1.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
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Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians, who are present or former members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords, the Council also holds the delegated authority to issue Orders of Council, mostly used to regulate certain public institutions. The Council advises the sovereign on the issuing of Royal Charters, which are used to grant special status to incorporated bodies, otherwise, the Privy Councils powers have now been largely replaced by the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The Judicial Committee consists of judges appointed as Privy Counsellors, predominantly Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The Privy Council of the United Kingdom was preceded by the Privy Council of Scotland, the key events in the formation of the modern Privy Council are given below, Witenagemot was an early equivalent to the Privy Council of England. During the reigns of the Norman monarchs, the English Crown was advised by a court or curia regis. The body originally concerned itself with advising the sovereign on legislation, administration, later, different bodies assuming distinct functions evolved from the court. The courts of law took over the business of dispensing justice, nevertheless, the Council retained the power to hear legal disputes, either in the first instance or on appeal. Furthermore, laws made by the sovereign on the advice of the Council, powerful sovereigns often used the body to circumvent the Courts and Parliament. During Henry VIIIs reign, the sovereign, on the advice of the Council, was allowed to enact laws by mere proclamation, the legislative pre-eminence of Parliament was not restored until after Henry VIIIs death. Though the royal Council retained legislative and judicial responsibilities, it became an administrative body. The Council consisted of forty members in 1553, but the sovereign relied on a smaller committee, by the end of the English Civil War, the monarchy, House of Lords, and Privy Council had been abolished. The remaining parliamentary chamber, the House of Commons, instituted a Council of State to execute laws, the forty-one members of the Council were elected by the House of Commons, the body was headed by Oliver Cromwell, de facto military dictator of the nation. In 1653, however, Cromwell became Lord Protector, and the Council was reduced to thirteen and twenty-one members, all elected by the Commons. In 1657, the Commons granted Cromwell even greater powers, some of which were reminiscent of those enjoyed by monarchs, the Council became known as the Protectors Privy Council, its members were appointed by the Lord Protector, subject to Parliaments approval. In 1659, shortly before the restoration of the monarchy, the Protectors Council was abolished, Charles II restored the Royal Privy Council, but he, like previous Stuart monarchs, chose to rely on a small group of advisers. Under George I even more power transferred to this committee and it now began to meet in the absence of the sovereign, communicating its decisions to him after the fact. Thus, the British Privy Council, as a whole, ceased to be a body of important confidential advisers to the sovereign and it is closely related to the word private, and derives from the French word privé
2.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
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The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Chancellor is answerable to Parliament for the governance of the Duchy, however, the involvement of the Chancellor in the running of the day-to-day affairs of the Duchy is slight, and the office is held by a senior politician whose main role is usually quite different. The position is held by Patrick McLoughlin. The position has often given to a junior Cabinet minister with responsibilities in a particular area of policy for which there is no department with an appropriate portfolio. In 1491, the office of Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster was created, in recent times, the Chancellors duties have been said to occupy an average of one day a week. Under the Promissory Oaths Act 1868, the Chancellor is required to take the oath of allegiance, the Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is part of the Cabinet Office. From 1997 until 2009, the holder of the title served as the Minister for the Cabinet Office. This was true of Alan Milburn, who was given the title by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2004, however, in the reshuffle of 5 June 2009, the Chancellorship went to the Leader of the House of Lords, the Baroness Royall. In David Camerons first cabinet, announced on 12 May 2010, the position is currently held by Patrick McLoughlin, who is also Chairman of the Conservative Party, following Theresa Mays appointment as Prime Minister. The last holder of the post was Oliver Letwin, having been appointed in July 2014 when he was also Minister for Government Policy, following the 2015 general election, he was also given overall responsibility for the Cabinet Office and made a full member of the Cabinet. He has also been the Member of Parliament for West Dorset since 1997, list of Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster County Palatine of Lancaster
3.
George III of the United Kingdom
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He was concurrently Duke and prince-elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire until his promotion to King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was the third British monarch of the House of Hanover, early in his reign, Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years War, becoming the dominant European power in North America and India. However, many of Britains American colonies were soon lost in the American War of Independence, further wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France from 1793 concluded in the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In the later part of his life, George III had recurrent, although it has since been suggested that he had the blood disease porphyria, the cause of his illness remains unknown. After a final relapse in 1810, a regency was established, on George IIIs death, the Prince Regent succeeded his father as George IV. Historical analysis of George IIIs life has gone through a kaleidoscope of changing views that have depended heavily on the prejudices of his biographers and the sources available to them. Until it was reassessed in the half of the 20th century, his reputation in the United States was one of a tyrant. George was born in London at Norfolk House and he was the grandson of King George II, and the eldest son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. As Prince George was born two months prematurely and he was unlikely to survive, he was baptised the same day by Thomas Secker. One month later, he was baptised at Norfolk House. His godparents were the King of Sweden, his uncle the Duke of Saxe-Gotha, George grew into a healthy but reserved and shy child. The family moved to Leicester Square, where George and his younger brother Prince Edward, Duke of York, Family letters show that he could read and write in both English and German, as well as comment on political events of the time, by the age of eight. He was the first British monarch to study science systematically and his religious education was wholly Anglican. At age 10 George took part in a production of Joseph Addisons play Cato and said in the new prologue, What. It may with truth be said, A boy in England born, historian Romney Sedgwick argued that these lines appear to be the source of the only historical phrase with which he is associated. Georges grandfather, King George II, disliked the Prince of Wales, however, in 1751 the Prince of Wales died unexpectedly from a lung injury, and George became heir apparent to the throne. He inherited one of his fathers titles and became the Duke of Edinburgh, now more interested in his grandson, three weeks later the King created George Prince of Wales. Georges mother, now the Dowager Princess of Wales, preferred to keep George at home where she could imbue him with her moral values
4.
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
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The 24 years between his two terms as Prime Minister is the longest gap between terms of office of any Prime Minister. He was known before 1762 by the courtesy title Marquess of Titchfield and he held a title of every degree of British nobility—Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. He is also a great-great-great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II through her maternal grandmother, Lord Titchfield was the eldest son of William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland and Margaret Cavendish-Harley and inherited many lands from his mother and his maternal grandmother. He was educated at Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford, on 8 November 1766, Portland married Lady Dorothy Cavendish, a daughter of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire and Charlotte Boyle. They were parents of six children, William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland. Married Charles Greville, and they had three sons, Charles Cavendish Fulke Greville, Algernon Greville, and Henry William Greville, paternal grandfather of Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, ancestor of the 6th and latest dukes of Portland, and of Lady Ottoline Morrell. Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck married Lady Mary Lowther, daughter of William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale,16 September 1820, had issue, through his son Charles, Portland is a great-great-great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II. He was elected to sit in the Parliament for Weobley in 1761 before entering the Lords when he succeeded his father as Duke of Portland the next year. In April 1783, Portland was brought forward as titular head of a government as Prime Minister, whose real leaders were Charles James Fox. He served as First Lord of the Treasury in this ministry until its fall in December of the same year, during his tenure the Treaty of Paris was signed formally ending the American Revolutionary War. In 1789, Portland became one of vice presidents of Londons Foundling Hospital. This charity had become one of the most fashionable of the time, at its creation, fifty years earlier, Portlands father, William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland, had been one of the founding governors, listed on the charitys royal charter granted by George II. In 1793, Portland took over the presidency of the charity from Lord North and he continued to serve in the cabinet until Pitts death in 1806—from 1801 to 1805 as Lord President of the Council and then as a Minister without Portfolio. Portlands second government saw the United Kingdoms complete isolation on the continent but also the beginning of recovery, in late 1809, with Portlands health poor and the ministry rocked by the scandalous duel between Canning and Castlereagh, Portland resigned, dying shortly thereafter. He was Recorder of Nottingham until his death in 1809, the 3rd Duke of Portland died at Bulstrode Park, Buckinghamshire, after an operation to remove a kidney stone on 30 October 1809 and was buried in St Marylebone Parish Church, Marylebone, London. He had lived expensively, with an income of £17,000 a year, he had debts at his death computed at £52,000, which were paid off by his succeeding son selling off some property including Bulstrode. The Portland Vase of Roman glass was given its due to its having been owned by Portland at his family residence at Bulstrode Park. Portland parish in Jamaica was named after the 3rd Duke of Portland, the Titchfield School, founded in 1786, also in the parish is also named in his honor
5.
