LEVESON GOWER, Granville, Visct. Trentham (1721-1803).

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

6 Dec. 1744 - 1747
1747 - 1754
15 Apr. - 25 Dec. 1754

Family and Education

b. 4 Aug. 1721, 1st surv. s. of John, 1st Earl Gower, by his 1st w. Lady Evelyn Pierrepont, da. of Evelyn, 1st Duke of Kingston; half-bro. of Hon. John Leveson Gower.  educ. Westminster 1731; Ch. Ch. Oxf. 1740.  m. (1) 23 Dec. 1744, Elizabeth (d. 19 May 1746), da. and h. of Nicholas Fazakerly of Prescot, Lancs., 1s. d.v.p.; (2) 28 Mar. 1748, Lady Louisa Egerton (d. 14 Mar. 1761), da. of Scroop, 1st Duke of Bridgwater, 1s 3da.; (3) 25 May 1768, Lady Susanna Stewart, da. of John, 6th Earl of Galloway [S], 1s. 3da.  suc. fa. as 2nd Earl Gower 25 Dec. 1754; K.G. 11 Feb. 1771; cr. Mq. of Stafford 1 Mar. 1786.

Offices Held

Ld. of Admiralty 1749-51; P.C. 22 Dec. 1755; ld. privy seal Dec. 1755-June 1757; master of the horse 1757-60; master of the wardrobe 1760-63; ld. chamberlain Apr. 1763-July 1765; ld. pres. of the Council Dec. 1767-Nov. 1779, Dec. 1783-84; ld. privy seal 1784-94.

Ld. Lt. Staffs. 1755-1800.

Biography

The Leveson Gowers were the leading family in Staffordshire, and during this period were always accorded one of the county seats. They also controlled two seats at Newcastle-under-Lyme and one at Lichfield. The marriage in 1737 of Gertrude, daughter of the 1st Earl Gower, to John, 4th Duke of Bedford, led to a political group being formed, based on the two families—the famous ‘Bloomsbury gang’. The 2nd Earl Gower, Bedford’s brother-in-law, ranked second to Bedford himself; and after Bedford’s death in 1771 led the group until its disintegration in the late ’70s.

Lord Stafford (as he became in 1786) died 26 Oct. 1803.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes