Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Colonel
Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet KGStJ
(11 August 1833 – 16 April 1915) was a British industrialist and politician.
Seely was Liberal Party
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Nottingham
from 1869 to 1874 and 1880 to 1885, and for Nottingham West
from 1885 to 1886, and Liberal Unionist
MP for Nottingham West from 1892 to 1895. He was an industrialist (coal) and major landowner in the Isle of Wight
and in Nottinghamshire
. He was also a noted philanthropist. In October 1895 he was the 1st person to be presented with the honorary Freedom of the City of Nottingham, for "Eminent services and noble generosity towards the philanthropic institutions of the City." He was made a baronet
on 19 February 1896.
He lived at Sherwood Lodge in Nottinghamshire, Brooke House on the Isle of Wight, and No.1 Carlton House Terrace
in London
. He also built Brook Hill House where J. B. Priestley
, the famous author and playwright, later lived from 1948. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
of Nottinghamshire, and High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire
. He was the Colonel of the 1st Nottinghamshire (Robin Hood) Rifle Volunteers. He was Vice-Chairman of the first Nottinghamshire County Council. He was also a Knight of Grace Order of St John
of Jerusalem. He married Emily Evans, sister of the businessman and politician Sir Francis Evans, 1st Baronet
, on August 11, 1857.
Seely was a member of a family of politicians, industrialists and significant landowners. His father Charles Seely (1803–1887), eldest son Sir Charles Seely, 2nd Baronet
, youngest son John Edward Bernard Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone, and grandson Sir Hugh Seely, 3rd Baronet and 1st Baron Sherwood were all Members of Parliament
.
He was the grandfather of Frank James Wriothesley Seely, who married Vera Lilian Margaret Birkin, a sister of Freda Dudley Ward
who was a mistress of Edward VIII
while he was Prince of Wales
. He is the great grandfather of Rachel Douglas-Home, 27th Baroness Dacre
a descendant of Charles II of England
, who married William Douglas-Home
younger brother of the Prime Minister
and 14th Earl Sir Alec Douglas-Home
. He is the great great grandfather of George William Beaumont Howard, the current and 13th Earl of Carlisle
whose principal family seat was Castle Howard
. When he died in 1915 he left estate of £1,052,070 (equivalent to £493 million (2007) as measured by share of UK GDP. http://www.measuringworth.com/indicator.html UK CPI), which was according to The Times
the 2nd largest estate that year (by comparison the estate of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild was the largest valued at £2,500,000) and made him one of the wealthiest men in Britain.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet KGStJ
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(11 August 1833 – 16 April 1915) was a British industrialist and politician.
Seely was Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
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 Nottingham
Nottingham (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottingham was a parliamentary borough in Nottinghamshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295. In 1885 the constituency was abolished and the city of Nottingham divided into three single-member constituencies....
from 1869 to 1874 and 1880 to 1885, and for Nottingham West
Nottingham West (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottingham West was a borough constituency in the city of Nottingham. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
from 1885 to 1886, and Liberal Unionist
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
MP for Nottingham West from 1892 to 1895. He was an industrialist (coal) and major landowner in the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. He was also a noted philanthropist. In October 1895 he was the 1st person to be presented with the honorary Freedom of the City of Nottingham, for "Eminent services and noble generosity towards the philanthropic institutions of the City." He was made a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
on 19 February 1896.
He lived at Sherwood Lodge in Nottinghamshire, Brooke House on the Isle of Wight, and No.1 Carlton House Terrace
Carlton House Terrace
Carlton House Terrace refers to a street in the St. James's district of the City of Westminster in London, England, and in particular to two terraces of white stucco-faced houses on the south side of the street overlooking St. James's Park. These terraces were built in 1827–32 to overall designs by...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He also built Brook Hill House where J. B. Priestley
J. B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley, OM , known as J. B. Priestley, was an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster. He published 26 novels, notably The Good Companions , as well as numerous dramas such as An Inspector Calls...
, the famous author and playwright, later lived from 1948. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Nottinghamshire, and High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire
High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire
’The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
. He was the Colonel of the 1st Nottinghamshire (Robin Hood) Rifle Volunteers. He was Vice-Chairman of the first Nottinghamshire County Council. He was also a Knight of Grace Order of St John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
of Jerusalem. He married Emily Evans, sister of the businessman and politician Sir Francis Evans, 1st Baronet
Sir Francis Evans, 1st Baronet
Sir Francis Henry Evans, 1st Baronet, KCMG was a British civil engineer, businessman and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
, on August 11, 1857.