John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton
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John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton of Spitchwick the parish of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon, was an English lawyer and politician, born in Ashburton in Devon, who served as Solicitor-General from 1768. He was first noticed in English politics when he wrote a notice in 1762 defending the British East India Company merchants against their Dutch rivals and he was a Member of Parliament from 1768 onward. His career in the House of Commons is best known for his motion in 1780 that the influence of the crown has increased, is increasing and he was created Baron Ashburton in 1782. He was born at Ashburton in Devon on 18 October 1731 and he was a younger son of John Dunning of Ashburton, attorney, by his wife Agnes Judsham, daughter of Henry Judsham, attorney, of Old Port in the parish of Modbury, Devon. After receiving education at Ashburton Grammar School, he was articled to his father and he went to London to study for the bar, and was admitted a student of the Middle Temple on 8 May 1752. While a student Dunning became close to Lloyd Kenyon and John Horne Tooke and he was called to the bar on 2 July 1756, and joined the western circuit. For several years after his call he had little success, in 1762, however, John Glynn, one of the leading counsel on the circuit, suddenly fell ill, and placed his briefs in Dunnings hands. By 1764 he was making £2,000 a year, helped by his pamphlet, in 1765 he established his legal reputation by his arguments against the legality of general warrants in the case of Leach v. Money. At the general election in March 1768, Dunning, through the influence of Lord Shelburne, was returned to parliament as one of the members for the borough of Calne. Though solicitor-general, he took no part in the debate on the expulsion of John Wilkes from the house, on 19 March he spoke on the side of the minority in the debate on the remonstrance of the city of London. After some delay Edward Thurlow was appointed solicitor-general on 30 March 1770, on 12 October 1770 the freedom of the city of London was voted to Dunning. Dunning opposed the reading of the bill for regulating the government of Massachusetts Bay on 2 May 1774. At the general election in October 1774 he was re-elected for Calne, on 6 November 1776 he supported Lord John Cavendishs defeated motion for the revisal of all acts of parliament by which his majestys subjects in America think themselves aggrieved. In the next session Dunning, continued to oppose the ministry, and was instrumental in obtaining the insertion of a clause in the bill for the suspension of habeas corpus, which lessened its scope. In the teeth of Lord Norths opposition, the first resolution was carried by 233 to 215, Dunning a few weeks later proposed an address to the king requesting him not to dissolve the parliament, he found himself in a minority of 51. In February 1782 he supported Conways motion against the prosecution of the American war. The king retained Thurlow as Lord Chancellor, and Dunning was sworn in as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 17 April. He continued in the cabinet after Lord Rockinghams death, and was consulted by Shelburne in legal matters, upon the principles of the Law and the Constitution
6.
Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon
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Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon PC was a British politician and diplomat from the Villiers family. Clarendon was the son of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey and his wife Judith Herne. Villiers received his education at Eton College and then Queens College, Cambridge, following his graduation, he became a diplomat. Villiers became the British envoy to both the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Electorate of Saxony from 1740 to 1747, at the time both realms were in personal union under Augustus III of Poland. He was also sent to Vienna, capital of the Archduchy of Austria and he was last sent to Berlin, capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, as an envoy to the court of Frederick II of Prussia from 1746 to 1748. Villiers was also involved in politics as a member of the British Whig Party which at the time dominated the Parliament of Great Britain. He was elected to Parliament in the British general election,1747 and he sat as a Member of Parliament for Tamworth from 1747 to 1756. He retired from all offices at this time. He was a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, one of seven members of the Board of Admiralty exercising command over the Royal Navy from 26 February 1748 to 17 November 1756. He served under First Lords of the Admiralty John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich and George Anson, on 3 June 1756, the barony of Hyde held by his wifes ancestors the Earls of Clarendon was revived. Villiers was raised to the peerage as Baron Hyde of Hindon in the County of Wiltshire, Hyde served as Postmaster General from 1763 to 1765. On 9 September 1763, he was admitted to the Privy Council and he also served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1771 to 1782 and again from 1783 to 1786. On 14 June 1776 the earldom of Clarendon, which had become extinct with the death of Henry Hyde, 4th Earl of Clarendon in 1753, was revived and Hyde was made Earl of Clarendon. In 1782 he was made a Baron of the Kingdom of Prussia. Clarendon returned to the office of Postmaster-General in commission with Henry Carteret and this was to be his final political assignment. Lord Clarendon died in December 1786, aged 77 and he was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son Thomas. On 30 March 1752 he married Charlotte Capell, daughter of William Capell, 3rd Earl of Essex and his wife Jane Hyde, daughter of Henry Hyde, 4th Earl of Clarendon and they had four children, Thomas Villiers, 2nd Earl of Clarendon. John Villiers, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, father of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon
7.
William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville
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William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, PC, FRS, PC was a British Whig statesman. He served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1806 to 1807 as head of the Ministry of All the Talents, Grenville was the son of Whig Prime Minister George Grenville. His mother Elizabeth was daughter of the Tory statesman Sir William Wyndham Bart and he had two elder brothers Thomas and George - he was thus uncle to the 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. Grenville was educated at Eton, Christ Church, Oxford, Grenville entered the House of Commons in 1782. He soon became an ally of the Prime Minister, his cousin William Pitt the Younger. In 1789 he served briefly as Speaker of the House of Commons before he entered the cabinet as Home Secretary. He became Leader of the House of Lords when he was raised to the peerage the next year as Baron Grenville, the next year, in 1791, he succeeded the Duke of Leeds as Foreign Secretary. Grenvilles decade as Foreign Secretary was a one, seeing the Wars of the French Revolution. Grenville left office with Pitt in 1801 over the issue of Catholic Emancipation and he did part-time military service at home as Major in the Buckinghamshire Yeomanry cavalry in 1794 and as Lieutenant-Colonel in the South Buckinghamshire volunteer regiment in 1806. In his years out of office, Grenville became close to the opposition Whig leader Charles James Fox, grenvilles cousin William Windham served as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, and his younger brother, Thomas Grenville, served briefly as First Lord of the Admiralty. The Ministry ultimately accomplished little, failing either to make peace with France or to accomplish Catholic emancipation and it did have one significant achievement, however, in the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. In the post-war years, Grenville gradually moved closer to the Tories. His political career was ended by a stroke in 1823, Grenville also served as Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1810 until his death in 1834. Dropmore House was built in the 1790s for Lord Grenville, the architects were Samuel Wyatt and Charles Tatham. Grenville knew the spot from rambles during his time at Eton College, on his first day in occupation, he planted two cedar trees. At least another 2,500 trees were planted, by the time Grenville died, his pinetum contained the biggest collection of conifer species in Britain. Part of the restoration is to use what survives as the basis for a collection of some 200 species. Lord Grenville married the Honourable Anne, daughter of Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford and he died in January 1834, aged 74, when the barony became extinct
8.
Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby
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Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby, PC, FSA was a prominent British politician of the Pittite faction and the Tory party. Born in London, Ryder was the eldest son of Nathaniel Ryder, 1st Baron Harrowby, sir Dudley Ryder was his grandfather and Richard Ryder his younger brother. He was educated at Harrow School and St Johns College, Cambridge, Harrowby was elected to his fathers old Parliament seat of Tiverton in 1784. His administrative career began with an appointment to be Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in 1789, in 1791 he was appointed joint Paymaster of the Forces, having been made Vice-President of the Board of Trade in 1790. He resigned the positions and also that of Treasurer of the Navy when he succeeded to his fathers barony in June 1803, in 1804 he was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. After James Monroes first interview with him on 30 May 1804, in 1809 he was honoured when he was made Viscount Sandon, of Sandon in the County of Stafford, and Earl of Harrowby, in the County of Lincoln. From 1809 to 1812 he served as minister without portfolio in the cabinet of Spencer Perceval, from 1812 to 1827, he served as Lord President of the Council under Lord Liverpool. After George Cannings death in 1827, Harrowby refused to serve George IV as prime minister and never held office again, despite this he continued to take part in politics, being especially prominent during the deadlock which preceded the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832. Lord Harrowby married Lady Susanna Leveson-Gower, daughter of Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford and they had three sons and five daughters. He was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Dudley and he was a member of the Literary Association of the Friends of Poland. New York, St Martins Press,1990, Leigh Rayments Peerage Pages Leigh Rayments Historical List of MPs Hansard 1803–2005, contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Harrowby Ryder, Dudley
9.
