William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp
Encyclopedia
William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp KG
, KCMG
, PC (20 February 1872 – 14 November 1938), styled Viscount Elmley until 1891, was a British
Liberal
politician. He was Governor of New South Wales between 1899 and 1901, a member of the Liberal administrations of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
and H. H. Asquith
between 1905 and 1915 and leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords
between 1924 and 1931. When political enemies threatened to make public his homosexuality
he resigned from office to go into exile. Lord Beauchamp is generally supposed to have been the model for Lord Marchmain in Evelyn Waugh
's novel, Brideshead Revisited
.
, by his first wife, Lady Mary Catherine, daughter of Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope
. He was educated at Eton
and Christ Church
, Oxford where he showed an interest in evangelism
, joining the Christian Social Union
.
between 1895 and 1896. A progressive in his ideas, he was surprised to be offered the post of Governor of New South Wales in May 1899. Though he was good at the job, and enjoyed the company of local artists and writers, he was unpopular in the colony due to a series of gaffes and misunderstandings, most notably over his reference to the 'birthstain' of Australia's convict origins
. His open association with the high church
and Anglo-Catholicism
caused increased perturbation in the Evangelical Council. Beauchamp returned to Britain in 1900, saying that his duties had failed to stimulate him.
and the same year he married Lady Lettice Mary Elizabeth Grosvenor, daughter of Victor Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor. When the Liberals came to power under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
in December 1905, Beauchamp was appointed Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and was sworn of the Privy Council in January 1906. In July 1907 he became Lord Steward of the Household
, a post he retained when H. H. Asquith
became Prime Minister in 1908. He entered the cabinet as Lord President of the Council
in June 1910, a post he held until November of the same year, when he was appointed First Commissioner of Works
. He was again Lord President of the Council from 1914 to 1915. However, he was not a member of the coalition government
formed by Asquith in May 1915. Lord Beauchamp never returned to ministerial office but was Liberal Leader in the House of Lords
from 1924 to 1931, supporting the ailing party with his substantial fortune.
in 1911, carried the Sword of State
at the coronation of King George V
, was made Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
in 1913 and a Knight of the Garter
in 1914. He was also Chancellor of the University of London
and a Six Master (Governor of RGS Worcester).
and Walmer Castle
, with his partners ranging from servants to socialites, and including local men.
In 1930, whilst on a trip to Australia
, it became common knowledge in London society that one of the men escorting him, Robert Bernays
, a member of the Liberal Party, was a lover of his. It was reported to King George
and Queen Mary
by his Tory brother-in-law, the Duke of Westminster
, who hoped to ruin the Liberal Party through Beauchamp, as well as Beauchamp personally due a private dislike he had taken. Homosexuality was a criminal offence at the time, and the King was horrified, rumoured to have said that "I thought men like that shot themselves". The King had a personal interest in the case, as his sons Henry
and George
(who was bisexual) had visited Madresfield in the past. George was then in a relationship with Beauchamp's daughter Mary, and this was cut off by her father's outing.
After sufficient evidence had been gathered by the Duke, Beauchamp was made an offer to separate from his wife Lettice (without a divorce), retire on a pretence, and then leave the country. Beauchamp refused and, shortly afterwards, the Countess Beauchamp obtained a divorce. There was no public scandal, but Lord Beauchamp resigned all his offices except that of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
and went into exile on the continent (fearing his arrest if he did not), briefly threatening suicide before going.
's novel, Brideshead Revisited
. In his 1977 book, Homosexuals in History, historian A. L. Rowse
suggests that Beauchamp's failed appointment as Governor of New South Wales was the inspiration for Hilaire Belloc
's satirical children's poem, Lord Lundy. Nevertheless, says Rowse, "Lord Lundy's chronic weakness was tears. This was not Lord Beauchamp's weakness: he enjoyed life, was always gay."
