BEAUCHAMP, Earl—Seat, Madresfield Court. William Lygon, Esq., having for
some years represented the county in Parliament, was elevated to the
peerage by the title of Baron Beauchamp of Powyke Court, Worcestershire,
26 February, 1806, and created Viscount Elmley and Earl Beauchamp 1
December, 1815. He assumed the surname and arms of Pyndar, instead of
those of Lygon, in October, 1813. He married Catherine, only daughter of
James Denn, Esq., and had issue eight children. His lordship died 21
October, 1816, and was succeeded by his eldest son, William Beauchamp,
who for some years acted as Chairman of Quarter Sessions, and represented
the county from 1806. At his decease, unmarried, May, 1823, the honours
devolved upon his brother, JOHN REGINALD, the present Earl. He married,
first, 14 March, 1814, Charlotte, only daughter of the first Earl of
Clonmel, who died 26 April, 1846; and, secondly, 1851, the third daughter
of the Baroness Braye, and relict of Henry Murray, Esq. Is patron of
four livings.
COVENTRY, Earl of—Seat, Croome Court; created, 1697. George William,
sixth Earl, died 1809, and was succeeded by George William, the seventh
Earl, Recorder of Worcester and High Steward of Tewkesbury, who died
1831, and was succeeded by George William, eighth Earl, Lord Lieutenant
and Custos Rotulorum of the county of Worcester. He married, first, 16
January, 1808, Emma Susanna, second daughter of William, first Earl of
Beauchamp, and had issue George William, Viscount Deerhurst, who married
Harriett Anne, daughter of Sir Charles Cockerell, Bart., and died in
November, 1838, leaving one son, the present Earl, and one daughter. The
eighth Earl died May, 1843, when the title devolved on his grandson, who
was born 9 May, 1838, and is, consequently, at present a minor. Is
patron of five livings.
LYTTELTON, Lord, Baron of Frankley, county of Worcester—Seat, Hagley
Park. William Henry, Governor of Carolina county, Jamaica, &c., was
created Baron, in Great Britain, 1794, the title having expired with his
nephew, Thomas, the second Lord Lyttelton (the probable author of the
_Letters of Junius_), who died November, 1779. William Henry, Lord
Lyttelton, died 14 September, 1808, and was succeeded by his eldest son,
George Fulke; at whose decease, unmarried, 12 November, 1828, the title
devolved on his brother by a second marriage, William Henry, third Baron.
He married, 4 March, 1813, Lady Sarah Spencer, eldest daughter of the
second Earl Spencer. His lordship died 30 April, 1827. He represented
the county in Parliament from 1807 to 1820, during which time he was the
consistent supporter of Liberal measures, and to him we are indebted for
the extinction of state lotteries. He was a fluent and argumentative
speaker. He was the warm friend of literary and educational institutions
in the county. His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son, GEORGE
WILLIAM, the present peer. The present Lord Lyttelton was born 31 March,
1817; he married, 25 July, 1839, Mary, daughter of the late Sir Stephen
Glynne, Bart. Is patron of three livings.
FOLEY, Baron, of Kidderminster; created, 1776. Thomas Foley, Esq., M.P.
for the county of Worcester, was elevated to the peerage 1711, but his
son died unmarried, and the barony then expired. Thomas Foley, Esq., of
Witley Court, his cousin, was made Baron Foley, 20 May, 1776. Thomas,
the third Baron, married, 18 August, 1806, Lady Cecilia Fitzgerald, fifth
daughter of the second Duke of Leinster, and had issue four sons and four
daughters. He was Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the county of
Worcester, and extremely popular with all classes of the inhabitants. He
died 16 April, 1833, and was succeeded by his son, THOMAS HENRY, the
present peer, who was born 11 December, 1808, and married, 1849, the
eldest daughter of the thirteenth Duke of Norfolk—has been Captain of the
corps of the Gentlemen Pensioners-at-arms, is Lord High Steward of
Kidderminster, and is patron of one living. His lordship sat in
Parliament, for the county of Worcester, from 1830 to 1833.
SANDYS, Baron, of Ombersley—Seat, Ombersley Court; created, 1802. Samuel
Sandys of Ombersley, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1741, was elevated to
the peerage, as Baron Sandys, in 1743. The title, however, became
extinct in 1801, when the second Baron died without issue. The
Marchioness of Downshire, to whom his estates fell, was created Baroness
Sandys of Ombersley, 15 June, 1802, with remainder to her four younger
sons by the Marquess of Downshire, and their male issue. Her ladyship
died in 1836, and was succeeded by her second son, ARTHUR MOYSES WILLIAM
HILL. His lordship is a major general in the army. Is patron of the
living of Ombersley.
WARD, Baron of Birmingham—Seats, Himley Hall, Dudley Castle, and Sedgley
Park; created, 1644. John Ward, Esq., of Sedgley Park, became sixth
Baron on the death, without issue, of his kinsman William, fifth Baron.
He was created Viscount Dudley and Ward, April, 1763; but his son dying
without issue, that title devolved on his half brother William, third
Viscount, born January, 1750, who died 25 April, 1823. He was Recorder
of Kidderminster, and represented the city of Worcester in the
Parliaments of 1780 and 1784. His contributions in furtherance of
benevolent objects were truly munificent, and the public charities of
Worcester always largely participated in his largess. He was succeeded
by his son, John William, fourth Viscount, who was created Earl Dudley of
Dudley Castle in 1827; but as he died unmarried in 1833, this title and
the Viscounty became extinct. The Earl was a man of powerful talents,
but withal most eccentric in his manners; and during the last few years
of his life was obliged to withdraw altogether from society. He was
Secretary for Foreign Affairs under Mr. Canning, Lord Goderich, and
during a part of the Wellington administration; and his speeches at this
time always commanded great attention, and were admired for their
classical eloquence and style. He wrote a somewhat celebrated article in
the _Quarterly Review_ on the _Life and Character of Horne Tooke_, with
others on Sydney Smith’s sermons, &c. The barony of Ward fell to his
second cousin William Humble, in holy orders, who died December, 1835,
and was succeeded by his son WILLIAM, the present peer. His lordship
married, 24 April, 1851, Selina Constance, eldest daughter of Robert de
Burgh, Esq., of West Drayton, who died without issue 14 November, 1851.
His lordship is patron of thirteen livings, and has very extensive
property in the county of Worcester; the whole of the Foley estates
passing into his hands by purchase in the year 1838: the purchase money
was said to be £890,000.
SOUTHWELL, Viscount (Irish peerage)—Seats, Hindlip, Worcestershire, and
Court Mattress, Limerick. Thomas Southwell, Esq., of Court Mattress, was
created a Baronet by Charles II, and, after the Restoration, was
succeeded by his grandson, who took an active part in the cause of
William III. He was created a Baron of the kingdom of Ireland by George
I, in 1717. Thomas George, the third Baron, was, in 1776, created
Viscount. He died 1780, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Thomas
Arthur, fourth Baron and second Viscount, who married, in 1774, the
daughter of Francis John Walsh, de Sérrant. He died February, 1796, and
was succeeded by the present lord, THOMAS ANTHONY, under the title of
fifth Baron and third Viscount Southwell. Lord Southwell married, May,
1799, Jane, the younger daughter of John Berkeley, Esq., of Hindlip, in
whose right he came into possession of the Worcestershire property. His
lordship, in 1836, received from his late Majesty the dignity of the
Knighthood of the Order of St. Patrick. Is patron of the living of
Hindlip, Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Worcester, &c.