Spencer Perceval
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Spencer Perceval, KC, PC was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 4 October 1809 until his death on 11 May 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated, the younger son of an Irish earl, Perceval was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge. A follower of William Pitt, Perceval always described himself as a friend of Mr Pitt rather than a Tory, Perceval was opposed to Catholic emancipation and reform of Parliament, he supported the war against Napoleon and the abolition of the slave trade. He was opposed to hunting, gambling and adultery, did not drink as much as most Members of Parliament, gave generously to charity and he overcame these crises, successfully pursued the Peninsular War in the face of opposition defeatism, and won the support of the Prince Regent. Perceval was born in Audley Square, Mayfair, the son of John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont. His mother, Catherine Compton, Baroness Arden, was a granddaughter of the 4th Earl of Northampton, Spencer was a Compton family name, Catherine Comptons great uncle Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, had been prime minister. His father, an advisor to Frederick, Prince of Wales and King George III. Perceval’s early childhood was spent at Charlton House, which his father had taken to be near Woolwich docks, Perceval’s father died when he was eight. Perceval went to Harrow School, where he was a disciplined and it was at Harrow that he developed an interest in evangelical Anglicanism and formed what was to be a lifelong friendship with Dudley Ryder. After five years at Harrow he followed his older brother Charles to Trinity College, Cambridge, as the second son of a second marriage, and with an allowance of only £200 a year, Perceval faced the prospect of having to make his own way in life. He chose the law as a profession, studied at Lincoln’s Inn, Perceval, who was at that time an impecunious barrister on the Midland Circuit, was told to wait until the younger daughter, Jane, came of age in three years’ time. When Jane reached 21, in 1790, Perceval’s career was not prospering. They set up together in lodgings over a carpet shop in Bedford Row, later moving to Lindsey House. He acted as counsel for the Crown in the prosecutions of Thomas Paine in absentia for seditious libel. Perceval joined the London and Westminster Light Horse Volunteers in 1794 when the country was under threat of invasion by France, Perceval wrote anonymous pamphlets in favour of the impeachment of Warren Hastings, and in defence of public order against sedition. These pamphlets brought him to the attention of William Pitt the Younger and he could earn more as a barrister and needed the money to support his growing family. In 1796 he became a King’s Counsel and had an income of about £1000 a year, in 1796, Perceval’s uncle, the 8th Earl of Northampton, died. Perceval’s cousin, who was MP for Northampton, succeeded to the earldom, Perceval was invited to stand for election in his place
10.
Whigs (British political party)
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The Whigs were a political faction and then a political party in the parliaments of England, Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Between the 1680s and 1850s, they contested power with their rivals, the Whigs origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute monarchy. The Whigs played a role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and were the standing enemies of the Stuart kings and pretenders. The Whigs took full control of the government in 1715, and remained dominant until King George III, coming to the throne in 1760. The Whig Supremacy was enabled by the Hanoverian succession of George I in 1714, the Whigs thoroughly purged the Tories from all major positions in government, the army, the Church of England, the legal profession, and local offices. The Partys hold on power was so strong and durable, historians call the period from roughly 1714 to 1783 the age of the Whig Oligarchy. The first great leader of the Whigs was Robert Walpole, who maintained control of the government through the period 1721–1742, his protégé was Henry Pelham, who led from 1743 to 1754. Both parties were founded on rich politicians, more than on votes, there were elections to the House of Commons. The Whig Party slowly evolved during the 18th century, later on, the Whigs drew support from the emerging industrial interests and wealthy merchants, while the Tories drew support from the landed interests and the royal family. The term Whig was originally short for whiggamor, a term meaning cattle driver used to describe western Scots who came to Leith for corn. In the reign of Charles I the term was used during Wars of the Three Kingdoms to refer derisively to a faction of the Scottish Covenanters who called themselves the Kirk Party. It was then applied to Scottish Presbyterian rebels who were against the Kings Episcopalian order in Scotland, Whig was a term of abuse applied to those who wanted to exclude James on the grounds that he was a Roman Catholic. The fervent Tory Samuel Johnson often joked that the first Whig was the Devil, the Whigs, under Lord Shaftesburys leadership, wished to exclude the Duke of York from the throne due to his Catholicism, his favouring of monarchical absolutism and his connections to France. They believed the Duke, if allowed to inherit the throne, would endanger the Protestant religion, liberty, the first Exclusion Bill was supported by a substantial majority on its second reading in May 1679. In response, King Charles prorogued Parliament and then dissolved it and this new parliament did not meet for thirteen months, because Charles wanted to give passions a chance to die down. When it met in October 1680, an Exclusion Bill was introduced and passed in the Commons without major resistance, Charles dissolved Parliament in January 1681, but the Whigs did not suffer serious losses in the ensuing election. The next Parliament first met in March, at Oxford, but Charles dissolved it only after a few days, when he made an appeal to the country against the Whigs, and determined to rule without Parliament. In February, Charles had made a deal with the French King Louis XIV, without Parliament, the Whigs gradually crumbled, mainly due to the Rye House Plot
11.
Elizabeth Smith-Stanley, Countess of Derby
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Elizabeth Smith-Stanley, Countess of Derby was an English peeress. As the eligible eldest daughter of the 6th Duke of Hamilton, she married the 12th Earl of Derby in 1774, Lady Derby was popular among society and considered a leader of fashion alongside the Duchess of Devonshire. Five years after the marriage, Lady Derby embarked in a public affair with the 3rd Duke of Dorset. She eventually separated from her husband, which caused a scandal and led to her exile from society. On 26 January 1753, Lady Elizabeth Hamilton was born as the eldest child of James Hamilton, two younger brothers followed, and her father died in early 1758. The Duchess of Hamilton, considered one of the most beautiful women of the day, remarried in 1759 to John Campbell and this marriage gave Lady Elizabeth three younger half-brothers and two younger half-sisters. By the time of her first London season, Lady Elizabeth was considered very eligible, in 1773, the wealthy Edward Smith-Stanley, Lord Stanley came of age and pursued a brief and fervent courtship with Lady Elizabeth, holding an opulent party in her honour. The following year, during their engagement, he held a more extravagant party with the young couple dressed in Anthony van Dyck-style costumes. On 23 June 1774, the two were married, playwright John Burgoyne hosted a glittering assembly after the wedding, in which he wrote the comedy The Maid of the Oaks in honour of the occasion. Elizabeth gave birth in quick succession to a son and two daughters, Lord Stanley succeeded his grandfather in 1776, becoming Earl of Derby, while Elizabeth became his Countess. With her new elevated rank, Lady Derby was popular in the beau monde, along with the Duchess of Devonshire, she was considered a leader of fashion. In 1777, she organised a match in which the two teams were populated with upper-class women, unusual for the time period. During or near 1776, a painting of the family was done by Angelica Kauffman, Lady Derbys mother is most likely the one responsible for commissioning this work, or it may have been gifted to her. Sometime between 1776 and 1778, George Romney painted Lady Derby, the work is now displayed in the National Portrait Gallery. In early 1778, rumours began spreading that Lady Derby was having an affair with John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, by May 1778, rumours of the affair were appearing in the press. That year, Lady Derbys mother – unsuccessfully attempting to put down the rumours, by August 1778, the Countess was openly living apart from her husband in the country amidst gossip that she was suing for divorce. The affair shocked society and left her ostracised, though Dorset still remained friends with her husband and was invited to Knowsley on occasion. Lady Derby lost much of the social capital associated with her status, during this short period, Lady Derby remained in the country while her husband ignored the situation and continued as he normally would have
12.
Elizabeth Farren
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Elizabeth Farren was an English actress of the late 18th century. Elizabeth Farren was the daughter of George Farren of Cork, Ireland, a surgeon and apothecary, later an actor, and his wife of Liverpool, at a very early age Farren performed at Bath and elsewhere in juvenile parts. In 1774 she was acting with her mother and sisters at Wakefield under Tate Wilkinson’s opponent, Whiteley, when she played Columbine and sang. At the age of fifteen, at Liverpool, she played Rosetta in Love in a Village and her first London appearance was in 1777 as Miss Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer, and subsequent successes established her reputation. The Shakespearean parts of Hermione, Portia, Olivia and Juliet were in her repertory and she was introduced by Younger, her Liverpool manager, to George Colman and made her first appearance in London at the Haymarket on 9 June 1777, playing Miss Hardcastle. She also spoke the epilogue to the play, on 11 July 1778 she was the original Nancy Lovel in Colmans Suicide. This was a part, to which her figure was unsuited. Performances as Lady Townly, and Lady Fanciful in the Provoked Wife restored her to public favour, in September 1778 she made her first appearance at Drury Lane, as Charlotte Rusport in the West Indian. She performed primarily at this theatre or at the Haymarket for the rest of her career, with occasional performances in the provinces. The last original part she played was the heroine of Holcrofts Force of Ridicule,6 Dec.1796, which was unfavourably received on its first night and remains unprinted. On her last appearance,8 April 1797, she played Lady Teazle, an audience was attracted. Farren had a figure and was above average height. Her face was expressive and animated, she had blue eyes, a smile. In manner and bearing she appears to have had no rival except Frances Abington, on 1 May 1797 she married Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby by whom she had a son and two daughters. She died on 23 April 1829 at Knowsley Park, Lancashire and she had a short sentimental attachment to John Palmer and was admired and followed by Charles Fox. Lord Derby reportedly treated her more respect than was sometimes given to ex-actresses. Hazlitt speaks of Miss Farren, with her fine-lady airs and graces, with that elegant turn of her head and motion of her fan, richard Cumberland mentions her style as exquisite. George Colman the younger says of the lovely and accomplished Miss Farren that No person ever more successfully performed the elegant levies of Lady Townly, Tate Wilkinson credits her with infinite merit
13.
