George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow

He was the only son of Arthur Onslow, having no brothers but one sister, who died in 1751. Following in the footsteps of his father, he was admitted to the Middle Temple on 14 November 1739, but was not Called to the Bar.[1]

Onslow sat as Member of Parliament for Rye from 1754 to 1761 and for Surrey from 1761 to 1774. From 1765 to 1777, he was a junior Lord of the Treasury. He then became successively Comptroller of the Household and Treasurer of the Household. On 20 May 1776, he was created Baron Cranley, of Imber Court in the County of Surrey. On 8 October 1776, he also succeeded his second cousin Richard Onslow, 3rd Baron Onslow as Baron Onslow. He was further honoured on 17 June 1801 when he was created Viscount Cranley, of Cranley in the County of Surrey, and Earl of Onslow, of Onslow in the County of Shropshire.

Lord Onslow married Henrietta Shelley (d. 1802), daughter of Sir John Shelley, 4th Baronet, on 26 June 1753. They had four sons and one daughter:[2]

• Thomas Onslow, 2nd Earl of Onslow (15 March 1754 – 22 February 1827)
• John Onslow (21 November 1755 – 4 February 1757)
• Henry Onslow (9 February 1757 – 25 July 1757)
• Hon. Edward Onslow (9 April 1758 – 18 October 1829), married on 6 March 1783 Marie Rosalie de Bourdeille and had issue.
• Henrietta Onslow (b. 18 March 1760, died in infancy)

In 1778, Lord Onslow sold Imber Court in Thames Ditton, and a large estate including farms and gardens, and the Imber Court Copper Mills.

• Philip J Burchett (1984). A Historical Sketch of THAMES DITTON. Surrey: Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents' Association. ISBN 0-904811-20-4.
• TS Mercer (1970). More THAMES DITTON Tales and Scandals. Surrey: Ditton's Historical Research Society. ISBN 0-9501256-0-1.
• The Marquis of Ruvigny and Raineval Staff (1994). The Plantagenet Roll of the Blood Royal. Genealogical Publishing Com. pp. 313–314.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Onslow