Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Encyclopedia
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG
, PC, JP
(13 October 1825 – 22 December 1899), styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.
He inherited the estate of Eaton Hall in Cheshire
and land in Mayfair
and Belgravia
, London, and spent much of his fortune in developing these properties. Although he was a Member of Parliament from the age of 22, and then a member of the House of Lords, his main interests were not in politics, but rather in his estates, in horse racing, and in country pursuits. He developed the stud at Eaton Hall and achieved success in racing his horses, winning the Derby on four occasions. Grosvenor also took an interest in a range of charities. At his death he was considered to be the richest man in Britain.
and Lady Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, the younger daughter of George Leveson-Gower
, the 2nd Marquess of Stafford and later the 1st Duke of Sutherland
. He was educated at Eton College
and, until 1847, at Balliol College, Oxford
. He left Oxford without taking a degree in order to become Member of Parliament
(MP) for Chester. This seat had been held by his uncle, Robert Grosvenor
(later the 1st Baron Ebury
), who decided to move to one of the two unopposed Middlesex
seats. In 1851 he toured India and Ceylon. The following year, on 28 April, he married his first cousin, Lady Constance Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, the fourth daughter of the 2nd Duke of Sutherland
; at the time of the wedding she was aged 17. The wedding was held in the Chapel Royal
in St. James's Palace
, London, and was attended by Queen Victoria
and Albert. Constance's mother had been Mistress of the Robes
to Victoria and a "favourite" of the queen. Their first child, a son, was born in 1853, and Victoria became his godmother
. By 1874 the couple had eleven children, eight of whom survived into adulthood; five sons and three daughters.
In 1880 Constance died from Bright's disease
(nephritis
). Two years later, in June 1882, Grosvenor married Katherine Caroline, the third daughter of the 2nd Baron Chesham
and Henrietta Frances Lascelles, who was then aged 24; she was younger than the duke's eldest son and two of his daughters. They had four children, two sons and two daughters.
The four children from his second marriage were:
Grosvenor was elected as Whig MP for Chester in 1847 and continued to represent that constituency until, on the death of his father in 1869, he succeeded as 3rd Marquess of Westminster and entered the House of Lords
. His maiden speech in the Commons was made in 1851 in a debate on disorders in Ceylon, shortly following his tour of the country. Otherwise he took little interest in the affairs of the House of Commons until 1866 when he expressed his opposition to Gladstone's
Reform Bill. This played a part in Gladstone's resignation, the election of the Conservative
Derby
government and Disraeli's Second Reform Act
. The relationship between Grosvenor and Gladstone later improved and in Gladstone's resignation honours in 1874, Grosvenor was created the 1st Duke of Westminster; this was the only non-royal dukedom
created during Victoria's reign. When Gladstone became Prime Minister
again in 1880, he appointed Grosvenor as Master of the Horse
, a position appropriate to his interests in horse racing but "not an actively political office". In the 1880s Grosvenor disagreed with Gladstone again, this time about Home Rule for Ireland
. During this dispute, Grosvenor sold his portrait of Gladstone that had been painted by Millais
. Ten years later they were again reconciled when they both opposed atrocities by the Turks
against the Armenians
. When Gladstone died in 1898, Grosvenor presided over a Gladstone National Memorial committee that commissioned statues of him, and rebuilt Gladstone's St Deiniol's Library
at Hawarden
in north Wales.
In 1860 Grosvenor formed the Queen's Westminster Rifle Volunteers and became its Lieutenant Colonel
. He led the Cheshire Yeomanry
as Colonel Commandant
from 1869. He also supported charities; at one time or another, he was the president of five London hospitals, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
, the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association
, the Gardeners' Royal Beneficent Association, the Hampstead Heath
Protection Society, the Early Closing Association, the United Committee for the Demoralization of Native Races by the Liquor Traffic, and the Royal Agricultural Society
. He was a member of the Council for the Promotion of Cremation; at that time cremation
was unpopular with the Church. Grosvenor was chairman of the Queen's Jubilee Nursing Fund
, an organisation that provided district nurse
s for the sick poor, through which he became associated with Florence Nightingale
. In 1883 he was appointed as Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire
, and when the London County Council was created in 1888, he became the first Lord Lieutenant of the County of London
.
