George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey
Encyclopedia
George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey PC (9 June 1735 – 22 August 1805, Tunbridge Wells
) was a member of the British
and Irish peerage
and a courtier
in the court of George III
.
He was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1787.
and Lady Anne Egerton, the daughter of Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater
and his first wife, Lady Elizabeth Churchill, a daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
and his wife Sarah Jennings.
Lord Jersey married Frances Twysden
, at her stepfather's house in the parish of St Martin's-in-the-Fields on 26 March 1770. Lady Jersey, who was seventeen years younger than her husband, became in 1793 after she had turned 40 and was more than once a grandmother, one of the more notorious mistresses of George IV
when he was still Prince of Wales
.
Lord and Lady Jersey had ten children:
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
) was a member of the British
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
and Irish peerage
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
and a courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
in the court of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
.
Parliament
Between 1756 and his father's death in 1769 which took him into the House of Lords he served continuously in the House of Commons as MP for, in turn, Tamworth in Staffordshire, Aldborough in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Dover in Kent. He followed the political lead of the duke of Grafton in both the Commons and Lords. He was a lord of the Admiralty from 1761 to 1763 and was sworn of the privy council 11th July 1765. Lord chamberlain from 1765 to 1769, on his elevation to the peerage he was made a gentleman of the bedchamber to George III and thereafter held various court posts until 1800.He was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1787.
Family
The 4th Earl of Jersey was the son of William Villiers, 3rd Earl of JerseyWilliam Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey
William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey PC was an English peer, the son of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey.Among other achievements, Villiers was a founding Governor of the Foundling Hospital, a charity which received its royal charter on 17 October 1739 to operate an orphanage for abandoned...
and Lady Anne Egerton, the daughter of Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater
Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater
Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater , known as Viscount Brackley from 1687 to 1701 and as the Earl of Bridgewater from 1701 to 1720, was a British peer and courtier...
and his first wife, Lady Elizabeth Churchill, a daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
and his wife Sarah Jennings.
Lord Jersey married Frances Twysden
Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey
Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey was one of the more notorious of the many mistresses of King George IV when he was Prince of Wales, "a scintillating society woman, a heady mix of charm, beauty, and sarcasm".-Early life:She was born Frances Twysden, second and posthumous daughter of the Rev...
, at her stepfather's house in the parish of St Martin's-in-the-Fields on 26 March 1770. Lady Jersey, who was seventeen years younger than her husband, became in 1793 after she had turned 40 and was more than once a grandmother, one of the more notorious mistresses of George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
when he was still Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
.
Lord and Lady Jersey had ten children:
- Lady Charlotte Anne Villiers (1771-1808), married Lord William RussellLord William Russell (aristocrat)Lord William Russell , a member of the British aristocratic family of Russell and longtime Member of Parliament, did little to attract public attention after the end of his political career until, in 1840, he was murdered in his sleep by his valet.-Life:Russell was the posthumous child of Francis...
in 1789, and had issue. - Anne Barbara Frances Villiers (1772-1832), married William Henry LambtonWilliam Henry LambtonWilliam Henry Lambton was a British Member of Parliament, representing the City of Durham, a role in which he was succeeded by his brother. He was the son of John Lambton, who preceded him in representing Durham in the House of Commons....
and had issue, including John Lambton, 1st Earl of DurhamJohn Lambton, 1st Earl of DurhamJohn George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham GCB, PC , also known as "Radical Jack" and commonly referred to in history texts simply as Lord Durham, was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor General and high commissioner of British North America...
; married secondly Hon. Charles Wyndham, son of Charles, 2nd Earl of EgremontCharles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of EgremontCharles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, PC and Catherine née Seymour, succeeded his uncle, Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, as 2nd Earl of Egremont in 1750...
. - George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey (1773–1859), married Sarah Sophia FaneSarah Villiers, Countess of JerseySarah Sophia Child Villiers, Countess of Jersey , was an English noblewoman, the daughter of John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland and Sarah Anne Child. Her mother was the only child of Robert Child, the principal shareholder in the banking firm Child & Co...
daughter of John Fane, 10th Earl of WestmorlandJohn Fane, 10th Earl of WestmorlandJohn Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland KG, PC , styled Lord Burghersh between 1771 and 1774, was a British Tory politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, who served in most of the cabinets of the period, primarily as Lord Privy Seal.-Background:Westmorland was the son of John Fane, 9th...
and Sarah Anne Child, only child of Robert Child, the principal shareholder in the banking firm Child & CoChild & CoChild & Co. is a private banking house in the United Kingdom, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. It is based at 1 Fleet Street in the City of London....
. - Lady Caroline Elizabeth Villiers (1774–1835), married firstly Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of AngleseyHenry Paget, 1st Marquess of AngleseyField Marshal Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, KG, GCB, GCH, PC , styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as The Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815, was a British military leader and politician, now chiefly remembered for leading the charge of the heavy cavalry against...
and had issue. She divorced him in the Scottish courts in 1809 and married secondly, George Campbell, 6th Duke of ArgyllGeorge Campbell, 6th Duke of ArgyllGeorge William Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll GCH, PC , styled Earl of Campbell from 1768 to 1770 and Marquess of Lorne from 1770 to 1806, was a Scottish Whig politician and nobleman.-Background:...
. - Lady Georgiana Villiers, d. young.
- Lady Sarah Villiers (b. 1779), married Charles Nathaniel Bayley in 1799.
- Hon. William Augustus Henry Villiers (1780–1813), died unmarried in America, having assumed the surname of Mansel in 1802, pursuant to the will of Louisa Barbara, Baroness VernonBaron ManselBaron Mansel, of Margam in the County of Glamorgan, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 1 January 1712 for Sir Thomas Mansel, 5th Baronet, previously Member of Parliament for Cardiff and Glamorganshire. His ancestor had been created a Baronet, of Margam in the County of...
. - Lady Elizabeth Villiers, d. unmarried 1810.
- Lady Frances Elizabeth Villiers (1786–1866), married John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount PonsonbyJohn Ponsonby, 1st Viscount PonsonbyJohn Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby, GCB was a longtime British diplomat and politician.-Political career:Ponsonby, eldest son of the 1st Baron Ponsonby, and brother of Sir William Ponsonby , was born about 1770. He served as a Member of Parliament in the Irish House of Commons for Tallow...
, in 1803. - Lady Harriet Villiers (1788-1870), married Richard BagotRichard Bagot (bishop)Richard Bagot was an English cleric.He was a son of William Bagot, 1st Baron Bagot of Blithfield Hall, Staffordshire...
, Bishop of OxfordBishop of OxfordThe Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
in 1806, and had issue.