Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland
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Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland KG
, PC (15 March 1754 – 24 October 1787) was a British politician and nobleman, the eldest legitimate son of John Manners, Marquess of Granby
. He was styled Lord Roos from 1760 until 1770, and Marquess of Granby from 1770 until 1779.
He was educated at Eton
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, graduating the latter with a nobleman's MA
in 1774. That year, he was elected to one of the university's seats
in the House of Commons
. He continued to maintain the family's substantial electoral interests, and to collect objets d'art to decorate Belvoir Castle
. He pledged to redeem his father's substantial debts, but was hampered by his passion for gambling.
On 26 December 1775, he married Lady Mary Isabella Somerset (d. 1831), daughter of Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort
and a celebrated beauty. They had six children:
Later in life, he was said to have been the lover of Elizabeth Billington
.
Granby entered parliament in opposition to the North Ministry
and as an ally to the Rockingham
Whig
s. He acted only as an observer until reaching his majority, and made his maiden speech on 5 April 1775, advocating free trade with the southern American Colonies. The speech brought him thanks from his father's friend Chatham
, whom he praised, and initiated a friendship with William Pitt the Younger
. It much disappointed the Court, and particularly Lord Mansfield
, who had thought to govern the young Granby. During the American Revolution
, he followed Chatham in urging reconciliation with America, and was one of those who questioned the conduct of Admiral Keppel
in March 1779. He did not follow this up, and does not seem to have spoken in Parliament afterwards, acceeding to the dukedom on 29 May 1779. He was able to obtain a seat for his friend Pitt
at Appleby
in 1780 when Pitt failed of re-election for Cambridge University
, and promised him a seat in one of the boroughs of the Rutland interest in the future. His own Parliamentary interest notwithstanding, he supported Pitt's plans for reform.
With the entry of the French into the war, he became colonel of the Leicestershire
militia, and was created Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire
on 9 July 1779, an honor bestowed by George III in person. On 30 October 1782, he was made a Knight of the Garter and was made Lord Steward of the Household
and sworn of the Privy Council on 17 February 1783. Shelburne
thus brought him into the cabinet; but the appointment met with royal disfavor and prompted the resignation of Grafton
and the collapse of the ministry. Rutland was by now an ally of Pitt, and upon his premiership, became Lord Privy Seal
in December 1783.
Rutland was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
on 11 February 1784. He was enthusiastic for Pitt's Irish policy and the union which it entailed, but became increasingly doubtful of its implementation. In 1785, Pitt and Rutland successfully worked a trade plan through the Irish Parliament, initially against the opposition of Henry Grattan
and Henry Flood
. However the Foxite
opposition in the British House of Commons
so gutted the measure with amendments that it was rejected in its new form in Ireland. While the Irish opposition was later reconciled to Pitt's bona fides with regard to trade, the episode demoralized Thomas Orde
, the Chief Secretary of Ireland, and further hindered efforts at reform.
Rutland was increasingly popular as viceroy, in part because of his convivial nature and ample banquets at Dublin Castle
. In summer 1787, he made an extended and rigorous tour of the midlands and north of Ireland, but his excessive consumption of claret
was by now taking a toll upon his health. He died of liver disease on 24 October 1787 at Phoenix Park Lodge.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, PC (15 March 1754 – 24 October 1787) was a British politician and nobleman, the eldest legitimate son of John Manners, Marquess of Granby
John Manners, Marquess of Granby
General John Manners, Marquess of Granby PC, , British soldier, was the eldest son of the 3rd Duke of Rutland. As he did not outlive his father, he was known by his father's subsidiary title, Marquess of Granby...
. He was styled Lord Roos from 1760 until 1770, and Marquess of Granby from 1770 until 1779.
He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, graduating the latter with a nobleman's MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
in 1774. That year, he was elected to one of the university's seats
Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridge University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.-Boundaries, Electorate and Election Systems:...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. He continued to maintain the family's substantial electoral interests, and to collect objets d'art to decorate Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle is a stately home in the English county of Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir . It is a Grade I listed building....
. He pledged to redeem his father's substantial debts, but was hampered by his passion for gambling.
On 26 December 1775, he married Lady Mary Isabella Somerset (d. 1831), daughter of Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort
Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort
Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort was the younger son of Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort, and his second wife, Rachel Noel. Because his brother had no issue, on 24 February 1746, on his brother's death, he succeeded him and became 4th Duke of Beaufort, the 12th Lord Herbert, and the...
and a celebrated beauty. They had six children:
- Lady Elizabeth Isabella Manners (d. 5 October 1853), married on 21 August 1798 Richard Norman
- John Manners, 5th Duke of RutlandJohn Manners, 5th Duke of RutlandJohn Henry Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland, KG , styled Lord Roos from 1778 until 1779 and Marquess of Granby from 1779 until 1787, was a British peer....
(1778–1857) - Lady Katherine Mary Manners (d. 1 May 1829), married on 16 June 1800 Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron ForesterCecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron ForesterCecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester was a British Member of Parliament.Born Cecil Forester, he assumed the additional surname of Weld by Royal licence in 1811, upon inheriting Willey Park from his cousin George Forester. He was elected to the House of Commons for Wenlock in 1790, a seat he...
- General Lord Charles Henry Somerset MannersLord Charles Henry Somerset MannersGeneral Lord Charles Henry Somerset Manners, KCB was a British soldier and nobleman, the second son of Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland and Lady Mary Somerset....