Alma mater
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Alma mater is an allegorical Latin phrase for a university or college. In modern usage, it is a school or university which an individual has attended, the phrase is variously translated as nourishing mother, nursing mother, or fostering mother, suggesting that a school provides intellectual nourishment to its students. Before its modern usage, Alma mater was a title in Latin for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele. The source of its current use is the motto, Alma Mater Studiorum, of the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world and it is related to the term alumnus, denoting a university graduate, which literally means a nursling or one who is nourished. The phrase can also denote a song or hymn associated with a school, although alma was a common epithet for Ceres, Cybele, Venus, and other mother goddesses, it was not frequently used in conjunction with mater in classical Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater is a well-known 11th century antiphon devoted to Mary, the earliest documented English use of the term to refer to a university is in 1600, when University of Cambridge printer John Legate began using an emblem for the universitys press. In English etymological reference works, the first university-related usage is often cited in 1710, many historic European universities have adopted Alma Mater as part of the Latin translation of their official name. The University of Bologna Latin name, Alma Mater Studiorum, refers to its status as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. At least one, the Alma Mater Europaea in Salzburg, Austria, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, has been called the Alma Mater of the Nation because of its ties to the founding of the United States. At Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, the ancient Roman world had many statues of the Alma Mater, some still extant. Modern sculptures are found in prominent locations on several American university campuses, outside the United States, there is an Alma Mater sculpture on the steps of the monumental entrance to the Universidad de La Habana, in Havana, Cuba. Media related to Alma mater at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of alma mater at Wiktionary Alma Mater Europaea website
14.
Trinity College, Cambridge
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Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. With around 600 undergraduates,300 graduates, and over 180 fellows, by combined student numbers, it is second to Homerton College, Cambridge. Members of Trinity have won 32 Nobel Prizes out of the 91 won by members of Cambridge University, five Fields Medals in mathematics were won by members of the college and one Abel Prize was won. Other royal family members have studied there without obtaining degrees, including King Edward VII, King George VI, along with Christs, Jesus, Kings and St Johns colleges, it has also provided several of the well known members of the Apostles, an intellectual secret society. In 1848, Trinity hosted the meeting at which Cambridge undergraduates representing private schools such as Westminster drew up the first formal rules of football, Trinitys sister college in Oxford is Christ Church. Like that college, Trinity has been linked with Westminster School since the schools re-foundation in 1560, the college was founded by Henry VIII in 1546, from the merger of two existing colleges, Michaelhouse, and Kings Hall. At the time, Henry had been seizing church lands from abbeys, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, being both religious institutions and quite rich, expected to be next in line. The King duly passed an Act of Parliament that allowed him to any college he wished. The universities used their contacts to plead with his sixth wife, the Queen persuaded her husband not to close them down, but to create a new college. The king did not want to use royal funds, so he combined two colleges and seven hostels to form Trinity. Contrary to popular belief, the lands granted by Henry VIII were not on their own sufficient to ensure Trinitys eventual rise. In its infancy Trinity had owed a great deal to its college of St Johns. Its first four Masters were educated at St Johns, and it took until around 1575 for the two colleges application numbers to draw even, a position in which they have remained since the Civil War. Bentley himself was notorious for the construction of a hugely expensive staircase in the Masters Lodge, most of the Trinitys major buildings date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Thomas Nevile, who became Master of Trinity in 1593, rebuilt and this work included the enlargement and completion of Great Court, and the construction of Neviles Court between Great Court and the river Cam. Neviles Court was completed in the late 17th century when the Wren Library, in the 20th century, Trinity College, St Johns College and Kings College were for decades the main recruiting grounds for the Cambridge Apostles, an elite, intellectual secret society. In 2011, the John Templeton Foundation awarded Trinity Colleges Master, Trinity is the richest Oxbridge college, with a landholding alone worth £800 million. Trinity is sometimes suggested to be the second, third or fourth wealthiest landowner in the UK – after the Crown Estate, the National Trust, in 2005, Trinitys annual rental income from its properties was reported to be in excess of £20 million
15.
Peerages in the United Kingdom
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The peerage is a legal system historically comprising hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, comprising various noble ranks, and forms a constituent part of the British honours system. The term peerage can be used collectively to refer to the entire body of nobles, and individually to refer to a specific title. British peerage title holders are termed peers of the Realm, New Labour, elected to power in 1997, sought to eject all hereditary peers from Parliament but PM Tony Blair relented by allowing only 92 members to remain by legislation enacted in 1999. The House of Lordss purpose is now that of a legislative chamber. Peerages are created by the British monarch, like all Crown honours, HMG recommends to the Sovereign who to be elevated to the peerage, after external vetting by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. The Sovereign, traditionally the fount of honour, cannot hold a British peerage, succession claims to existing hereditary peerages are regulated by the House of Lords Committee for Privileges and Conduct and administered by The Crown Office. The modern-day parliamentary peerage is a continuation of the renamed medieval baronage system which existed in feudal times, certain other office-holders such as senior clerics and Freemen of the Cinque Ports were deemed barons. This right, entitlement or title, began to be granted by decree in the form of a Writ of Summons from 1265, additionally, many holders of smaller fiefdoms per baroniam ceased to be summoned to parliament, resulting in baronial status becoming personal rather than territorial. In the UK, five peerages co-exist, namely, The Peerage of England — titles created by the Kings, the Peerage of Scotland — titles created by the Kings and Queens of Scotland before 1707. The Peerage of Ireland — titles created for the Kingdom of Ireland before the Act of Union of 1801, the Peerage of Great Britain — titles created for the Kingdom of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. The Peerage of the United Kingdom — most titles created since 1801 to the present, Peers are of five ranks, in descending order of hierarchy, Duke comes from the Latin dux, leader. The first duke in a peerage of the British Isles was created in 1337, Marquess comes from the French marquis, which is a derivative of marche or march. This is a reference to the borders between England, Scotland, and Wales, a more evident in the feminine form. The first marquess in a peerage of the British Isles was created in 1385, earl comes from the Old English or Anglo-Saxon eorl, a military leader. The meaning may have been affected by the Old Norse jarl, meaning free-born warrior or nobleman, during the Danelaw, since there was no feminine Old English or Old Norse equivalent for the term, Countess is used, from the Latin comes. Viscount comes from the Latin vicecomes, vice-count, Baron comes from the Old Germanic baro, freeman. In the Peerage of Scotland alone, a holder of the rank is not called a Baron. Barons in Scotland were traditionally holders of feudal dignities, not peers, baronets, while holders of hereditary titles, are not peers since baronetcies have never conferred noble status, although socially they came to be regarded as part of the aristocracy
16.
Ministry of All the Talents
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The ministry boasted fairly progressive agenda, much of it inherited from Pitt. The Ministry of All the Talents had comparatively little success, failing to bring the peace with France. In fact, the war continued for another decade. It did, however, abolish the trade in Britain in 1807 before breaking up over the question of Catholic emancipation. It was succeeded by the Second Portland Ministry, headed by William Cavendish-Bentinck, examples include the coalition government which led Great Britain through the Second World War and the Canadian government that won the 1896 election. Members of the Cabinet are in bold face
17.
James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange
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James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange was commonly known by that title, though neither he nor his father had any claim to it. James Stanley married Lucy daughter and coheir of Hugh Smith of Weald Hall, Essex and this marriage produced Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby and several other children, including Thomas Stanley. He died before his father, so that the earldom passed straight to his son and he attended Westminster School where he was friends with the future soldier and politician John Burgoyne who later married his sister. Lord Strange was a Member of Parliament for Lancashire from 1741 until his death and he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the ministry of Lord North from 1762 and became a Privy Councillor at the same time. He is mentioned by Parkman as plenipotentiary to Paris and Choiseul, and advisor to Pitt, during the 1760s turbulence that attended the Treaty of Paris
18.
Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby
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Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby, known as Sir Edward Stanley, 5th Baronet, from 1714 to 1736, was a British nobleman, peer, and politician. Derby was the son of Sir Thomas Stanley, 4th Baronet, and Elizabeth Patten and this branch of the Stanley family, known as the Stanleys of Bickerstaffe, were descended from Sir James Stanley, younger brother of Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby. He was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1723 and he later served as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire from 1741 to 1757 and again from 1771 to 1776. Lord Derby married Elizabeth Hesketh, daughter of Robert Hesketh, in 1714 and he died in February 1776, aged 86, and was succeeded in the earldom by his grandson Edward, his son James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange, having predeceased him. His daughter, Lady Charlotte Stanley, married General John Burgoyne and his great-great-grandson Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, was three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. New York, St Martins Press,1990
19.