Lady Beauchamp died in 1936, aged just 59, estranged from all her children except her youngest child. Lord Beauchamp died of cancer in New York City
, aged 66. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, William.
Of the Earl's seven children, all but the second son Hugh (who was homosexual) married, but only two left issue.
Book reviews
Portraits
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, PC (20 February 1872 – 14 November 1938), styled Viscount Elmley until 1891, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Liberal
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...
politician. He was Governor of New South Wales between 1899 and 1901, a member of the Liberal administrations of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
and H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
between 1905 and 1915 and leader of the Liberal Party in the 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....
between 1924 and 1931. When political enemies threatened to make public his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
he resigned from office to go into exile. Lord Beauchamp is generally supposed to have been the model for Lord Marchmain in Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
's novel, Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited, The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. Waugh wrote that the novel "deals with what is theologically termed 'the operation of Grace', that is to say, the unmerited and unilateral act of love by...
.
Background and education
Beauchamp was the eldest son of Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl BeauchampFrederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp
Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp PC , styled The Honourable Frederick Lygon between 1853 and 1866, was a British Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
, by his first wife, Lady Mary Catherine, daughter of Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope
Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope
Philip Henry Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope FRS , styled Viscount Mahon between 1816 and 1855, was a British politician and historian...
. 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
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...
, Oxford where he showed an interest in evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, joining the Christian Social Union
Christian Social Union (Church of England)
The Christian Social Union was an organisation within the Church of England devoted to the study of social conditions and the remedying of social injustice, which flourished in the latter part of the nineteenth century and continued into the early twentieth. Its origins lay in the writings of F.D....
.
Early career
Beauchamp succeeded his father in the earldom in 1891 at the age of 18, and was mayor of WorcesterWorcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
between 1895 and 1896. A progressive in his ideas, he was surprised to be offered the post of Governor of New South Wales in May 1899. Though he was good at the job, and enjoyed the company of local artists and writers, he was unpopular in the colony due to a series of gaffes and misunderstandings, most notably over his reference to the 'birthstain' of Australia's convict origins
Convicts in Australia
During the late 18th and 19th centuries, large numbers of convicts were transported to the various Australian penal colonies by the British government. One of the primary reasons for the British settlement of Australia was the establishment of a penal colony to alleviate pressure on their...
. His open association with the high church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
and Anglo-Catholicism
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
caused increased perturbation in the Evangelical Council. Beauchamp returned to Britain in 1900, saying that his duties had failed to stimulate him.
Political career
In 1902, Beauchamp joined the Liberal PartyLiberal 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...
and the same year he married Lady Lettice Mary Elizabeth Grosvenor, daughter of Victor Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor. When the Liberals came to power under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
in December 1905, Beauchamp was appointed Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and was sworn of the Privy Council in January 1906. In July 1907 he became Lord Steward of the Household
Lord Steward
The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household, in England, is an important official of the Royal Household. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government...
, a post he retained when H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
became Prime Minister in 1908. He entered the cabinet as Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
in June 1910, a post he held until November of the same year, when he was appointed First Commissioner of Works
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
. He was again Lord President of the Council from 1914 to 1915. However, he was not a member of the coalition government
Coalition government 1915–1916
Asquith's British coalition government of 1915-1916 was formed in the aftermath of the Gallipoli disaster, by bringing in the Conservatives to shore up the government. The Conservatives were not terribly pleased with the offices they received in this new government and Tory leader Andrew Bonar Law...
formed by Asquith in May 1915. Lord Beauchamp never returned to ministerial office but was Liberal Leader in the 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....
from 1924 to 1931, supporting the ailing party with his substantial fortune.