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The Grosvenor country estate is at Eaton Hall in Cheshire
. When Grosvenor inherited the estate it was worth at least £152,000 (£ as of ), a year. After inheriting the estate, one of his first acts was to commission a statue of his namesake
, the Norman Hugh Lupus
, who had been the 1st Earl of Chester
, from G. F. Watts
, to stand in the forecourt of the hall. In 1870 Grosvenor commissioned Alfred Waterhouse
to design a new house to replace the previous hall designed by William Porden
and extended by William Burn
. The core of the previous hall was retained, parts were completely rebuilt and other parts were refaced and remodelled. A private wing was built as a residence for the family, and this was connected to the main hall by a corridor. Waterhouse also designed Eaton Chapel
and its associated clocktower, and redesigned the stables. It is said that the hall's guests "were not greatly amused" by the carillon of 28 bells that played 28 tunes and sounded every quarter of the hour during the day and the night. The work took 12 years to complete and it cost £803,000 (£ as of ). The hall has been described as "the most ambitious instance of Gothic Revival
domestic architecture anywhere in the country", and as "a vast, cheerless, Gothic structure".
Grosvenor paid for many buildings on his estates. He was a patron of the Chester architect John Douglas
. Douglas' biographer, Edward Hubbard
, estimated that the duke commissioned four churches and chapels, eight large houses, about 15 schools and institutions, about 50 farms (in whole or part), about 300 cottages, lodges, smithies and the like, two cheese factories, two inns, and about 12 commercial buildings (for most of which Douglas was the architect) - and these were just the buildings in the city of Chester and on the Eaton estate. He commissioned G. F. Bodley
to rebuild St Mary's Church
in his Cheshire estate village of Eccleston
, which was completed in 1899, the year of his death. He also spent money on Grosvenor House
in London and Cliveden
in Buckinghamshire
, which he had inherited on the death of his mother-in-law. He built shooting lodges on sporting estates in Sutherland
, in Scotland, that he rented from his cousin, the Duke of Sutherland.
The Grosvenor wealth came mainly from the ground rent
s of Mayfair
and Belgravia
in London; these grew from about £115,000 (£ as of ) in 1870 to about £250,000 (£ as of ) annually in 1899. He oversaw much rebuilding in Mayfair and commissioned architects, such as Norman Shaw
, Aston Webb
and Alfred Waterhouse to design new buildings. He held his own opinions on architectural styles and decoration, favouring the Queen Anne style
rather than the Italianate
stucco
preferred by his father; for red brick and terracotta; for stucco to be painted bright orange, and railings in chocolate or red; and for Oxford Street
to be paved with wooden blocks. He opposed the use of telegraph poles and wires, and would not allow any building work during the London season
. He encouraged the provision of more urinals, both on his estates and in London generally, and has been described as a "one-man planning and enforcement officer".
and boys, with two or three stallion
s and about 20 breeding mare
s. He regarded this, not so much as an extravagance, but rather as an aristocratic
duty. He never gambled or placed a bet on any of his horses. In 1880, one of his horses, Bend Or
, ridden by Fred Archer, won the Derby
, and he had more Derby successes in 1882, 1886, and 1899. With his successes and sale of horses, it is considered possible that this enterprise was self-financing. Grosvenor took an interest in the country pursuits of deer stalking
and shooting, both in the Scottish Highlands
and on his Cheshire estate and added to the family's art collection. Grosvenor was teetotal
and a supporter of temperance
. In his Mayfair estate he reduced the number of public houses and beerhouses from 47 to eight.
on his Cheshire estate, and attended the wedding of one of his granddaughters. Later that year, while visiting the same granddaughter in Cranborne
, Dorset
, he developed bronchitis, from which he died. He was cremated in Woking
crematorium and his ashes were buried in the churchyard of Eccleston Church
, Cheshire. He was succeeded as Duke of Westminster by his grandson, Hugh
. At his death he was "reputedly the wealthiest man in Britain"; his wealth was estimated to be a little over £594,229 (£ as of ), with real estate
valued at about £6,000,000.
