Henry Ellis, 2nd Viscount Clifden

Henry Welbore Agar-Ellis, 2nd Viscount Clifden SA (22 January 1761 – 13 July 1836), styled The Honourable Henry Agar between 1776 and 1789, was an Irish politician.

Background

Born Henry Welbore Agar at Gowran Castle, Gowran, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, he was the eldest son of James Agar, 1st Viscount Clifden, son of Henry Agar and Anne, daughter of Welbore Ellis, Bishop of Meath, and sister of Welbore Ellis, 1st Baron Mendip. His mother was Lucia, daughter of Colonel John Martin, of Dublin. He was the nephew of Charles Agar, 1st Earl of Normanton.^[1]

Political career

Agar was returned to the Irish House of Commons for both Gowran and County Kilkenny in 1783, but chose to sit for the latter, a seat he held until 1789, when he succeeded his father in the Irish viscountcy and entered the Irish House of Lords.^[2] In 1785 he became the final sinecure holder of the office of Clerk of the Irish Privy Council, which title after his death was given to his deputies.^[3] In 1793 he was elected to the British House of Commons as one of two representatives for Heytesbury.^[4] He succeeded his great-uncle Lord Mendip as second Baron Mendip in 1802 according to a special remainder in the letters patent. This was an English peerage and forced him to resign from the House of Commons and enter the House of Lords. Two years later he assumed by Royal licence the surname of Ellis in lieu of Agar.^[1]

Family

Lord Clifden married Lady Caroline, daughter of George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough, in 1792. His only son George became a successful politician and was created Baron Dover in his father's lifetime, but predeceased his father. Lady Clifden died at Blenheim Palace in November 1813, aged 50. Lord Clifden remained a widower until his death at Hanover Square, Mayfair, London, in July 1836, aged 75. He was succeeded in his titles by his grandson Henry, the eldest son of Lord Dover.^[1]

References

1. thepeerage.com Henry Welbore Ellis, 2nd Viscount Clifden of Gowran
2. . Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
3. McDowell, R. B. (1976). The Irish administration, 1801–1914. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-8371-8561-3.; 57 Geo. 3 c. 62 ss. 4–5; The Royal Kalendar and Court and City Register for England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Colonies for the Year 1835. London: Suttaby. 1835. p. 367.; Gentleman's and Citizen's Almanack. Dublin: Pettigrew & Oulton. 1837. p. 81. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
4. . Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Hon. John Ponsonby Joseph Deane	Member of Parliament for County Kilkenny 1783–1789 With: William Ponsonby	Succeeded by William Ponsonby Walter Butler
Preceded by John Butler Sir Boyle Roche, Bt	Member of Parliament for Gowran 1783 With: George Dunbar	Succeeded by George Dunbar George Burdett
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by The Lord Auckland Charles Ellis	Member of Parliament for Heytesbury 1793–1801 With: Charles Ellis 1793–1796 Sir John Leicester, Bt 1796–1801	Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain	Member of Parliament for Heytesbury 1801–1802 With: Sir John Leicester, Bt	Succeeded by Sir John Leicester, Bt William Wickham
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by James Agar	Viscount Clifden 1789–1836	Succeeded by Henry Agar-Ellis
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Welbore Ellis	Baron Mendip 1802–1836	Succeeded by Henry Agar-Ellis