Other public appointments
Lord Beauchamp was made Lord Lieutenant of GloucestershireLord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. Since 1694, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire.*Edmund Brydges, 2nd Baron Chandos 1559–?...
in 1911, carried the Sword of State
Sword of State
A sword of state is a sword, used as part of the regalia, symbolizing the power of a monarch to use the might of the state against its enemies, and their duty to preserve thus right and peace.It is known to be used in following monarchies:...
at the coronation of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, was made Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century but may be older. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was originally in charge of the Cinque Ports, a group of five port towns on the southeast coast of England...
in 1913 and a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
in 1914. He was also Chancellor of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and a Six Master (Governor of RGS Worcester).
Homosexuality
In 1931, Beauchamp was "outed" as homosexual. Although Beauchamp's homosexuality was an open secret in parts of high society, and one that his political opponents had refrained from using against him despite its illegality, Lady Beauchamp was oblivious to it, and professed a confusion as to what homosexuality was when her husband's was revealed. He had numerous affairs at MadresfieldMadresfield Court
Madresfield Court is a country house in England, in the village of Madresfield near Malvern in Worcestershire. The stately home, near the village centre has been the ancestral home for several centuries of the Lygon family, whose eldest sons took the title of Earl Beauchamp from 1815 until 1979,...
and Walmer Castle
Walmer Castle
Walmer Castle was built by Henry VIII in 1539–1540 as an artillery fortress to counter the threat of invasion from Catholic France and Spain. It was part of his programme to create a chain of coastal defences along England's coast known as the Device Forts or as Henrician Castles...
, with his partners ranging from servants to socialites, and including local men.
In 1930, whilst on a trip to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, it became common knowledge in London society that one of the men escorting him, Robert Bernays
Robert Bernays
Robert Hamilton Bernays was a Liberal Party, and later Liberal National, politician in the United Kingdom who served as a Member of Parliament from 1931 to 1945....
, a member of the Liberal Party, was a lover of his. It was reported to King George
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
by his Tory brother-in-law, the Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster GCVO DSO was the son of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Scarborough...
, who hoped to ruin the Liberal Party through Beauchamp, as well as Beauchamp personally due a private dislike he had taken. Homosexuality was a criminal offence at the time, and the King was horrified, rumoured to have said that "I thought men like that shot themselves". The King had a personal interest in the case, as his sons Henry
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was a soldier and member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary....
and George
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
(who was bisexual) had visited Madresfield in the past. George was then in a relationship with Beauchamp's daughter Mary, and this was cut off by her father's outing.
After sufficient evidence had been gathered by the Duke, Beauchamp was made an offer to separate from his wife Lettice (without a divorce), retire on a pretence, and then leave the country. Beauchamp refused and, shortly afterwards, the Countess Beauchamp obtained a divorce. There was no public scandal, but Lord Beauchamp resigned all his offices except that of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century but may be older. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was originally in charge of the Cinque Ports, a group of five port towns on the southeast coast of England...
and went into exile on the continent (fearing his arrest if he did not), briefly threatening suicide before going.
Literary inspiration
Lord Beauchamp is generally supposed to have been the model for Lord Marchmain in Evelyn WaughEvelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
's novel, Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited, The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. Waugh wrote that the novel "deals with what is theologically termed 'the operation of Grace', that is to say, the unmerited and unilateral act of love by...
. In his 1977 book, Homosexuals in History, historian A. L. Rowse
A. L. Rowse
Alfred Leslie Rowse, CH, FBA , known professionally as A. L. Rowse and to friends and family as Leslie, was a British historian from Cornwall. He is perhaps best known for his work on Elizabethan England and his poetry about Cornwall. He was also a Shakespearean scholar and biographer...
suggests that Beauchamp's failed appointment as Governor of New South Wales was the inspiration for Hilaire Belloc
Hilaire Belloc
Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He was known as a writer, orator, poet, satirist, man of letters and political activist...
's satirical children's poem, Lord Lundy. Nevertheless, says Rowse, "Lord Lundy's chronic weakness was tears. This was not Lord Beauchamp's weakness: he enjoyed life, was always gay."