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, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(13 October 1825 – 22 December 1899), styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.
He inherited the estate of Eaton Hall in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and land in Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
and Belgravia
Belgravia
Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...
, London, and spent much of his fortune in developing these properties. Although he was a Member of Parliament from the age of 22, and then a member of the House of Lords, his main interests were not in politics, but rather in his estates, in horse racing, and in country pursuits. He developed the stud at Eaton Hall and achieved success in racing his horses, winning the Derby on four occasions. Grosvenor also took an interest in a range of charities. At his death he was considered to be the richest man in Britain.
Personal life
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor was the second and eldest surviving son of Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of WestminsterRichard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster
Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster KG, PC , styled Viscount Belgrave from 1802 to 1831 and Earl Belgrave from 1831 to 1845, was an English politician, landowner, property developer and benefactor....
and Lady Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, the younger daughter of George Leveson-Gower
George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as The Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, was a British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts. He is estimated to have been the...
, the 2nd Marquess of Stafford and later the 1st Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
. He was educated at Eton College
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, until 1847, at Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. He left Oxford without taking a degree in order to become Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Chester. This seat had been held by his uncle, Robert Grosvenor
Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury
Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury PC , styled Lord Robert Grosvenor from 1831 to 1857, was a British courtier and Whig politician. He served as Comptroller of the Household between 1830 and 1834 and as Treasurer of the Household between 1846 and 1847...
(later the 1st Baron Ebury
Baron Ebury
Baron Ebury, of Ebury Manor in the County of Middlesex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since 1999 it is a subsidiary title of the earldom of Wilton. The peerage was created in 1857 for the Whig politician Lord Robert Grosvenor. He was the third son of Robert Grosvenor, 1st...
), who decided to move to one of the two unopposed Middlesex
Middlesex (UK Parliament constituency)
Middlesex is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885....
seats. In 1851 he toured India and Ceylon. The following year, on 28 April, he married his first cousin, Lady Constance Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, the fourth daughter of the 2nd Duke of Sutherland
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland KG , styled Viscount Trentham until 1803, Earl Gower between 1803 and 1833 and Marquess of Stafford in 1833, was a British peer....
; at the time of the wedding she was aged 17. The wedding was held in the Chapel Royal
Chapel Royal
A Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they are called upon to do so.-Austria:...
in St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
, London, and was attended by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
and Albert. Constance's mother had been Mistress of the Robes
Mistress of the Robes
The Mistress of the Robes is the senior lady of the British Royal Household. Formerly responsible for the Queen's clothes and jewellery, the post now has the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the Ladies in Waiting on the Queen, along with various duties at State ceremonies...
to Victoria and a "favourite" of the queen. Their first child, a son, was born in 1853, and Victoria became his godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
. By 1874 the couple had eleven children, eight of whom survived into adulthood; five sons and three daughters.
In 1880 Constance died from Bright's disease
Bright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
(nephritis
Nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys. The word "nephritis" was imported from Latin, which took it from Greek: νεφρίτιδα. The word comes from the Greek νεφρός - nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation"....
). Two years later, in June 1882, Grosvenor married Katherine Caroline, the third daughter of the 2nd Baron Chesham
William Cavendish, 2nd Baron Chesham
William George Cavendish, 2nd Baron Chesham was a British Liberal politician.A member of the Cavendish family headed by the Duke of Devonshire, Chesham was the son of Charles Compton Cavendish, 1st Baron Chesham and Lady Catherine Susan Gordon, daughter of George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly...
and Henrietta Frances Lascelles, who was then aged 24; she was younger than the duke's eldest son and two of his daughters. They had four children, two sons and two daughters.
