Hugh Fortescue (1665–1719)

Arms of Fortescue: Azure, a bend engrailed argent, plain cotised or

Hugh Fortescue (2 June 1665 – December 1719) of Filleigh and Weare Giffard Hall in Devon and of Ebrington Manor^[1] in Gloucestershire, was a British landowner and Whig politician.

Origins

He was the eldest son and heir of Arthur Fortescue (1622–1693) of Penwarne, Mevagissey, Cornwall and of Filleigh in Devon, by his wife Barbara Elford, a daughter of John Elford of Sheepstor in Devon.Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 355</ref>

Career

He was a Member of Parliament for five pocket boroughs in Cornwall from 1689 to 1713, namely Tregony, Grampound, Truro (did not sit), Mitchell and Lostwithiel. He was not prominent in the House of Commons being jailed for absent on two occasions and as well as a number of non-attendances.^[2]

Marriages & progeny

He married twice:

Arms of Boscawen: Ermine, a rose gules barbed and seeded proper

• Firstly on 19 October 1692 to Bridget Boscawen (1692–1708), a daughter and eventual heiress of Hugh Boscawen, (1625–1701) by his wife Margaret Clinton, a daughter of Theophilus Clinton, 4th Earl of Lincoln, and one of the co-heiresses of the Barony of Clinton upon the death of Edward Clinton, 5th Earl of Lincoln in 1692. Bridget was the only child (out of eight sons and two daughters) to outlive her father Hugh Boscawen, (1625–1701); she brought money with her marriage thus increasing Fortescue's fortune. By Bridget Boscawen he had four children as follows:
  • Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Clinton (1696–1751), summoned to Parliament in 1721 as Baron Clinton, and in 1746 created Baron Fortescue of Castle Hill (with special remainder) and Earl of Clinton (with normal remainder).^[3] He rebuilt his ancestral manor house at Filliegh as a magnificent Palladian mansion which he called Castle Hill. He died without male progeny when the earldom became extinct, but in accordance with the special remainder the Barony of Fortescue devolved on his younger half-brother Matthew Fortescue, 2nd Baron Fortescue (1719–1785).
  • Boscawen Fortescue, died unmarried;
  • Theophilus Fortescue, died unmarried;
  • Margaret Fortescue (d. 14 March 1760), died unmarried.

Arms of Aylmer: Argent, a cross sable between four Cornish choughs proper^[4]

• Secondly, after 1708, he married Lucy Aylmer, a daughter of Matthew Aylmer, 1st Baron Aylmer (circa 1650–1720). A stone relief-sculpted heraldic cartouche erected by him survives above the entrance door of his seat of Ebrington Manor House in Gloucestershire, displaying the arms of Fortescue impaling Aylmer.^[5] By Lucy Aylmer he had two further children:
  • Matthew Fortescue, 2nd Baron Fortescue (1719–1785), who in 1751 inherited the Barony of Fortescue by the special remainder following the death without male progeny of his elder half brother Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Clinton (1696–1751). His eldest son was Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Fortescue (1753–1841), of Castle Hill.
  • Lucy Fortescue (died 1747), married George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton (1709–1773)

Gallery

• 
  St John the Baptist Church, Hagley, memorial statue to Lucy Lyttelton (née Fortescue, died 1747), the first wife of George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton
• 
  St John the Baptist Church, Hagley, memorial inscription to Lucy Lyttelton (née Fortescue, died 1747)
• 
  St John the Baptist Church, Hagley, information panel at statue to Lucy Lyttelton (née Fortescue, died 1747)

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs