John Montagu, 5th Earl of Sandwich PC (26 January 1744 – 6 June 1814), styled Viscount Hinchingbrooke until in 1792, was a British peer

Peerage

The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...

 and Tory politician.

Background and education

Montagu was the eldest son of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten...

, by the Honourable Dorothy Fane

Dorothy Montagu, Countess of Sandwich

Dorothy Montagu, Countess of Sandwich , formerly The Hon. Dorothy Fane, was a British peeress.-Family and marriage:...

, third surviving daughter of Charles Fane, 1st Viscount Fane. 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"....

. In 1761, at the age of 17, he joined the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards as a Captain

Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)

Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...

.

Political career

In 1765, Hinchingbrooke entered Parliament as Tory 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,...

 (although he supported the Fox-North Coalition

Fox-North Coalition

The Fox-North Coalition was a government in Great Britain that held office during 1783. As the name suggests, the ministry was a coalition of the groups supporting Charles James Fox and Lord North...

 of 1783) for Brackley

Brackley (UK Parliament constituency)

Brackley was a parliamentary borough in Northamptonshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1547 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...

, a seat he held until 1768, and then represented Huntingdonshire

Huntingdonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Huntingdonshire was a Parliamentary constituency covering the county of Huntingdonshire in England. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then in the House of Commons the Parliament of the United...

 from 1768 to 1792, when he succeeded his father in the earldom. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household

Vice-Chamberlain of the Household

The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...

 from 1771 to 1782, as Master of the Buckhounds

Master of the Buckhounds

The Master of the Buckhounds was an officer in the Master of the Horse's department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot. It was a political office, so the holder, who was always a nobleman, changed with every change of government. The office...

 from 1783 to 1806 and as Joint Postmaster General from 1807 to 1814. He was sworn of the Privy Council

Privy Council of the United Kingdom

Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...

 in 1771.

Family

Lord Sandwich married firstly his cousin Lady Elizabeth Montague-Dunk, only daughter of George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, On 8 March 1766. Lady Elizabeth died in 1768 and Sandwich married secondly Lady Mary Powlett, daughter and co-heir of Harry Paulet, 6th Duke of Bolton. His eldest child, John George Montagu, by his first wife died in 1790. Lord Sandwich died in June 1814, aged 70, and was succeeded by his eldest son by his second wife, George

George Montagu, 6th Earl of Sandwich

George John Montagu, 6th Earl of Sandwich was the son of John Montagu, 5th Earl of Sandwich and Lady Mary Henrietta Powlett. He was styled Viscount Hinchingbrooke from 1790 to 1814...

. Lord Sandwich's illegitimate son William Augustus Montagu

William Augustus Montagu

Vice-Admiral Sir William Augustus Montagu, KCH, CB was a senior and successful officer of the British Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars who served in a number of sea battles and was also in command of the naval brigade in the brief land campaign to capture Île de...

 rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. William is thought to be named after his uncle, William Augustus, who died at Lisbon in 1776.