Family
The eight children from the first marriage who survived into adulthood were:- Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor (28 April 1853 – 22 January 1884), who married Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, the daughter of Richard George Lumley, 9th Earl of ScarbroughEarl of ScarbroughEarl of Scarbrough is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1690 for Richard Lumley, 2nd Viscount Lumley. He is best remembered as one of the Immortal Seven who invited William of Orange to invade England and depose his father-in-law James II...
and Frederica Mary Adeliza Drummond. He was the father of Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of WestminsterHugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of WestminsterHugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster GCVO DSO was the son of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Scarborough... - Lady Elizabeth Harriet (d. 25 March 1928), who married James Butler, 3rd Marquess of OrmondeJames Butler, 3rd Marquess of OrmondeJames Edward William Theobald Butler, 3rd Marquess of Ormonde KP PC , styled Earl of Ossory until 1854, was an Irish nobleman.-Biography:...
. - Lady Beatrice Constance (d. 12 January 1911), who married her stepmother's nephew Charles Cavendish, 3rd Baron CheshamCharles Cavendish, 3rd Baron CheshamCharles Compton William Cavendish, 3rd Baron Chesham KCB, PC, DL , styled The Honourable Charles Cavendish between 1863 and 1882, was a British soldier, courtier and Conservative politician...
in 1877. - Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Arthur Hugh (31 May 1860 – 29 April 1929), who married Helen, the daughter of Sir Robert Sheffield, 5th Baronet.
- Lord Henry George (23 June 1861 – 27 December 1914), who married, first, Dora Mina, the daughter of James Erskine-Wemyss, and was the father of William Grosvenor, 3rd Duke of WestminsterWilliam Grosvenor, 3rd Duke of WestminsterWilliam Grosvenor, 3rd Duke of Westminster was the son of Lord Henry Grosvenor and a grandson of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster. On his mother's side, he was a great x2 grandson of William IV....
; and second, Rosamund Angharad, the daughter of Edward Lloyd. - Lord Robert Edward (19 March 1869 – 16 June 1888), who died unmarried.
- Margaret Evelyn (9 April 1873 – 27 March 1929), who married Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of CambridgeAdolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of CambridgeAdolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, GCB, GCVO, CMG , born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later The Duke of Teck , was a member of the British Royal Family and a younger brother of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V...
. - Captain Lord Gerald Richard (14 July 1874 – 10 October 1940), who died unmarried.
The four children from his second marriage were:
- Lady Mary Cavendish (12 May 1883 – 14 January 1959), who married, first Henry Crichton, Viscount Crichton (1872-1914), and was the mother of John Crichton, 5th Earl ErneJohn Crichton, 5th Earl ErneJohn Henry George Crichton, 5th Earl Erne , briefly known as Viscount Crichton in 1914, was an Anglo-Irish peer, soldier and politician.-Biography:...
; and second, Colonel the Hon. Algernon Francis Stanley (1874-1962). - Lord Hugh WilliamLord Hugh GrosvenorCaptain Lord Hugh William Grosvenor was the son of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster and his second wife, formerly The Hon...
(6 April 1884 – 30 October 1914), who married Lady Mabel Florence Mary, the daughter of John Crichton, 4th Earl ErneJohn Crichton, 4th Earl ErneJohn Henry Crichton, 4th Earl Erne KP, PC , known as Viscount Crichton from 1842 to 1885, was an Anglo-Irish peer and Conservative politician....
, and who was the father of Gerald Grosvenor, 4th Duke of WestminsterGerald Grosvenor, 4th Duke of WestminsterColonel Gerald Hugh Grosvenor, 4th Duke of Westminster DSO PC was the son of Captain Lord Hugh William Grosvenor and Lady Mabel Crichton and a grandson of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster....
and Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of WestminsterRobert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of WestminsterLieutenant-Colonel Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster DSO TD JP DL , was a British soldier, landowner, businessman and politician. In the 1970s he was the richest man in Britain....