Weald Country Park
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Weald Country Park is a 700-year-old,500 acre country park in South Weald in the borough of Brentwood in the English county of Essex. It is on the north-east fringe of Greater London, Weald manor, parts of which dated to the 16th century, was bought by Sir Anthony Browne in 1547 and he died at Weald Hall in 1567. In 1685, Erasmus Smith bought it from Sir William Scroggs, the current layout is largely the result of landscaping carried out in the naturalistic manner of Capability Brown for Hugh Smith, lord of the manor from 1732 to 1745. In 1752, the estate was sold to Thomas Tower of Iver in Buckinghamshire, Christopher Tower succeeded as the owner in 1778 and immediately commissioned Robert Adam to design a new dining room. On his death in 1810, his son, Christopher Thomas Tower, succeeded until 1867, he enlarged the estate, Weald Hall, with 800 acres in 1841, was let to farmers in the 19th century sold by another C. T. Tower in 1946, when the estate was broken up part of the park was retained for the Green Belt of London. Some remnants remain of the Hall, which was demolished in 1950–51 due to war damage, a very large painting of Weald Hall hung in a dining room at nearby Brentwood School. Depicting the house and park before 18th Century alterations it is attributed to Dutch painter Jan Griffier the Elder, the school, which was founded by a former owner of the Hall, Sir Anthony Browne, sold the painting to a private collector at Sothebys in November 1985. The park is now managed by Essex County Council, the park was due to be the venue for the mountain biking events at the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, following a visit by inspectors from the Union Cycliste Internationale, the site was considered challenging for international competition. Hadleigh Country Park was chosen as the replacement venue, Brentwood Parkrun is one of the many Parkrun events that run every Saturday at 9am in the UK. It is a 5km run and is timed and results are recorded on the central Parkrun database, the event was set-up under the guidance of Leigh Norris, with the first event taking place on 6th December 2015. As at the beginning of 2017 there had been 105 weekly events with the largest number of runners totaling 185 for the 2016 Christmas event, the course is considered one of the hardest in the South East and attracts runners beyond Brentwood because of its challenge. It has two significant hills, one famously called Heartbreak Hill which runners face at 4km, the course is hilly, single lap, and has cross-country terrain including grass, paths and woods. In the winter, the course can get muddy and trail shoes are required. In the summer, the course can be hard and dry, history of Weald Park Visitor details from Essex County Council Page from Brentwood Borough Council Panoramic view
20.
Eton College
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Eton College /iːtən/ is an English independent boarding school for boys in Eton, Berkshire, near Windsor. It educates more than 1,300 pupils, aged 13 to 18 years and it was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor, making it the 18th oldest Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference school. Eton is one of the seven public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868. Eton has educated 19 British prime ministers and generations of the aristocracy and has referred to as the chief nurse of Englands statesmen. The school is headed by a Provost and Fellows, who appoint the Head Master and it contains 25 boys houses, each headed by a housemaster, selected from the more senior members of the teaching staff, which numbers some 155. Almost all of the pupils go on to universities, about a third of them to Oxford or Cambridge. The Head Master is a member of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference, Eton has a long list of distinguished former pupils. David Cameron was the 19th British prime minister to have attended the school, about 20% of pupils at Eton receive financial support, through a range of bursaries and scholarships. In early 2014, this figure had risen to 263 pupils receiving the equivalent of around 60% of school fee assistance, Eton has been described as the most famous public school in the world, and been referred to as the chief nurse of Englands statesmen. The Good Schools Guide called the school the number one public school, adding that The teaching. The school is a member of the G20 Schools Group, Eton today is a larger school than it has been for much of its history. In 1678, there were 207 boys, in the late 18th century, there were about 300, while today, the total has risen to over 1,300. Eton College was founded by King Henry VI as a charity school to free education to 70 poor boys who would then go on to Kings College, Cambridge. Henry took Winchester College as his model, visiting on many occasions, borrowing its Statutes and removing its Headmaster, when Henry VI founded the school, he granted it a large number of endowments, including much valuable land. He persuaded the then Pope, Eugene IV, to grant him a privilege unparalleled anywhere in England, the school also came into possession of one of Englands Apocalypse manuscripts. Legend has it that Edwards mistress, Jane Shore, intervened on the schools behalf and she was able to save a good part of the school, although the royal bequest and the number of staff were much reduced. Construction of the chapel, originally intended to be slightly over twice as long, only the Quire of the intended building was completed. Etons first Headmaster, William Waynflete, founder of Magdalen College, Oxford and previously Head Master of Winchester College, as the school suffered reduced income while still under construction, the completion and further development of the school has since depended to some extent on wealthy benefactors
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House of Lords
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The House of Lords of the United Kingdom, referred to ceremonially as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster, officially, the full name of the house is, The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. Unlike the elected House of Commons, all members of the House of Lords are appointed, the membership of the House of Lords is drawn from the peerage and is made up of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. The Lords Spiritual are 26 bishops in the established Church of England, of the Lords Temporal, the majority are life peers who are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister, or on the advice of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. However, they include some hereditary peers including four dukes. Very few of these are female since most hereditary peerages can only be inherited by men, while the House of Commons has a defined 650-seat membership, the number of members in the House of Lords is not fixed. There are currently 805 sitting Lords, the House of Lords is the only upper house of any bicameral parliament to be larger than its respective lower house. The House of Lords scrutinises bills that have approved by the House of Commons. It regularly reviews and amends Bills from the Commons, while it is unable to prevent Bills passing into law, except in certain limited circumstances, it can delay Bills and force the Commons to reconsider their decisions. In this capacity, the House of Lords acts as a check on the House of Commons that is independent from the electoral process, Bills can be introduced into either the House of Lords or the House of Commons. Members of the Lords may also take on roles as government ministers, the House of Lords has its own support services, separate from the Commons, including the House of Lords Library. The Queens Speech is delivered in the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament, the House also has a Church of England role, in that Church Measures must be tabled within the House by the Lords Spiritual. This new parliament was, in effect, the continuation of the Parliament of England with the addition of 45 MPs and 16 Peers to represent Scotland, the Parliament of England developed from the Magnum Concilium, the Great Council that advised the King during medieval times. This royal council came to be composed of ecclesiastics, noblemen, the first English Parliament is often considered to be the Model Parliament, which included archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, and representatives of the shires and boroughs of it. The power of Parliament grew slowly, fluctuating as the strength of the monarchy grew or declined, for example, during much of the reign of Edward II, the nobility was supreme, the Crown weak, and the shire and borough representatives entirely powerless. In 1569, the authority of Parliament was for the first time recognised not simply by custom or royal charter, further developments occurred during the reign of Edward IIs successor, Edward III. It was during this Kings reign that Parliament clearly separated into two chambers, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The authority of Parliament continued to grow, and, during the fifteenth century
22.
Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal
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The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal is a disused canal in Greater Manchester, England, built to link Bolton and Bury with Manchester. The canal, when opened, was 15 miles 1 furlong long. It was accessed via a junction with the River Irwell in Salford, seventeen locks were required to climb to the summit as it passed through Pendleton, heading northwest to Prestolee before it split northwest to Bolton and northeast to Bury. Between Bolton and Bury the canal was level and required no locks, six aqueducts were built to allow the canal to cross the rivers Irwell and Tonge and several minor roads. The canal was commissioned in 1791 by local landowners and businessmen, originally designed for narrow gauge boats, during its construction the canal was altered into a broad gauge canal to allow an ultimately unrealised connection with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The canal company later converted into a company and built a railway line close to the canals path. In 1987 a society was formed with the aim of restoring the canal for use and, in 2006. The canal is navigable as far as Oldfield Road, Salford. Financial unrest and British involvement in the American Revolutionary War restricted local transport investment to road improvements, with the arrival of more favourable conditions, including the end of the war, a proposal for a canal to link the towns of Manchester, Bolton and Bury was mooted. Matthew Fletcher had in 1789 been employed as an advisor and had surveyed the route of the proposed canal. The initial proposal probably came from a group in Bolton, with the support of the Mersey, a further meeting on 16 September, held in Bolton, appointed a committee of six Boltonians chaired by Lord Grey de Wilton to attend at Manchester. Hugh Henshall was asked to survey the route of the canal. For local industries along the route of the canal, whose operations relied on water from local rivers and brooks which the canal might also use. At a meeting in Bolton on 4 October 1790, it was resolved that proper clauses be inserted in the bill to prevent injury to owners of mills. He suggested that owners could be protected by a suitable clause in the bill. Businesses in Bolton were concerned with the location of the canal terminus, ralph Fletcher, spokesman for those concerned, reported on this proposal to the committee, although no tunnel was built. Many of the 95 investments on the list appear to have made by proxy. The largest is £3,000, and the smallest £100, the total sum of investments is £47,700
23.
