William Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth
Encyclopedia
William Heneage Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth GCVO
, KCB
, PC, VD
, TD
, JP
(6 May 1851 – 11 March 1936), styled Viscount Lewisham between 1853 and 1891, was a British peer and Conservative
politician. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
between 1885 and 1886 and again between 1886 and 1891.
, London
, Dartmouth was the eldest son of William Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth
, and Lady Augusta, daughter of Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford
. The Hon. Sir Henry Legge
was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton
and Christ Church, Oxford
. He played first class cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club
in 1877.
for West Kent, a seat he held until the constituency was split in 1885, when he was elected to the new constituency of Lewisham
. The same year he was sworn of the Privy Council and made Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
in Lord Salisbury's
first administration. The Conservatives fell from power in January 1886 but returned to office under Salisbury already in July of the same year, when Dartmouth was once again appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, an post he retained until 1891. He left the Commons
in August 1891 on succeeding his father's titles. In October of the same year he was also appointed Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire
(succeeding his father), which he remained until 1927.
Lord Dartmouth served with a volunteer battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment
during the First World War
, for which he was appointed a KCB
in 1917. On his retirement, he was made a GCVO
in 1928. He was also an Alderman of the Staffordshire County Council and a Justice of the Peace
for both Staffordshire
and Shropshire
.
, on 18 December 1879. They had five children:
The Countess of Dartmouth, who was made a CBE
in 1920, died in December 1929. Lord Dartmouth survived her by seven years and died at Patshull Hall
, Staffordshire, in March 1936, aged 84. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, William
.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, PC, VD
Volunteer Decoration
The Volunteer Officers' Decoration was created by Royal Warrant under command of Queen Victoria on 25 July 1892 to reward 'efficient and capable' officers of the Volunteer Force who had served for twenty years...
, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, 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...
(6 May 1851 – 11 March 1936), styled Viscount Lewisham between 1853 and 1891, was a British peer and 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...
politician. 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...
between 1885 and 1886 and again between 1886 and 1891.
Background and education
Born at WestminsterWestminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, 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...
, Dartmouth was the eldest son of William Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth
William Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth
William Walter Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth was a British peer and Conservative politician, known before 1853 as Viscount Lewisham....
, and Lady Augusta, daughter of Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford
Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford
Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford was a British peer, the eldest son of Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford.He was styled Lord Guernsey until he succeeded his father in 1812....
. The Hon. Sir Henry Legge
Henry Legge (courtier)
Colonel Sir Henry Charles Legge GCVO was a British soldier and courtier.Legge was the second son of the 5th Earl of Dartmouth and was therefore entitled to the style "The Honourable". He was educated at Eton College and commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1872...
was his younger brother. 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"....
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. He played first class cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
in 1877.
Political career
Legge entered Parliament in 1878 as Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
for West Kent, a seat he held until the constituency was split in 1885, when he was elected to the new constituency of Lewisham
Lewisham (UK Parliament constituency)
Lewisham was a borough constituency in the Lewisham district of London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
. The same year he was sworn of the Privy Council and made 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...
in Lord Salisbury's
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
first administration. The Conservatives fell from power in January 1886 but returned to office under Salisbury already in July of the same year, when Dartmouth was once again appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, an post he retained until 1891. He left the 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...
in August 1891 on succeeding his father's titles. In October of the same year he was also appointed Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire
Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant for Staffordshire. Since 1828, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Staffordshire.-Lord Lieutenants of Staffordshire:*Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford 1559...
(succeeding his father), which he remained until 1927.
Lord Dartmouth served with a volunteer battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment
South Staffordshire Regiment
The South Staffordshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 38th Regiment of Foot and the 80th Regiment of Foot. In 1959 the regiment was amlagamated with the North Staffordshire Regiment to form the Staffordshire Regiment...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, for which he was appointed a KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1917. On his retirement, he was made a GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1928. He was also an Alderman of the Staffordshire County Council and a Justice of the Peace
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...
for both Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
Family
Lord Dartmouth married Lady Mary, fourth daughter of the Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of LeicesterThomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester
Thomas William Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester KG , known as Viscount Coke from 1837 to 1842, was a British peer....
, on 18 December 1879. They had five children:
- William, Viscount LewishamWilliam Legge, 7th Earl of DartmouthLieutenant-Colonel William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth, GCVO, TD was a British peer and Conservative politician, known from 1891–1936 as Viscount Lewisham....
(1881–1958), later 7th Earl of Dartmouth. - Hon. Gerald (1882–1915), a Captain in the 7th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment, killed in action during the First World War.
- Lady Dorothy OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1883–1974), Justice of the Peace for Staffordshire, married Colonel Francis Meynell (grandson of Charles Wood, 1st Viscount HalifaxCharles Wood, 1st Viscount HalifaxCharles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax GCB PC , known as Sir Charles Wood, 3rd Bt between 1846 and 1866, was a British Whig politician and Member of Parliament. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1846 to 1852....
). - Hon. HumphryHumphry Legge, 8th Earl of DartmouthHumphry Legge, 8th Earl of Dartmouth, CVO, DSO, KPM was a British peer and police officer.Legge was the youngest son of the 6th Earl of Dartmouth. During World War I, he served as a Commander with the Royal Navy and was mentioned in despatches...
(1888–1962), later 8th Earl of Dartmouth. - Lady Joan Margaret (1885–1939), Justice of the Peace for Staffordshire, died unmarried.
The Countess of Dartmouth, who was made a CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1920, died in December 1929. Lord Dartmouth survived her by seven years and died at Patshull Hall
Patshull Hall
Patshull Hall is a substantial Georgian mansion house situated near Pattingham in Staffordshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building and by repute is one of the largest listed buildings in the county.-History:...
, Staffordshire, in March 1936, aged 84. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, William
William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth
Lieutenant-Colonel William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth, GCVO, TD was a British peer and Conservative politician, known from 1891–1936 as Viscount Lewisham....
.