. He was killed in action in the First World War. - Lady Helen Frances (5 February 1888 – 21 October 1970), who married Brigadier-General Lord Henry Seymour (1878-1939) and was the mother of Hugh Seymour, 8th Marquess of HertfordHugh Seymour, 8th Marquess of HertfordHugh Edward Conway Seymour, 8th Marquess of Hertford was the son of Brig.-Gen. Lord Henry Charles Seymour and the grandson of Hugh Seymour, 6th Marquess of Hertford....
. - Lord Edward Arthur (27 October 1892 – 26 August 1929), who married Lady Dorothy Margaret, the daughter of Valentine Browne, 5th Earl of KenmareValentine Browne, 5th Earl of KenmareValentine Charles Browne, 5th Earl of Kenmare was Lord Lieutenant of Kerry and Earl of Kenmare. He was one of the peers of the realm who were members of the Senate of Southern Ireland, 1921....
.
Political and public life
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. His maiden speech in the Commons was made in 1851 in a debate on disorders in Ceylon, shortly following his tour of the country. Otherwise he took little interest in the affairs of the House of Commons until 1866 when he expressed his opposition to Gladstone's
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
Reform Bill. This played a part in Gladstone's resignation, the election of the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
government and Disraeli's Second Reform Act
Reform Act 1867
The Representation of the People Act 1867, 30 & 31 Vict. c. 102 was a piece of British legislation that enfranchised the urban male working class in England and Wales....
. The relationship between Grosvenor and Gladstone later improved and in Gladstone's resignation honours in 1874, Grosvenor was created the 1st Duke of Westminster; this was the only non-royal dukedom
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
created during Victoria's reign. When Gladstone became Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
again in 1880, he appointed Grosvenor as Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse
The Master of the Horse was a position of varying importance in several European nations.-Magister Equitum :...
, a position appropriate to his interests in horse racing but "not an actively political office". In the 1880s Grosvenor disagreed with Gladstone again, this time about Home Rule for Ireland
Irish Home Rule Movement
The Irish Home Rule Movement articulated a longstanding Irish desire for the repeal of the Act of Union of 1800 by a demand for self-government within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The movement drew upon a legacy of patriotic thought that dated back at least to the late 17th...
. During this dispute, Grosvenor sold his portrait of Gladstone that had been painted by Millais
John Everett Millais
Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, PRA was an English painter and illustrator and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Early life:...
. Ten years later they were again reconciled when they both opposed atrocities by the Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
against the Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
. When Gladstone died in 1898, Grosvenor presided over a Gladstone National Memorial committee that commissioned statues of him, and rebuilt Gladstone's St Deiniol's Library
St Deiniol's Library
Gladstone's Library, known until 2010 as St Deiniol's Library , is a residential library in Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales.The library was founded by the Victorian statesman and politician William Ewart Gladstone ....
at Hawarden
Hawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
in north Wales.
In 1860 Grosvenor formed the Queen's Westminster Rifle Volunteers and became its Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. He led the Cheshire Yeomanry
Cheshire Yeomanry
The Cheshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment that can trace its history back to 1797 when Sir John Fleming Leicester of Tabley raised a county regiment of light cavalry in response to the growing fears of invasion from Napoleonic France....
as Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
from 1869. He also supported charities; at one time or another, he was the president of five London hospitals, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
, the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association
Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association
The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association was an association set up in London by Samuel Gurney an MP and philanthropist and Edward Thomas Wakefield, a barrister in 1859 to provide free drinking water...
, the Gardeners' Royal Beneficent Association, the Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
Protection Society, the Early Closing Association, the United Committee for the Demoralization of Native Races by the Liquor Traffic, and the Royal Agricultural Society
Royal Agricultural Society
The Royal Agricultural Society of England was established in the United Kingdom in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science". The RASE aim is to promote the scientific development of agriculture. The society received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840.From its early days the society...
. He was a member of the Council for the Promotion of Cremation; at that time cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
was unpopular with the Church. Grosvenor was chairman of the Queen's Jubilee Nursing Fund
Queen's Nursing Institute
The Queen’s Nursing Institute is a charity that works to improve the nursing care of people in their own homes in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.-History:...