Oaks Park (London)
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The Oaks Park is a public park in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. It is bounded on the south by Croydon Lane, and on the east by Woodmansterne Road, smaller roads lie to west, the park was substantially laid out for the Earl of Derby in the 1770s and changes made for John Burgoyne in the 1790s for the existing villa. The fashionable landscape style was employed with trees forming a perimeter screen, an archeological investigation was carried out by Carshalton and District History and Archeology Society in July 2009. The estate lent its name to the Oaks horserace which was inaugurated by the Earl in 1779 and is run annually during the Derby meeting at Epsom Downs Racecourse, about 4 miles to the west. The original Oaks Race ran from Barrow Hedges, north of The Oaks, part of the off-road route still exists. There is a golf course and sports centre forming part of the open space. The park itself contains a centre, a café and a downland countryside walk. The Oaks Sport Centre has a golf course and a new indoor climbing and caving centre. There is a path that goes around the perimeter of the park for riding, cycling. The park is on a section of the National Cycle Network, a leisure trail along the River Wandle from Wandsworth, passes close to the park at Carshalton and is available from the Sustrans website. South of the park and close Croydon Lane is the Mayfield Lavender Field, the field is spectacular during the midsummer months, filling the park with lavender aroma. The nearest railway station to the park is at Carshalton Beeches, trains serve various places in South London from here. The 166 bus route serves the park at the Croydon Lane end of the park, the bus route serves Banstead, Purley, and Croydon
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Carshalton
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Carshalton is a suburb of London in the London Borough of Sutton, England. Carshalton is centred 1.2 miles east of the centre of Sutton. Carshalton consists of a number of neighbourhoods, the main focal point, Carshalton Village, is visually scenic and picturesque. At its centre it has two adjoining ponds, which are overlooked by the Grade II listed All Saints Church on the south side, the Grade II listed Honeywood Museum sits on the west side, a few yards from the water. There are a number of listed buildings, as well as three conservation areas, including one in the village. In addition to Honeywood Museum, there are other cultural features in Carshalton, including the Charles Cryer Theatre. It is also home to the Sutton Ecology Centre, and every year a fair is held in Carshalton Park to the south of the village. Carshalton is part of the Carshalton and Wallington parliamentary constituency formed in 1983, tom Brake has been its MP since 1997. The combined population of the five wards comprising Carshalton was 45,525 at the 2001 census, a majority of the population of Carshalton is in the ABC1 social group. In the 2011 Census the wards had been merged into 3 with a population of 29,917. To the south of the now known as Carshalton, remains of artefacts dating from the Neolithic to the Iron Age have been found. Prior to the Norman Conquest it is recorded there were five manors in this location owned by five freemen. The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Wallington hundred, Carshalton appears in Domesday Book as Aultone. It was held by Goisfrid de Mandeville and its domesday assets were, 3½ hides,1 church,10 ploughs,1 mill worth £1 15s 0d,22 acres of meadow, woodland worth 2 hogs. In the Domesday era there was a church and a mill in Carshalton. In the Middle Ages the land in the village was generally farmed in the form of a number of open fields, the number of strips which each land owner possessed was based roughly on his wealth. There was also an area of downland in the south of the parish for grazing sheep. Carshalton was known for its springs, these may have given the place its name Cars - Aul - ton, a ton is a farm which was in some way enclosed
25.
Sweepstake
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Sweepstakes are a type of contest where a prize or prizes may be awarded to a winner or winners. Sweepstakes began as a form of lottery that were tied to products sold, in response, the FCC and FTC refined U. S. broadcasting laws. Today, sweepstakes in the USA are used as marketing promotions to reward existing consumers, by definition, the winner is determined by luck rather than skill. Sweepstakes with large grand prizes tend to attract more entries regardless of the odds of winning, therefore, the value of smaller prizes usually total much less than that of the top prize. Firms that rely on sweepstakes for attracting customers, such as Publishers Clearing House and Readers Digest, have found that the more involved the entry process. Businesses often obtain marketing information about their customers from sweepstakes entries, because of their potential for abuse, sweepstakes are heavily regulated in many countries. The U. S. Canada, and individual U. S. states all have laws covering sweepstakes, the U. S. Federal Trade Commission exercises some authority over sweepstakes promotion and sweepstakes scams in the United States. There are similar laws in Brazil, usually requiring an answer to an easy giveaway question, in the United States, sweepstake sponsors are very careful to disassociate themselves from any suggestion that players must pay to enter, or pay to win, as this would constitute gambling. There should be no monetary cost to the entrant and sweepstakes winners should also not be required to pay any kind of fee to receive their prizes. S. Another example is that Tennessee state law prohibits sweepstakes agencies and sponsors from requiring sweepstakes prize winners to submit to in perpetuity publicity releases. Most corporate-sponsored sweepstakes promoted in the United States limit entry to U. S. citizens, the American Family Publishers sweepstakes used paid advertisements during NBCs The Tonight Show to announce its grand prize winners. All three companies eventually paid fines and penalties to a variety of states who initiated legal actions against them, Sweepstakes are frequently used by fast-food restaurants to boost business. One of the most popular has been the McDonalds Monopoly instant-win game-piece promotion, pepsi Stuff was Pepsis largest and most successful long-term promotion ever and it ran for many years in the US and in many countries around the world. Other sponsors may require the submission of a UPC of a product for entry into the sweepstakes drawing. Sweepstakes must be planned to comply with local laws and curtail forms of entrant fraud. Before home computers were popular, a method of entry was a mailed, plain 3 ×5 index card with the entrants name. Massive computer-printed entries resulted in a new requirement that entries must be hand-printed, laser printers which can mimic ink pen writing are also a problem for sponsors. In most sweepstakes, entrants and their relatives must not be related to the sponsor or promoter, in Australia, a sweepstake is known as a competition, however the technical name for a consumer competition is a trade promotion lottery
26.
Horse racing
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Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys or driven over a set distance for competition. Horse races vary widely in format, often, countries have developed their own particular horse racing traditions. Variations include restricting races to particular breeds, running over obstacles, running over different distances, running on different track surfaces, Horse racing has a long and distinguished history and has been practised in civilisations across the world since ancient times. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in Ancient Greece, Babylon, Syria and it also plays an important part of myth and legend, such as the contest between the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. Chariot racing was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman, both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC and were important in the other Panhellenic Games. This was despite the fact that racing was often dangerous to both driver and horse as they frequently suffered serious injury and even death. In the Roman Empire, chariot and mounted horse racing were major industries, fifteen to 20 riderless horses, originally imported from the Barbary Coast of North Africa, ran the length of the Via del Corso, a long, straight city street, in about 2½ minutes. In later times, Thoroughbred racing became, and remains, popular with the aristocrats and royalty of British society, historically, equestrians honed their skills through games and races. Equestrian sports provided entertainment for crowds and honed the excellent horsemanship that was needed in battle, Horse racing of all types evolved from impromptu competitions between riders or drivers. The various forms of competition, requiring demanding and specialized skills from both horse and rider, resulted in the development of specialized breeds and equipment for each sport. The popularity of sports through the centuries has resulted in the preservation of skills that would otherwise have disappeared after horses stopped being used in combat. There are many different types of racing, including, Flat racing. Jump racing, or Jumps racing, also known as Steeplechasing or, in the UK and Ireland, National Hunt racing, Harness racing, where horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a sulky. Breeds that are used for flat racing include the Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Arabian, Paint, Jump racing breeds include the Thoroughbred and AQPS. In harness racing, Standardbreds are used in Australia, New Zealand and North America, light cold blood horses, such as Finnhorses and Scandinavian coldblood trotter are also used in harness racing within their respective geographical areas. There also are races for ponies, both flat and jump and harness racing, Flat racing is the most common form of racing seen worldwide. Track surfaces vary, with turf most common in Europe, dirt more common in North America and Asia, individual flat races are run over distances ranging from 440 yards up to two and a half miles, with distances between five and twelve furlongs being most common. Short races are referred to as sprints, while longer races are known as routes in the United States or staying races in Europe
27.