Family
On 26 July 1902, Lord Beauchamp married Lady Lettice Mary Elizabeth Grosvenor, daughter of Victor Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, and granddaughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster. They had three sons and four daughters:- William Lygon, 8th Earl BeauchampWilliam Lygon, 8th Earl BeauchampWilliam Lygon, 8th Earl Beauchamp was a politician in the United Kingdom.He was the eldest son of the controversial William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, sometime leader of the Liberals in the House of Lords. Standing as a Liberal, he was elected as Member of Parliament for East Norfolk at the 1929...
(3 July 1903 – 3 January 1979), the last Earl Beauchamp. His widow, Mona, née Else Schiewe, died 1989. - Hon. Hugh Patrick LygonHugh Patrick LygonHugh Patrick Lygon was the son of William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, and is often believed to be the inspiration for Lord Sebastian Flyte in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. He was a friend of Waugh's at Oxford Hugh Patrick Lygon (2 November 1904 – 19 August 1936 Rothenburg, Bavaria) was the...
(2 November 1904 – 19 August 1936, Rothenburg, BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
), said to be the model for Sebastian in Brideshead Revisited. - Lady Lettice Lygon (16 Jun 1906–1973) who married 1930 (div. 1958) Sir Richard Charles Geers Cotterell, 5th Bt.Cotterell BaronetsThe Cotterell Baronetcy, of Garnons in the County of Hereford, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 2 November 1805 for John Cotterell, Member of Parliament for Herefordshire for many years. The third Baronet also represented this constituency in the House of Commons...
(1907–1978) and had issue. - Lady Sibell Lygon (10 October 1907 – 31 October 2005) who married 11 February 1939 (bigamously) and 1949 (legally) Michael Rowley (d. 19 September 1952), stepson of her maternal uncle the 2nd Duke of WestminsterHugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of WestminsterHugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster GCVO DSO was the son of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Scarborough...
. - Lady Mary Lygon (12 February 1910 – 27 September 1982) who married 1937 (div) HH Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich of RussiaPrince Vsevolod Ivanovich of RussiaPrince Vsevolod Ivanovich of Russia was a great-great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and a nephew of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. He was the last male member of the Romanov family born in Imperial Russia...
, and had no issue. - Lady Dorothy Lygon (22 February 1912 – 13 November 2001) who married 1985 (sep) Robert Heber-Percy (d. 1987) of Faringdon, Berkshire. They had no issue.
- Hon. Richard Edward Lygon (25 December 1916–1970) who married 1939 Patricia Janet Norman; their younger daughter Rosalind Lygon, now Rosalind, Lady Morrison (b. 1946) inherited Madresfield CourtMadresfield CourtMadresfield Court is a country house in England, in the village of Madresfield near Malvern in Worcestershire. The stately home, near the village centre has been the ancestral home for several centuries of the Lygon family, whose eldest sons took the title of Earl Beauchamp from 1815 until 1979,...
in 1979.
Lady Beauchamp died in 1936, aged just 59, estranged from all her children except her youngest child. Lord Beauchamp died of cancer in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, aged 66. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, William.
Of the Earl's seven children, all but the second son Hugh (who was homosexual) married, but only two left issue.
External links
Biographies- Cameron Hazlehurst, 'Beauchamp, seventh Earl (1872 - 1938)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, pp 235–236.
- Peter Rivendell. William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
Book reviews
- (Lady) Selina Hastings. "Country house high jinks". Review of Jane Mulvagh's book, published 4 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008. Article includes a portrait of the 7th Earl circa 1920 with five of his seven children (his eldest and youngest son are apparently missing; all four daughters and his favourite son Hugh are in the portrait).
Portraits
- Portrait of the 7th Earl (1899), by Sir Leslie Ward for Vanity Fair. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- Article on Lygon's influence on the plot for Brideshead Revisited
Further reading
- E David (ed.) Inside Asquith's Cabinet, John Murray, London, 1971