John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne
Encyclopedia
John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne PC (Ire)
(1706 – 14 May 1761), known as John FitzMaurice until 1751 and as The Viscount FitzMaurice between 1751 and 1753, was an Anglo-Irish
peer and politician. He was the father of William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne
, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
, and Anne, daughter of Sir William Petty
. He was the younger brother of William FitzMaurice, 2nd Earl of Kerry
, and the nephew of Charles Petty, 1st Baron Shelburne and Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne
. He was educated at Westminster School
and was called to the Bar
, Middle Temple
, in 1727.
in 1732. In 1743 he entered the Irish House of Commons
as one of two representatives for County Kerry
, a seat he held until 1751. The latter year he succeeded to the estates of his uncle the Earl of Shelburne (who had died childless) and assumed by Royal license the surname of Petty in lieu of his patronymic. Later the same year he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland
as Baron Dunkeron and Viscount FitzMaurice. Two years later the earldom of Shelburne was revived in his favour when he was made Earl of Shelburne, in the County of Wexford, in the Irish peerage. He was Governor of County Kerry in 1754 and the same year he was returned to the British House of Commons
for Wycombe
, a seat he held until 1760. He was sworn of the Irish Privy Council
in 1754 and in 1760 he was created Lord Wycombe, Baron of Chipping Wycombe, in the County of Buckingham, in the Peerage of Great Britain
, which entitled him to a seat in the English House of Lords
.
, later suo jure Countess of Orkney. Lord Shelburne died in May 1761 and was buried in Borwood, Wiltshire
. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, William
, who became Prime Minister of Great Britain and was created Marquess of Lansdowne
in 1784. The Countess of Shelburne December died in 1780.
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
(1706 – 14 May 1761), known as John FitzMaurice until 1751 and as The Viscount FitzMaurice between 1751 and 1753, was an Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
peer and politician. He was the father of William Petty, 2nd Earl of 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...
, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Background and education
Born John FitzMaurice, Shelburne was the second son of Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of KerryThomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry
Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry PC was an Irish peer and politician.He was the son of William FitzMaurice, 20th Baron Kerry, and Constance Long, and succeeded his father in March 1696/97 and was invested as a Privy Counsellor before April 1711...
, and Anne, daughter of Sir William Petty
William Petty
Sir William Petty FRS was an English economist, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers...
. He was the younger brother of William FitzMaurice, 2nd Earl of Kerry
William Fitzmaurice, 2nd Earl of Kerry
William FitzMaurice, 2nd Earl of Kerry PC was an Irish peer and an officer in the British Army.In 1738, he married Gertrude Lambert and had a son, Francis Thomas-FitzMaurice, 3rd Earl of Kerry . Kerry died in 1747 in Lixnaw...
, and the nephew of Charles Petty, 1st Baron Shelburne and Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne
Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne
Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne PC was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician.-Background:Petty was a younger son of Sir William Petty and Elizabeth, Baroness Shelburne, daughter of Sir Hardress Waller...
. He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
, Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, in 1727.
Political career
FitzMaurice was High Sheriff of KerryHigh Sheriff of Kerry
The High Sheriff of Kerry was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Kerry, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kerry County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and...
in 1732. In 1743 he entered the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
as one of two representatives for County Kerry
Kerry (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Kerry was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons to 1800. Following the Act of Union 1800 the county retained two seats.-History:In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, Kerry was represented with two members....
, a seat he held until 1751. The latter year he succeeded to the estates of his uncle the Earl of Shelburne (who had died childless) and assumed by Royal license the surname of Petty in lieu of his patronymic. Later the same year he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland
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,...
as Baron Dunkeron and Viscount FitzMaurice. Two years later the earldom of Shelburne was revived in his favour when he was made Earl of Shelburne, in the County of Wexford, in the Irish peerage. He was Governor of County Kerry in 1754 and the same year he was returned to 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...
for Wycombe
Wycombe (UK Parliament constituency)
Wycombe is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It currently elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of elections....
, a seat he held until 1760. He was sworn of the Irish Privy Council
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
in 1754 and in 1760 he was created Lord Wycombe, Baron of Chipping Wycombe, in the County of Buckingham, in the Peerage of Great Britain
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...
, which entitled him to a seat in the English House of Lords
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....
.
Family
Lord Shelburne married his first cousin, Mary, daughter of the Hon. William FitzMaurice, in 1734. Their younger son the Hon. Thomas FitzMaurice married Mary O'BrienMary FitzMaurice, 4th Countess of Orkney
Mary FitzMaurice, 4th Countess of Orkney was a Scottish suo jure peeress, the only surviving child of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond and Mary O'Brien, 3rd Countess of Orkney....
, later suo jure Countess of Orkney. Lord Shelburne died in May 1761 and was buried in Borwood, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, William
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...
, who became Prime Minister of Great Britain and was created Marquess of Lansdowne
Marquess of Lansdowne
Marquess of Lansdowne, in the County of Somerset, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain held by the head of the Petty-Fitzmaurice family. This branch of the family descends from the Hon...
in 1784. The Countess of Shelburne December died in 1780.