[3] He was returned to parliament for Durham North in 1847, a seat he held until 1854, when he succeeded his father as Earl Vane and entered the House of Lords.^[1][4] In 1867 he was sent on a special mission as Envoy Extraordinary to Russia to Emperor Alexander II, to invest the emperor with the Order of the Garter.^[5] When his half-brother died childless in 1872 he inherited the marquessate and family estates. Two years later he was appointed a Knight of the Order of St Patrick. In 1880 he became Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, a post he held until his death four years later.^[1]

Business interests

Lord Londonderry managed his father-in-law's estates (see below), which included some of the slate quarries around Corris, and was one of the original promoters of the Corris Railway, created to carry the slate from the quarries to the markets. He sat on the board of the Cambrian Railways, latterly as Chairman.

Family

Lord Londonderry married Mary Cornelia Edwards, daughter of Sir John Edwards, 1st Baronet, on 3 August 1846.^[1] They set up home at Plas Machynlleth, the Edwards family seat, and had six children:

• Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry (1852–1915)
• Lord Henry John Vane-Tempest (1 July 1854 – 28 January 1905)
• Lord Herbert Lionel Henry Vane-Tempest (6 July 1862 – 26 January 1921) chairman of the Cambrian Railway, killed in the Abermule train collision
• Lady Frances Cornelia Harriet Vane-Tempest (c.1851 – 2 March 1872)
• Lady Alexandrina Louise Maud Vane-Tempest (8 November 1863 – 31 July 1945),^[6] married Wentworth Beaumont, 1st Viscount Allendale
• Lady Avarina Mary Vane-Tempest (c. 1858 – 26 June 1873)

Lord Londonderry died in November 1884, aged 63, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Charles.

The Marchioness of Londonderry remained in residence at Plas Machynlleth, where she entertained Princess Alexandra, the Princess of Wales, in 1897.^[7] Lady Londonderry died in September 1906.^[1]

The sixth Marquess left Machynlleth on succeeding to the marquessate, but Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest remained resident at the Plas, and also served as Chairman of the Cambrian Railways, until he was killed in the Abermule train collision. The family gave the Plas to the townspeople after World War II.

Ancestry

Ancestors of George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry

16. Colonel William Stewart, of Ballylawn               8. Alexander Stewart, of Mount Stewart                       17. Frances Stewart               4. Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry                             18. John Cowan               9. Mary Cowan                       19. Anne Stewart               2. Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry                                   20. Sir John Pratt               10. Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden                       21. Elizabeth Wilson               5. Lady Frances Pratt                             22. Nicholas Jeffreys               11. Elizabeth Jeffreys                       1. George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry                                         24. George Vane               12. Sir Henry Vane, 1st Baronet                       25. Anne Machon               6. Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet                             26. John Tempest, MP               13. Frances Tempest                       27. Frances Shuttleworth               3. Lady Frances Anne Vane-Tempest                                   28. Alexander MacDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim               14. Randal William MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim                       29. Anne Plunkett               7. Anne MacDonnell, 2nd Countess of Antrim                             30. Hervey Morres, 1st Viscount Mountmorres               15. The Hon. Letitia Morres                       31. Lady Letitia Ponsonby

References

1. thepeerage.com George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry
2. The London Gazette: no. 20440. p. 358. 7 February 1845.
3. The London Gazette: no. 20853. p. 1746. 5 May 1848.
4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
5. The London Gazette: no. 23291. p. 4541. 13 August 1867.
6. Viscountess Allendale portraits
7. "Magnificent jewels and noble jewels".

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Marquess of Londonderry
• CricketArchive: Viscount Seaham