John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer
| The Right Honourable The Earl Spencer | |
|---|---|
 The Earl Spencer, by Thomas Gainsborough | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Spencer 19 December 1734 Althorp, Northamptonshire, England |
| Died |
31 October 1783 (aged 48) Bath, Somerset, England |
| Resting place | Great Brington, Northamptonshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Georgiana Poyntz (m. 1755–1783; his death) |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer (19 December 1734 – 31 October 1783) was a British peer and politician.
Early life
Spencer was born in 1734, at his family home, Althorp. He was the son of Hon. John Spencer and Georgiana Caroline Carteret (1716–1780), and a grandson of the 3rd Earl of Sunderland.
Political career
Spencer was MP (Whig) for Warwick from 1756 to 1761. He was also High Steward of St Albans in 1772 and Mayor of St Albans in 1779. On 3 April 1761, he was created Baron Spencer of Althorp and Viscount Spencer by George III, and on 1 November 1765, he was created Viscount Althorp and Earl Spencer.[1]
Family
In 1754, the twenty-year-old Spencer met seventeen-year-old Georgiana Poyntz, who was the daughter of Stephen Poyntz.[2][3] The two were instantly attracted to one another, but Spencer was uncertain if he would have his family's approval for the match and opted to spend several months travelling until his twenty-first birthday, when their approval would no longer be necessary. On his return they recognised their love had persisted, and shortly after his birthday they married in a secret ceremony on 20 December 1755 at Althorp, the Spencer family seat in Northamptonshire.[4][5] The ceremony, held in an upper bedroom, occurred during a ball held in Spencer's honour with five hundred guests in attendance.[6][5] They had five children, three of whom survived infancy:
- Lady Georgiana Spencer (1757–1806), married William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, and had issue.
- George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758–1834)
- Lady Henrietta Frances Spencer (1761–1821), married Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough, and had issue.
- Lady Charlotte Spencer (1765–1766), died in infancy.
- Lady Louisa Spencer (b. & d. 1769), died in infancy.
He was the great-great-great-great-grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Spencer died in 1783, aged 48 in Bath, and was buried in the family vault at St Mary's Church, Great Brington, Northamptonshire.
Styles of address and coat of arms
Styles of address
- 1734-1756: Mr John Spencer
- 1756-1761: Mr John Spencer MP
- 1761: Mr John Spencer
- 1761-1765: The Right Honourable The Viscount Spencer
- 1765-1783: The Right Honourable The Earl Spencer
Coat of arms
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Bibliography
- Spencer, Charles (1999). Althorp: The Story of an English House. London: Viking. ISBN 978-0-312-20833-2.
- Battiscombe, Georgina (1984). The Spencers of Althorp. London: Constable. ISBN 978-0-09-465700-7.
References
- Milward, Richard (2004). "Spencer, John, first Earl Spencer (1734–1783)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/38713. Retrieved 2009-06-27. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
- ↑ Burke, John (1833). A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. London: H. Colburn and R. Bentley. p. 466.
- ↑ Foreman 2008, p. 7.
- ↑ Gleeson 2008, p. 7.
- ↑ Andrew 2004.
- 1 2 Gleeson 2008, p. 8.
- ↑ Milward 2004.
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry Archer Wills Hill |
Member of Parliament for Warwick 1756–1761 With: Henry Archer |
Succeeded by Henry Archer Viscount Dungarvan |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Earl Spencer, Viscount Althorp 1765–1783 |
Succeeded by George Spencer |
| New creation | Viscount Spencer, Baron Spencer of Althorp 1761–1783 | |
Authority control  |
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