Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville, GCB,PC (12 October 1773 – 8 January 1846), styled Lord Granville Leveson-Gower from 1786 to 1815 and The Viscount Granville from 1815 to 1833, was a British Whig statesman and diplomat from the Leveson-Gower family.
Granville was educated at Dr. Kyle's school at Hammersmith, and then privately by John Chappel Woodhouse. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, in April 1789 but never took a degree. Nevertheless, ten years later, in 1799, the honorary degree of DCL was conferred upon him.[1]
Career
Granville began his career as a member of the House of Commons, representing Lichfield from 1795 to 1799, and Staffordshire for the next sixteen years. From 1797 to 1799 he was Colonel of the 2nd Staffordshire Militia.[2] Granville served as British ambassador to Russia (10 August 1804 – 28 November 1805 and 1806–1807) and France (1824–1828, 1830[3]–1835, 1835–1841).
In 1815 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Granville of Stone Park in the County of Stafford.[4] In 1833 during his second stint as ambassador to France, he was created Earl Granville and also Baron Leveson of Stone Park in the County of Stafford.[5][6]
Personal life
While a recent historian describes Granville as "a drab figure, the original stuffed-shirt – starch outside, sawdust within,",[7] he was celebrated as a male beauty in his own time, with Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger comparing him to "Hadrian's Antinous".[8]
Lady Susan Georgiana (d. 30 April 1866) married George Pitt-Rivers, 4th Baron Rivers. Together they had twelve children, eight of whom survived infancy.
Prior to marrying Lady Harriet Cavendish in 1809, Granville was the lover of Lady Harriet's maternal aunt, Henrietta Ponsonby, Countess of Bessborough, née Lady Henrietta Frances Spencer, with whom he fathered two illegitimate children: Harriette Stewart and George Stewart. For seventeen years she "loved [Granville] to idolatry",[9] but then, she understood that he must marry in order to further his career and assure his posterity, and so she actively collaborated in the arrangements for his wedding to Harriet (known in the family as "Harry-O"), who was understandably reluctant to marry her aunt's lover.[10]
Granville had numerous other love affairs, including with Lady Hester Stanhope, the adventurer and antiquarian, who attempted suicide after he jilted her in 1804. It was speculated at the time, and by her biographers since, that Stanhope was pregnant at the time with Granville's child.[11]
Lord Granville died in January 1846, aged 72. The Countess Granville died in November 1862, aged 77.[12] A younger son William died in 1833.[13]
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville.
^Coleridge, Henry James. Life of Lady Georgiana Fullerton, London. Richard Bentley & Son. 1888, p. 78 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Further reading
Chamberlain, Muriel E. "Gower, Granville George Leveson-, second Earl Granville (1815–1891)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/16543. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Fitzmaurice, Baron Edmond; Fitzmaurice, Edmond George Petty-Fitzmaurice, 1st Baron (1905). The life of Granville George Leveson Gower, second earl Granville, K.G., 1815–1891. Longmans, Green.
External links
Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl Granville
granville, leveson, gower, earl, granville, october, 1773, january, 1846, styled, lord, granville, leveson, gower, from, 1786, 1815, viscount, granville, from, 1815, 1833, british, whig, statesman, diplomat, from, leveson, gower, family, right, honourablethe, . Granville Leveson Gower 1st Earl Granville GCB PC 12 October 1773 8 January 1846 styled Lord Granville Leveson Gower from 1786 to 1815 and The Viscount Granville from 1815 to 1833 was a British Whig statesman and diplomat from the Leveson Gower family The Right HonourableThe Earl GranvilleGCB PCPortrait by Thomas LawrenceAmbassador to RussiaIn office 1804 1805Preceded bySir John Borlase Warren BtSucceeded byThe Lord CathcartIn office 1807 1812Preceded byThe Marquess of Douglas and ClydesdaleSucceeded byThe Viscount CathcartAmbassador to FranceIn office 1824 1828Preceded byCharles StuartSucceeded byThe Lord Stuart de RothesayIn office 1830 1835Preceded byThe Lord Stuart de RothesaySucceeded byThe Lord CowleyIn office 1835 1841Preceded byThe Lord CowleySucceeded byThe Lord CowleyPersonal detailsBorn 1773 10 12 12 October 1773Died8 January 1846 1846 01 08 aged 72 NationalityBritishPolitical partyWhigSpouse s Lady Harriet Cavendish 1785 1862 Children7Parent s Granville Leveson Gower 1st Marquess of StaffordLady Susanna StewartAlma materChrist Church Oxford Contents 1 Background and education 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksBackground and education EditGranville was the second son and youngest child of Granville Leveson Gower 1st Marquess of Stafford from his marriage to Lady Susanna Stewart daughter of Alexander Stewart 6th Earl of Galloway His elder paternal half brother was George Leveson Gower 1st Duke of Sutherland Granville was educated at Dr Kyle s school at Hammersmith and then privately by John Chappel Woodhouse He matriculated at Christ Church Oxford in April 1789 but never took a degree Nevertheless ten years later in 1799 the honorary degree of DCL was conferred upon him 1 Career EditGranville began his career as a member of the House of Commons representing Lichfield from 1795 to 