(24 October 1780 – 25 May 1855), died unmarried - Major-General Lord Robert William MannersLord Robert William MannersMajor-General Lord Robert William Manners, CB was a British soldier and nobleman, the third son of Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland and Lady Mary Somerset...
(14 December 1781 – 15 November 1835) - Lord William Robert Albanac Manners (1783–1793)
Later in life, he was said to have been the lover of Elizabeth Billington
Elizabeth Billington
Elizabeth Billington was a British opera singer born in London, her father being a German clarinetist named Carl Friedrich Weichsel , and her mother Fredericka Weichsel née Weirman , a popular singer. Her brother, Charles Weichsel Elizabeth Billington (1765 or 1768 in London – 25 August 1818 in...
.
Granby entered parliament in opposition to the North Ministry
North Ministry
The North Ministry governed the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1770 until 1782. Overseeing in this time the Falklands Crisis, the Gordon Riots and much of the American War of Independence. It was headed by the Tory politician Lord North and served under George III.-Membership:...
and as an ally to the Rockingham
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, KG, PC , styled The Hon. Charles Watson-Wentworth before 1733, Viscount Higham between 1733 and 1746, Earl of Malton between 1746 and 1750 and The Earl Malton in 1750, was a British Whig statesman, most notable for his two terms as Prime...
Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
s. He acted only as an observer until reaching his majority, and made his maiden speech on 5 April 1775, advocating free trade with the southern American Colonies. The speech brought him thanks from his father's friend Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
, whom he praised, and initiated a friendship with William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
. It much disappointed the Court, and particularly Lord Mansfield
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, SL, PC was a British barrister, politician and judge noted for his reform of English law. Born to Scottish nobility, he was educated in Perth, Scotland before moving to London at the age of 13 to take up a place at Westminster School...
, who had thought to govern the young Granby. During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, he followed Chatham in urging reconciliation with America, and was one of those who questioned the conduct of Admiral Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
in March 1779. He did not follow this up, and does not seem to have spoken in Parliament afterwards, acceeding to the dukedom on 29 May 1779. He was able to obtain a seat for his friend Pitt
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
at Appleby
Appleby (UK Parliament constituency)
Appleby was a parliamentary constituency in the former county of Westmorland in England. It existed for two separate periods: from 1295 to 1832, and from 1885 to 1918....
in 1780 when Pitt failed of re-election for Cambridge University
Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridge University was a university constituency electing two members to the British House of Commons, from 1603 to 1950.-Boundaries, Electorate and Election Systems:...
, and promised him a seat in one of the boroughs of the Rutland interest in the future. His own Parliamentary interest notwithstanding, he supported Pitt's plans for reform.
With the entry of the French into the war, he became colonel of the Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
militia, and was created Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire
Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire. Since 1703, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Leicestershire.*Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset 1549–1551*Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon 1551–1552...
on 9 July 1779, an honor bestowed by George III in person. On 30 October 1782, he was made a Knight of the Garter and was made Lord Steward of the Household
and sworn of the Privy Council on 17 February 1783. Shelburne
William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne
William Petty-FitzMaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, KG, PC , known as The Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784, by which title he is generally known to history, was an Irish-born British Whig statesman who was the first Home Secretary in 1782 and then Prime Minister 1782–1783 during the final...
thus brought him into the cabinet; but the appointment met with royal disfavor and prompted the resignation of Grafton
Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, KG, PC , styled Earl of Euston between 1747 and 1757, was a British Whig statesman of the Georgian era...
and the collapse of the ministry. Rutland was by now an ally of Pitt, and upon his premiership, became Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
in December 1783.
Rutland was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
on 11 February 1784. He was enthusiastic for Pitt's Irish policy and the union which it entailed, but became increasingly doubtful of its implementation. In 1785, Pitt and Rutland successfully worked a trade plan through the Irish Parliament, initially against the opposition of Henry Grattan
Henry Grattan
Henry Grattan was an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons and a campaigner for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century. He opposed the Act of Union 1800 that merged the Kingdoms of Ireland and Great Britain.-Early life:Grattan was born at...
and Henry Flood
Henry Flood
Henry Flood , Irish statesman, son of Warden Flood, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and afterwards at Christ Church, Oxford, where he became proficient in the classics...
. However the Foxite
Foxite
The term Foxite generally refers to an 18th or 19th century British Whig politician who adhered to the ideals and political beliefs of Charles James Fox, the 18th century member of parliament and leader of the Whig party....
opposition in the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
so gutted the measure with amendments that it was rejected in its new form in Ireland. While the Irish opposition was later reconciled to Pitt's bona fides with regard to trade, the episode demoralized Thomas Orde
Thomas Orde-Powlett, 1st Baron Bolton
Thomas Orde-Powlett, 1st Baron Bolton PC was born Thomas Orde, son of John Orde of Morpeth, Northumberland. He was educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, graduating Master of Arts in 1773....
, the Chief Secretary of Ireland, and further hindered efforts at reform.
Rutland was increasingly popular as viceroy, in part because of his convivial nature and ample banquets at Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
. In summer 1787, he made an extended and rigorous tour of the midlands and north of Ireland, but his excessive consumption of claret
Claret
Claret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
was by now taking a toll upon his health. He died of liver disease on 24 October 1787 at Phoenix Park Lodge.