William Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville

Vice-Admiral The Right Honourable The Earl Granville KG GCVO CB DSO
Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man
In office 1937–1945
Monarch	George VI
Preceded by	Sir Montagu Butler
Succeeded by	Sir Geoffrey Bromet
2nd Governor of Northern Ireland
In office 1945–1952
Monarch	George VI
Preceded by	The Duke of Abercorn
Succeeded by	The Lord Wakehurst
Personal details
Born	William Spencer Leveson-Gower 11 July 1880
Died	25 June 1953 (aged 72)
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Lady Rose Constance Bowes-Lyon (m. 1916–53; his death)
Children	Mary Cecilia, Lady Clayton Granville James Leveson-Gower, 5th Earl Granville
Parents	Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville Castila Rosalind Campbell
Religion	Anglican
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1894 - 1935
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands	Coast of Scotland
Battles/wars	World War I

Vice-Admiral William Spencer Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville KG GCVO CB DSO (11 July 1880 – 25 June 1953), styled The Honourable William Leveson-Gower until 1939, was a British naval commander and governor from the Leveson-Gower family.

Background

Leveson-Gower was the younger son of Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, by his second wife Castila Rosalind Campbell.

Career

Flag of the Governor of Northern Ireland

After Wixenford School, William Leveson-Gower joined the Royal Navy in 1894.^[1] He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant in 1900, Lieutenant in 1902 and Commander in 1913.^[1] He served in First World War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1919.^[1]

He was appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1924, aide-de-camp to the King in 1929 and Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland in 1931.^[1] He was made a Companion of the Bath in 1930 and retired in 1935.^[1]

Leveson-Gower became Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man in 1937.^[2] In 1939 he succeeded his elder brother in the earldom.^[2] Granville was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1945 and became Governor of Northern Ireland in 1945, serving until 1952.^[2] He was made a Knight of the Garter that same year.^[2]

Family

In 1916, Lord Granville married Lady Rose Constance Bowes-Lyon, the second surviving daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and elder sister of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. They had two children, five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren:

• Lady Mary Cecilia Leveson-Gower (12 December 1917–13 February 2014) she married Sir Samuel Clayton on 7 July 1956. They have two children and have one grandson:
  • Gilbert Falkingham Clayton (4 September 1958) he married Rosalind Mullen in 1994. They have one son:
    • Samuel Wittewronge Kit Clayton (February 2002)
  • Rose Cecilia Clayton (25 January 1960) she married William Wordie Stancer on 9 July 1993.
• Granville James Leveson-Gower, 5th Earl Granville (6 December 1918–31 October 1996) he married Doon Aileen Plunket on 9 October 1958. They have three children and nine grandchildren:
  • Granville George Fergus Leveson-Gower, 6th Earl Granville (10 September 1959) he married Anne Topping on 23 May 1997. They have three children:
    • Lady Rose Alice Leveson-Gower (16 April 1998)
    • George James Leveson-Gower, Lord Leveson (22 July 1999)
    • Lady Violet May Leveson-Gower (5 August 2002)
  • Lady Marcia Rose Aileen Leveson-Gower (10 February 1961-3 August 2005) she married Jonathan Charles Bulmer in 1986. They have four children:
    • Hesper Rose Constance Bulmer (1990)
    • James Alexander Howard Bulmer (1992)
    • Hector Charles Marcus Bulmer (1993)
    • Lara Bulmer (29 August 1995)
  • Hon. Niall James Leveson-Gower (24 August 1963) he married Amanda Blaxell in 1996. They have one set of twins:
    • Charlie Leveson-Gower (14 February 2000)
    • Honor Leveson-Gower (14 February 2000)

Lord Granville died in June 1953, aged 72. He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. The Countess Granville died in 1967.^[2]

References

1. "William Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville Video". Ovguide.com. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
2. "The Peerage". The Peerage. Retrieved 29 June 2013.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl Granville