Bridget (horse)
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Bridget was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the inaugural running of the Oaks Stakes in 1779. She was bred and owned by Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, Bridget was a bay filly bred by Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, and foaled in 1776. She was sired by Herod, who was a successful racehorse, Bridget was the first foal of Jemima, a daughter of Snap. Bridget made her first racecourse appearance on 14 May 1779 in the first running of the Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs, after starting as the 5/2 favourite, she won the race, beating Fame, Lavinia and nine others. At Newmarket in July she won a Sweepstakes of 50 guineas each over the Rowley Mile, beating Fame, Torrent, at Newmarkets First October meeting she started as the 1/2 favourite for a Sweepstakes of 100 guineas each over the two-mile Ditch In course. She won the race, beating four rivals, including Torrent, at the Newmarket Craven meeting in 1780 Bridget beat Thunder to win the Post Stakes. In July she beat Whipcord to win half of the Grosvenors Stakes and her only other race of 1780 was in October, when she beat Postboy in a match over the two middle miles of the Beacon Course at Newmarket. Bridget started once in 1781, winning a match against General Smiths Girandola, Bridget became a broodmare at the Earl of Derbys stud and produced five foals. They were, Guilford colt – a chestnut colt foaled in 1787, hotspur – a chestnut colt sired by Volunteer and foaled in 1789. In 1792 he finished third in the Great Produce Stakes at Newmarket, fair Helen – a bay filly sired by Sir Peter Teazle and foaled in 1792. She ran unplaced in the Oaks as a three-year-old, in March 1796 she won a three-mile Annual Plate at Farndon, before walking over for another the following day. Millamant – a chestnut sired by Volunteer and foaled in 1793. Sir Thomas – a bay colt sired by Sir Peter Teazle, = Bay, br. = Brown * Bridget was inbred 4x4 to both Fox and Flying Childers. This means that the stallions appear twice in the generation of her pedigree
28.
Epsom Oaks
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The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile,4 furlongs and 10 yards and it is the third of Britains five Classic races to be held during the season, and the second of two restricted to fillies. It can also serve as the leg of the Fillies Triple Crown, preceded by the 1,000 Guineas and followed by the St Leger. The event is named after The Oaks, an estate located to the east of Epsom which was leased to the 12th Earl of Derby in the 18th century and he and his guests devised the race during a party at the estate in 1778. It was first run in 1779, one year before the introduction of the Derby Stakes, the inaugural winner, Bridget, was owned by Lord Derby himself. The Oaks subsequently became one of Britains leading events for three-year-olds, by the mid-1860s, the five leading events for this age group were referred to as Classics. The concept was adopted in many other countries. European variations of the Oaks include the Irish Oaks, the Preis der Diana, the Prix de Diane, other national equivalents include the AJC Oaks, the New Zealand Oaks and the Yushun Himba. Since 1892, horses have each carried 9 stone in the race, prior to this, there were several fluctuations, from an original 8 stone 4 pounds, down to 8 stone, then progressively upwards. During both World wars the race was run at Newmarket under the title the New Oaks Stakes, the 2014 running incorporated the name of Sir Henry Cecil in its title. Horseracing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races Trial races for the Epsom Oaks Paris-Turf,1978, horseracinghistory. co. uk – Oaks. horseracingintfed. com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Oaks Stakes. Pedigreequery. com – Oaks Stakes – Epsom Downs, the Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records
29.
Sir Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet
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Sir Thomas Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet was a British politician and the first husband of Lady Sarah Lennox. Bunbury was the eldest son of Reverend Sir William Bunbury, 5th Baronet, Vicar of Mildenhall, Suffolk, the caricaturist Henry Bunbury was his younger brother. He was educated at St Catharines College, Cambridge, Bunbury was returned to Parliament as one of two representatives for Suffolk in 1761, a seat he held until 1784 and again from 1790 to 1812. He was also High Sheriff of Suffolk in 1788, Bunbury married firstly Lady Sarah, daughter of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, and one of the famous Lennox sisters, in 1762. Their notorious marriage, which produced no children, was dissolved by Act of Parliament in 1776 and he married secondly a woman by the name of Margaret sometime after 1776. There were no children from this marriage either, Bunbury died in March 1821, aged 80, and was succeeded by his nephew, Henry. Margaret, Lady Bunbury, died in February 1822, Bunbury was an important figure in the field of horse-racing. He was a steward of the Jockey Club and his horses included the Epsom Derby winners Diomed, Eleanor, new York, St Martins Press,1990, Leigh Rayments list of baronets Leigh Rayments Historical List of MPs Lundy, Darryl
30.
Epsom Derby
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The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards and it is Britains richest horse race, and the most prestigious of the five Classics. It is sometimes referred to as the Blue Riband of the turf, the race serves as the middle leg of the Triple Crown, preceded by the 2000 Guineas and followed by the St Leger, although the feat of winning all three is now rarely attempted. The name Derby has become synonymous with great races all over the world, however, the Epsom Derby is the original. It is one of Britains great national sporting events and has a large worldwide TV audience, in Great Britain the name Derby is pronounced /ˈdɑːrbi/, while in the United States it is /ˈdɜːrbi/, a case of spelling pronunciation. The Derby originated at a following the first running of the Oaks Stakes in 1779. A new race was planned, and it was decided that it should be named either the host of the party. According to legend the decision was made by the toss of a coin, but it is probable that Bunbury, the inaugural running of the Derby was held on Thursday 4 May 1780. It was won by Diomed, a colt owned by Sir Charles Bunbury, the first four runnings were contested over 1 mile, but this was amended to the current distance of 1½ miles in 1784. Lord Derby achieved his first success in the event in 1787, the starting point of the race was moved twice during the 19th century. The first move, suggested by Lord George Bentinck, was in 1848, and it was discovered in 1991 that the exact length of the race was one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards. Initially, the Derby was run on a Thursday in late May or early June depending on when Easter occurred, in 1838 the race was moved to a Wednesday to fit in with the railways timetables but was still run on different dates depending on Easter. In 1995 the day was changed from the first Wednesday in June to the first Saturday, the Derby has been run at Epsom in all years except during the world wars. From 1915 to 1918 and from 1940 to 1945 the Derby was run at Newmarket and these races are known as the New Derby. The Derby has inspired similar events around the world. European variations include the Derby Italiano, the Deutsches Derby, the Irish Derby, other national equivalents include the Australian Derby, the New Zealand Derby and the Tokyo Yūshun. Several races in the United States include the Derby name, including the Kentucky Derby, investec became the sponsor of the Derby in 2009, and the current sponsorship deal runs until 2022. The race was backed by Ever Ready and Vodafone
31.
Diomed
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Diomed, foaled in 1777, was an English Thoroughbred race horse who won the inaugural running of the Epsom Derby in 1780. He was subsequently a successful sire in the United States, richard Vernon and owned by Sir Charles Bunbury. and trained by him at Hilton Hall. He was started 19 times, winning 11, finishing second in 4, of these eleven wins, ten were consecutive, which included the inaugural running of the Epsom Derby in 1780. During these early years of Diomeds life, he was considered by many to be the best colt seen in Britain since Eclipse. He was allowed to rest for a while, but when he was back to the races. Sometimes he would win, and sometimes he wouldnt win, and his last win was a Kings Plate in four mile heats carrying 168 pounds. Sir Charles retired Diomed to stud and his fee was five guineas, or about $25. There were few takers, and for the decade or so, Diomeds fee went down and down until, by the age of 21. By then, there were no takers, so the old stallion did nothing. Sir Charles offered Diomed for sale when the stallion was 21 years old, colonel John Hoomes of Bowling Green, Virginia bought him for $250, and then shipped him to Virginia where he was returned to stud in 1798. Besides being personally impressed with the horse, a stallion of Tayloes had also hurt himself. In those days, stallions did not stand in one place, Diomed lived like this until he was thirty-one years old and was active to his very last days. His fee increased with his fame and his fame increased so quickly that Hoomes was able to sell a share in him for six times his purchase price soon after he set all four hooves on American soil. Diomed, along with Medley, Shark, and Messenger, were the four most important stallions introduced into early American bloodstock, Sir Archy had a huge influence on Thoroughbred history, siring the line which led to Timoleon, Boston, and Lexington. His descendants include Black Caviar, Phar Lap, Secretariat and American Pharoah, Diomeds get included saddlehorses for Thomas Jefferson and statesman and jurist John Marshall. At Diomeds death at the age of 31, it was reported. there was as much mourning over his demise as there was at the death of George Washington
32.