Seely was a member of a family of politicians, industrialists and significant landowners. His father Charles Seely (1803–1887), eldest son Sir Charles Seely, 2nd Baronet
Sir Charles Seely, 2nd Baronet
Sir Charles Hilton Seely, 2nd Baronet KGStJ was a British industrialist, landowner and Liberal Unionist politician who served as Member of Parliament for Lincoln from 1895 to 1906 and for Mansfield from 1916 to 1918. He was a Justice of the Peace for Hampshire and Nottinghamshire and the Deputy...
, youngest son John Edward Bernard Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone, and grandson Sir Hugh Seely, 3rd Baronet and 1st Baron Sherwood were all Members 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,...
.
He was the grandfather of Frank James Wriothesley Seely, who married Vera Lilian Margaret Birkin, a sister of Freda Dudley Ward
Freda Dudley Ward
Winifred May, Marquesa de Casa Maury , universally known by her first married name as Freda Dudley Ward, was an English socialite best known for being a mistress of the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII.-Life:Born Winifred May Birkin, she was the second child and eldest of three...
who was a mistress of Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
while he was 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...
. He is the great grandfather of Rachel Douglas-Home, 27th Baroness Dacre
Rachel Douglas-Home, 27th Baroness Dacre
Rachel Leila Douglas-Home, 27th Baroness Dacre is a British peeress, daughter of Thomas Brand, 4th Viscount Hampden & 26th Baron Dacre and Leila Emily Seely, a granddaughter of Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet, and a great-great granddaughter of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.She is a great...
a descendant of Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, who married William Douglas-Home
William Douglas-Home
William Douglas Home was court-martialled in World War II for his refusal to obey orders as a British army officer and later became a successful British dramatist.-Early life:...
younger brother of the 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...
and 14th Earl Sir Alec Douglas-Home
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
. He is the great great grandfather of George William Beaumont Howard, the current and 13th Earl of Carlisle
Earl of Carlisle
Earl of Carlisle is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1322 when the soldier Andrew Harclay, 1st Baron Harclay was made Earl of Carlisle. He had already been summoned to Parliament as Lord Harclay in 1321...
whose principal family seat was Castle Howard
Castle Howard
Castle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, north of York. One of the grandest private residences in Britain, most of it was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh...
. When he died in 1915 he left estate of £1,052,070 (equivalent to £493 million (2007) as measured by share of UK GDP. http://www.measuringworth.com/indicator.html UK CPI), which was according to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
the 2nd largest estate that year (by comparison the estate of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild was the largest valued at £2,500,000) and made him one of the wealthiest men in Britain.
External links and sources
- Burke's Peerage and Baronetage 107th Edition Volume III *Seely BaronetsSeely BaronetsThe Seely Baronetcy, of Sherwood Lodge in Arnold in the County of Nottingham and Brook House in Brooke on the Isle of Wight, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 19 February 1896 for the industrialist Charles Seely, the son and namesake of Charles Seely...
- The Peerage database
- The Peerage database
- The Peerage database
- Seely family crest
- The Great Houses of Nottinghamshire, Sherwood Lodge (1881)
- Seely estates listed at UK National Registry of Archives
- University of London and History of Parliament Trust &
- Link to St Pauls Church built by Sir Charles Seely Bt in 1896 and monument to his wife Emily Seely designed by Sir Thomas BrockThomas BrockSir Thomas Brock KCB RA was an English sculptor.- Life :Brock was born in Worcester, attended the School of Design in Worcester and then undertook an apprenticeship in modelling at the Worcester Royal Porcelain Works. In 1866 he became a pupil of the sculptor John Henry Foley. He married in 1869,...
. - Art collection included Cicero's Villa by J. M. W. TurnerJ. M. W. TurnerJoseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
, see: and paintings of Venice by Myles Birket FosterMyles Birket FosterMyles Birket Foster was a popular English illustrator, watercolour artist and engraver in the Victorian period. His name is also to be found as Myles Birkett Foster.-Life and work:...
commissioned by his father- - Wight Life April/May 1975 article on The Seely Family and their Island Homes
- John Edward Bernard Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone, Dictionary of National Biography, 1941–1950
- The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Obituary 1915, Wills and Bequests. - Economic power measured by wealth as compared to the size of the economy (List of most wealthy historical figures, which is measured by share of GDP. Data from Measuring Worth:http://www.measuringworth.com/indicator.html
- Occupants of No.1 Carlton House Terrace http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=68416#s2