1799 and Staffordshire for the next sixteen years From 1797 to 1799 he was Colonel of the 2nd Staffordshire Militia 2 Granville served as British ambassador to Russia 10 August 1804 28 November 1805 and 1806 1807 and France 1824 1828 1830 3 1835 1835 1841 In 1815 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Granville of Stone Park in the County of Stafford 4 In 1833 during his second stint as ambassador to France he was created Earl Granville and also Baron Leveson of Stone Park in the County of Stafford 5 6 Personal life EditWhile a recent historian describes Granville as a drab figure the original stuffed shirt starch outside sawdust within 7 he was celebrated as a male beauty in his own time with Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger comparing him to Hadrian s Antinous 8 Lord Granville married Lady Harriet Cavendish 1785 1862 daughter of William Cavendish 5th Duke of Devonshire and Lady Georgiana Spencer in 1809 They had two sons and two daughters Lady Susan Georgiana d 30 April 1866 married George Pitt Rivers 4th Baron Rivers Together they had twelve children eight of whom survived infancy Lady Georgiana Charlotte d 19 Jan 1885 Granville George 11 May 1815 31 Mar 1891 Granville William 2 Oct 1816 1833 Hon Edward Frederick 3 May 1819 30 May 1907 Prior to marrying Lady Harriet Cavendish in 1809 Granville was the lover of Lady Harriet s maternal aunt Henrietta Ponsonby Countess of Bessborough nee Lady Henrietta Frances Spencer with whom he fathered two illegitimate children Harriette Stewart and George Stewart For seventeen years she loved Granville to idolatry 9 but then she understood that he must marry in order to further his career and assure his posterity and so she actively collaborated in the arrangements for his wedding to Harriet known in the family as Harry O who was understandably reluctant to marry her aunt s lover 10 Granville had numerous other love affairs including with Lady Hester Stanhope the adventurer and antiquarian who attempted suicide after he jilted her in 1804 It was speculated at the time and by her biographers since that Stanhope was pregnant at the time with Granville s child 11 Lord Granville died in January 1846 aged 72 The Countess Granville died in November 1862 aged 77 12 A younger son William died in 1833 13 References Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Granville Leveson Gower 1st Earl Granville Chamberlain 2008 Staffordshire Militia at This Re Illuminated School of Mars No 18755 The London Gazette 10 December 1830 p 2579 No 17040 The London Gazette 15 July 1815 p 1425 No 19044 The London Gazette 3 May 1833 p 835 Chamberlain 2008 David Wetzel A Duel of Giants Bismarck Napoleon III and the Origins of the Franco Prussian War 2001 p 217 Kirsten Ellis Star of the Morning The Extraordinary Life of Lady Hester Stanhope 2008 p 77 Lord David Cecil Lord Melbourne Pan Books edition 1965 p 39 Paul Douglass Lady Caroline Lamb New York Palgrave MacMillan 2004 p 87 88 Kirsten Ellis Star of the Morning The Extraordinary Life of Lady Hester Stanhope 2008 p 77 90 Chamberlain 2008 Coleridge Henry James Life of Lady Georgiana Fullerton London Richard Bentley amp Son 1888 p 78 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Further reading EditChamberlain Muriel E Gower Granville George Leveson second Earl Granville 1815 1891 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 16543 Subscription or UK public library membership required Hamilton John Andrew 1893 Leveson Gower Granville 1773 1846 In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 33 London Smith Elder amp Co Fitzmaurice Baron Edmond Fitzmaurice Edmond George Petty Fitzmaurice 1st Baron 1905 The life of Granville George Leveson Gower second earl Granville K G 1815 1891 Longmans Green External links EditHansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by the Earl Granville Peerage Usurped Leigh Rayment s Peerage Pages Leigh Rayment s Historical List of MPs Retrieved on 17 November 2008 Parliament of Great BritainPreceded byThomas GilbertThomas Anson Member of Parliament for Lichfield1795 1799 With Thomas Anson Succeeded bySir John WrottesleyThomas AnsonPreceded byEarl GowerSir Edward Littleton Bt Member of Parliament for Staffordshire1799 1801 With Sir Edward Littleton Bt Succeeded byParliament of the United KingdomParliament of the United KingdomPreceded byParliament of Great Britain Member of Parliament for Staffordshire1801 1815 With Sir Edward Littleton Bt 1801 1812Edward John Littleton 1812 1815 Succeeded byEarl GowerEdward John LittletonDiplomatic postsPreceded bySir John Borlase Warren Bt British Ambassador to Russia1804 1805 Succeeded byThe Lord CathcartPreceded byMarquess of Douglas and Clydesdale British Ambassador to Russia1807 1812 VacantTreaties of TilsitTitle next held byThe Viscount CathcartPreceded bySir Charles Stuart British Ambassador to France1824 1828 Succeeded byThe Lord Stuart de RothesayPreceded byThe Lord Stuart de Rothesay British Ambassador to France1830 1835 Succeeded byThe Lord CowleyPreceded byThe Lord Cowley British Ambassador to France1835 1841Political officesPreceded bySir James Murray Pulteney Bt Secretary at War1809 Succeeded byThe Viscount PalmerstonPeerage of the United KingdomNew creation Earl Granville2nd creation1833 1846 Succeeded byGranville Leveson GowerViscount Granville1815 1846 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Granville Leveson Gower 1st Earl Granville amp oldid 1118199701, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