, an organisation that provided district nurse
District nurse
District Nurses are senior nurses who manage care within the community, leading teams of community nurses and support workers. Typically much of their work involves visiting house-bound patients to provide advice and care, for example, palliative care, wound management, catheter and continence...
s for the sick poor, through which he became associated with Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
. In 1883 he was appointed as Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire
Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire. Since 1689, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Cheshire.-Lord Lieutenants of Cheshire:-References:*-External links:*...
, and when the London County Council was created in 1888, he became the first Lord Lieutenant of the County of London
Lord Lieutenant of the County of London
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of the County of London.The post was created in 1889, absorbing the duties of the Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets, and abolished in 1965, when it was merged with that of Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex to become the Lord Lieutenant of...
.
Development of the estates
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. When Grosvenor inherited the estate it was worth at least £152,000 (£ as of ), a year. After inheriting the estate, one of his first acts was to commission a statue of his namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
, the Norman Hugh Lupus
Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester
Hugh d'Avranches , also known as le Gros and Lupus was the first Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England.-Early career:...
, who had been the 1st Earl of Chester
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Honour of Chester :The...
, from G. F. Watts
George Frederic Watts
George Frederic Watts, OM was a popular English Victorian painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical works, such as Hope and Love and Life...
, to stand in the forecourt of the hall. In 1870 Grosvenor commissioned Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
to design a new house to replace the previous hall designed by William Porden
William Porden
William Porden was a versatile English architect. Born in Kingston upon Hull, he trained under James Wyatt and Samuel Pepys Cockerell....
and extended by William Burn
William Burn
William Burn was a Scottish architect, pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of architect Robert Burn, and educated at the Royal High School. After training with the architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert Smirke, he returned to Edinburgh in 1812...
. The core of the previous hall was retained, parts were completely rebuilt and other parts were refaced and remodelled. A private wing was built as a residence for the family, and this was connected to the main hall by a corridor. Waterhouse also designed Eaton Chapel
Eaton Chapel
Eaton Chapel is a private chapel to the north of Eaton Hall in Eaton Park, near the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England. It is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
and its associated clocktower, and redesigned the stables. It is said that the hall's guests "were not greatly amused" by the carillon of 28 bells that played 28 tunes and sounded every quarter of the hour during the day and the night. The work took 12 years to complete and it cost £803,000 (£ as of ). The hall has been described as "the most ambitious instance of Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
domestic architecture anywhere in the country", and as "a vast, cheerless, Gothic structure".
Grosvenor paid for many buildings on his estates. He was a patron of the Chester architect John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
. Douglas' biographer, Edward Hubbard
Edward Hubbard
Edward Horton Hubbard was an English architectural historian who worked with Nikolaus Pevsner in compiling volumes of the Buildings of England...
, estimated that the duke commissioned four churches and chapels, eight large houses, about 15 schools and institutions, about 50 farms (in whole or part), about 300 cottages, lodges, smithies and the like, two cheese factories, two inns, and about 12 commercial buildings (for most of which Douglas was the architect) - and these were just the buildings in the city of Chester and on the Eaton estate. He commissioned G. F. Bodley
George Frederick Bodley
George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....
to rebuild St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church, Eccleston
St Mary's Church, Eccleston, is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester. The church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the...
in his Cheshire estate village of Eccleston
Eccleston, Cheshire
Eccleston is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, and close to Chester...
, which was completed in 1899, the year of his death. He also spent money on Grosvenor House
Grosvenor House
Grosvenor House was one of the largest private townhouses situated on London's exclusive Park Lane in the district of Mayfair. The house was the home of the Grosvenor family for more than a century...
in London and Cliveden
Cliveden
Cliveden is an Italianate mansion and estate at Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Set on banks above the River Thames, its grounds slope down to the river. The site has been home to an Earl, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor....
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, which he had inherited on the death of his mother-in-law. He built shooting lodges on sporting estates in Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, in Scotland, that he rented from his cousin, the Duke of Sutherland.
