William Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton

As the youngest son, he did not expect to inherit the family estates and served in various government appointments. He became governor of colonial South Carolina in 1755. As such he was a major factor in the eventual story of America's independence. His insistence on respecting the treaty rights of native peoples aggravated settlers on the frontier of South Carolina and led to a severe rift between those respecting the King's directives and those opposed.

The opposing factions eventually fought the civil war in South Carolina that was perhaps the key factor in America's independence. He was appointed Governor of Jamaica in 1760, but he was recalled after he lost a standoff with the Jamaican House of the Assembly, and its leader, Nicholas Bourke, over who should stand costs for the island's defence.[1] He was appointed envoy-extraordinary to Portugal in 1766. He was raised to the Irish peerage in 1776 as Baron Westcote.[2]

As a result of the death without issue of his nephew Thomas Lyttelton, 2nd Baron Lyttelton in 1779, he inherited the family baronetcy (see Lyttelton Baronets) and family estates in Frankley, Halesowen, and Hagley, including Hagley Hall. However, the estates in Upper Arley passed to the late lord's sister Lucy, wife of Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris. In 1794, Lord Westcote was also created Baron Lyttelton in the Peerage of Great Britain. He married twice. His first wife was Martha, daughter and coheir of James Macartney of Longford, nephew and coheir of Ambrose Aungier, 2nd Earl of Longford. They had three children including George Fulke, his successor. His second wife was Caroline Bristow, daughter of John Bristow, MP and merchant, by whom he had two children including William Henry Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton.

• Attig, Clarence John. "William Henry Lyttelton: A Study in Colonial Administration." PhD diss., University of Nebraska, 1958.
• "Lyttelton, William Henry (1724–1808)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
• Burkes Peerage and Baronetage (1939), s.v. Cobham, Viscount

Specific

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Lord Lyttelton
• The William Henry Lyttelton papers William L. Clements Library.