Nicholas Leke, 4th Earl of Scarsdale
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Leke, 4rd Earl of Scarsdale (1682? – 17 July 1736) was an English politician and courtier
.
, succeeding him when Robert died childless in 1707.
Scarsdale was Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire
from 1711 to 1714. In 1724 Leke asked the Warrwick architect Francis Smith to transform the ancestral home at Sutton Scarsdale
to a Georgian style that would rival houses such as Chatsworth House
. Smith employed the best craftspeople including Francesco Vassalli, the Atari brothers and Robert Adam
.
The building passed through various owners and was stripped in the 20th century. Three of the panelled rooms are now in an American museum whilst the ruins of the building are still there in 2009 as a monument to their ideas. Leke died unmarried and the Earldom became extinct. Although unmarried, he fathered three children by Madame Margaret Seymour of Yaxley. Those children were Nicholas, Seymour, and Margaret.
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...
.
Biography
Leke was the nephew of Robert Leke, 3rd Earl of ScarsdaleRobert Leke, 3rd Earl of Scarsdale
Robert Leke, 3rd Earl of Scarsdale was an English politician and courtier, styled Lord Deincourt from 1655 to 1681....
, succeeding him when Robert died childless in 1707.
Scarsdale was Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire
Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire. Since 1689, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Derbyshire.*Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon...
from 1711 to 1714. In 1724 Leke asked the Warrwick architect Francis Smith to transform the ancestral home at Sutton Scarsdale
Sutton Scarsdale
Sutton Scarsdale is a very small village in Derbyshire, England. It is in the North East Derbyshire district. It is very close to the M1 motorway.The settlement is notable for a large, ruined former stately home called Sutton Scarsdale Hall....
to a Georgian style that would rival houses such as Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
. Smith employed the best craftspeople including Francesco Vassalli, the Atari brothers and Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
.
The building passed through various owners and was stripped in the 20th century. Three of the panelled rooms are now in an American museum whilst the ruins of the building are still there in 2009 as a monument to their ideas. Leke died unmarried and the Earldom became extinct. Although unmarried, he fathered three children by Madame Margaret Seymour of Yaxley. Those children were Nicholas, Seymour, and Margaret.