The Grosvenor wealth came mainly from the ground rent
Ground rent
Ground rent, sometimes known as a rentcharge, is a regular payment required under a lease from the owner of leasehold property, payable to the freeholder. A ground rent is created when a freehold piece of land or a building is sold on a long lease...
s of Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
and Belgravia
Belgravia
Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...
in London; these grew from about £115,000 (£ as of ) in 1870 to about £250,000 (£ as of ) annually in 1899. He oversaw much rebuilding in Mayfair and commissioned architects, such as Norman Shaw
Richard Norman Shaw
Richard Norman Shaw RA , was an influential Scottish architect from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings.-Life:...
, Aston Webb
Aston Webb
Sir Aston Webb, RA, FRIBA was an English architect, active in the late 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century...
and Alfred Waterhouse to design new buildings. He held his own opinions on architectural styles and decoration, favouring the Queen Anne style
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
rather than the Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
preferred by his father; for red brick and terracotta; for stucco to be painted bright orange, and railings in chocolate or red; and for Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
to be paved with wooden blocks. He opposed the use of telegraph poles and wires, and would not allow any building work during the London season
Season (society)
The social season or Season has historically referred to the annual period when it is customary for members of the a social elite of society to hold debutante balls, dinner parties and large charity events...
. He encouraged the provision of more urinals, both on his estates and in London generally, and has been described as a "one-man planning and enforcement officer".
Personality and personal interests
Grosvenor's major interest was in horse racing. In 1875 he established a racing stable at Eaton, eventually employing 30 groomsGroom (horses)
A groom is a person who is responsible for some or all aspects of the management of horses and/or the care of the stables themselves. The term most often refers to a person who is the employee of a stable owner, but even an owner of a horse may perform the duties of a groom, particularly if the...
and boys, with two or three stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
s and about 20 breeding mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
s. He regarded this, not so much as an extravagance, but rather as an aristocratic
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
duty. He never gambled or placed a bet on any of his horses. In 1880, one of his horses, Bend Or
Bend Or
Bend Or was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1880 Epsom Derby. His regular jockey Fred Archer, winner of thirteen consecutive British jockey titles, said Bend Or was probably the greatest horse he had ever ridden....
, ridden by Fred Archer, won the Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
, and he had more Derby successes in 1882, 1886, and 1899. With his successes and sale of horses, it is considered possible that this enterprise was self-financing. Grosvenor took an interest in the country pursuits of deer stalking
Deer stalking
Deer stalking is a British term for the stealthy pursuit of deer for sporting purposes, historically with dogs such as Scottish Deerhounds, or in modern times typically with a high powered rifle fitted with a telescopic sight to hunt them....
and shooting, both in the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
and on his Cheshire estate and added to the family's art collection. Grosvenor was teetotal
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
and a supporter of temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
. In his Mayfair estate he reduced the number of public houses and beerhouses from 47 to eight.
Final year and death
In 1899, the last year of his life, he supported the Seats for Shops Assistants Bill (to reduce cruelty to women employees), stalked a stag in Scotland, shot 65 snipe in 1½ hours in AldfordAldford
Aldford is a village and civil parish in the county of Cheshire, England, south of Chester . It has a population of 213.The village lies on the east bank of the River Dee...
on his Cheshire estate, and attended the wedding of one of his granddaughters. Later that year, while visiting the same granddaughter in Cranborne
Cranborne
Cranborne is a village in East Dorset, England. In 2001 the village had a population of 779 people. The town is situated on chalk downland called Cranborne Chase, part of a large expanse of chalk in southern England which includes the nearby Salisbury Plain and Dorset Downs.-History:The village...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, he developed bronchitis, from which he died. He was cremated in Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
crematorium and his ashes were buried in the churchyard of Eccleston Church
St Mary's Church, Eccleston
St Mary's Church, Eccleston, is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester. The church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the...
, Cheshire. He was succeeded as Duke of Westminster by his grandson, Hugh
Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster GCVO DSO was the son of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Scarborough...
. At his death he was "reputedly the wealthiest man in Britain"; his wealth was estimated to be a little over £594,229 (£ as of ), with real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
valued at about £6,000,000.