Sir Peter Teazle
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Sir Peter Teazle was a good British bred Thoroughbred racehorse, a Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland nine times, and carried on the sire line of Herod. Bred by Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, Sir Peter Teazle was by the undefeated Highflyer, Sir Peters sire, Highflyer was on the Leading Sire list 16 times, producing 469 winners, seven of which won classic races. Highflyer also got the mare Prunella, and the sons Delpini, Diamond and his dam, Papillon, was by Snap, himself on the Leading Sire list four times and a great producer of raw speed. Papillon had some success as a racehorse, finishing out of 22 in the 1773 Craven Stakes, losing to Firetail. Sir Peter was her 7th out of 12 living foals, and one of several winners she produced, including the filly Lady Teazle, the name comes from a character in the classic comic play The School for Scandal. Sir Peter first came to the track at three, and continued the season undefeated and he then won a 40 guineas subscription purse and a sweepstakes by walkover. At age four at Newmarket First Spring he won the Jockey Stakes, the rich Claret Stakes, and the Fortescue Stakes, twice beating Buzzard, at Newmarket July he won the Grosvenor Stakes over two miles. In October at Newmarket he received a forfeit in a 700 guineas match against Mentor and his final race of the year was a 300 guineas match against the good mare Maria, which he won. He was seven for eight that season, his only one in which he was conceding gobs of weight. He then defeated Maria in a 300 guineas match and he finished his four-year-old season with seven wins from eight starts. Sir Peter then won the Newmarket Craven, beating Meteor again and he then forfeited two races—a six mile,1,000 guineas match against Dash, and 500 guineas match against Meteor—probably due to physical problems. Sir Peter then lost to Mulberry, who was carrying 28 lbs less and he then broke down in a later race, and was retired to stud. Sir Peter stood at Derbys Knowsley Stud in Lancashire, where he had success in the breeding shed. During this time, he sired a Doncaster Cup, four Epsom Derby winners and his sons Walton and Sir Harry would also be top on the list, Walton in Britain for two years, Sir Harry in the US. His top offspring include, Agonistes, won the Richmond Cup, ambrosio,1793 colt, won 18 races including the St. Leger in 1796, the Newmarket Craven Oatlands twice, the Newmarkets Jockey Club Plate, and the Great Subscription Purse at York. Barbarossa,1802 colt, won the Egremont Stakes at Brighton, the Somerset Stakes, beatrice,1791 filly, dam to Vicissitude Caleb Quotem,1802 colt, won the Doncaster Cup, 2nd in the St. Leger Cecilia,1793 filly, won at Chesterfield. Ditto,1800 colt, won the Derby in 1803, the Claret Stakes at Newmarket, Newmarkets Craven Stakes, dam to Oaks winner Oriana, and Ashton. Produced daughters Camilla and Galatea Petronius 1805 colt, won the St. Leger in 1808 Pipylin,1799 colt, record 26, 11-3-
33.
Jockey
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A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing, the word is by origin a diminutive of jock, the Northern English or Scots colloquial equivalent of the first name John, which is also used generically for boy, or fellow, at least since 1529. A familiar instance of the use of the word as a name is in Jockey of Norfolk in Shakespeares Richard III. v.3,304, the current usage which means a person who rides a horse in races was first seen in 1670. Another possible origin is the Gaelic word eachaidhe, a horseman, the Irish name Eochaid is related to each, horse, and is usually translated as horse rider. This is phonetically similar to jockey Jockeys must be light to ride at the weights which are assigned to their mounts. There are horse carrying weight limits, that are set by racing authorities, the Kentucky Derby, for example, has a weight limit of 126 lb including the jockeys equipment. The weight of a jockey usually ranges from 108 to 118 lb, despite their light weight, they must be able to control a horse that is moving at 40 mph and weighs 1,200 lb. Though there is no limit for jockeys, they are usually fairly short due to the weight limits. Jockeys typically stand around 4 ft 10 in to 5 ft 6 in, Jockeys are normally self employed, nominated by horse trainers to ride their horses in races, for a fee and a percentage of the purse winnings. In Australia, employment of apprentice jockeys is in terms of indenture to a master, Jockeys often cease their riding careers to take up other employment in racing, usually as trainers. In this way the system serves to induct young people into racing employment. Jockeys usually start out when they are young, riding work in the morning for trainers and it is normally necessary for an apprentice jockey to ride a minimum of about 20 barrier trials successfully before being permitted to ride in races. An apprentice jockey is known as a bug boy because the asterisk that follows the name in the program looks like a bug, all jockeys must be licensed and usually are not permitted to bet on a race. An apprentice jockey has a master, who is a horse trainer and this allowance is adjusted according to the number of winners that the apprentice has ridden. After a four-year indentured apprenticeship, the apprentice becomes a jockey and usually develops relationships with trainers. Sometimes senior jockeys are paid a retainer by an owner gives the owner the right to insist the jockey ride their horses in races. Racing modeled on the English Jockey Club spread throughout the world with colonial expansion, the colors worn by jockeys in races are the registered colors of the owner or trainer who employs them. The practice of riders wearing colors probably stems from medieval times when jousts were held between knights, however, the origins of racing colors of various patterns may have been influenced by racing held in Italian city communities since medieval times
34.
Angelica Kauffman
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Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann RA, usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered primarily as a painter, Kauffmann was a skilled portraitist, landscape. She was one of the two founding members of the Royal Academy in London in 1768. Kauffman was born at Chur in Graubünden, Switzerland and her family moved to Morbegno in 1742, then Como in Lombardy in 1752 at that time under Austrian rule. In 1757 she accompanied her father to Schwarzenberg in Vorarlberg/Austria where her father was working for the local bishop and her father, Joseph Johann Kauffmann, was a relatively poor man but a skilled Swiss muralist and painter, who was often traveling for his work. He trained Angelica and she worked as his assistant, moving through Switzerland, Austria, Angelica, a child prodigy, rapidly acquired several languages from her mother, Cleophea Lutz, including German, Italian, French and English. She also showed talent as a musician and was forced to choose between opera and art and she quickly chose art as a Catholic priest told Kauffman that the opera was a dangerous place filled with seedy people. By her twelfth year she had known as a painter, with bishops. In 1754, her mother died and her decided to move to Milan. Later visits to Italy of long duration followed and she became a member of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze in 1762. In 1763 she visited Rome, returning again in 1764, from Rome she passed to Bologna and Venice, everywhere feted for her talents and charm. Writing from Rome in August 1764 to his friend Franke, Winckelmann refers to her popularity, she was painting his picture. She may be styled beautiful, he adds, and in singing may vie with our best virtuosi, in 1765, her work appeared in England in an exhibition of the Free Society of Artists. She moved to England shortly after and established herself as a leading artist, while in Venice, Kauffman was persuaded by Lady Wentworth, the wife of the British ambassador, to accompany her to London. One of the first pieces she completed in London was a portrait of David Garrick, the rank of Lady Wentworth opened society to her, and she was everywhere well received, the royal family especially showing her great favor. Her firmest friend, however, was Sir Joshua Reynolds, in his pocket-book her name as Miss Angelica or Miss Angel appears frequently, and in 1766 he painted her, a compliment which she returned by her Portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds. In 1767 Kauffman was seduced by an imposter going under the name Count Frederick de Horn, whom she married and it was probably owing to Reynoldss good offices that she was among the signatories to the petition to the king for the establishment of the Royal Academy. In its first catalogue of 1769 she appears with R. A. after her name, and she contributed the Interview of Hector and Andromache, and three other classical compositions
35.
James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton
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James George Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton and 3rd Duke of Brandon, KT was a Scottish peer. Hamilton was the son of the 5th Duke of Hamilton and was styled as Marquess of Clydesdale from his birth until his fathers death and he was educated at Winchester College from 1734 to 1740 and graduated from St Mary Hall, Oxford on 14 April 1743. On 14 February 1752, Hamilton met the society beauty Elizabeth Gunning at Bedford House in London, according to Robert Walpole, the duke wished to marry her that night and he called for a local parson to perform the ceremony. However, without a licence, calling of banns and a ring and he died on 17 January 1758, aged 33, at Great Tew, Oxfordshire from a cold caught whilst out hunting. He was buried in February 1758 at the mausoleum at Hamilton. The Duke of Hamilton was a member of the local Masonic Lodge, Elizabeth Gunning Lodge Hamilton Kilwinning No.7 Pedigree at Genealogics
36.
Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby
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The Derbyan parakeet, Psittacula derbiana, is named after him. He was the 1st child and only son of Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby and Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton, on 10 November 1796, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Lancashire. He was commissioned the colonel of the 1st Battalion of the Lancashire Supplementary Militia on 1 March 1797 and he was breveted as a colonel in the regular Army with seniority from that date, retaining the rank until his regiment was disembodied, which occurred at the end of 1799. He resigned his commission as colonel on 13 April 1847, on 30 June 1798 he married Charlotte Margaret Hornby, daughter of Reverend Geoffrey Hornby, with whom he fathered future Prime Minister Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby. In 1834 he succeeded his father as 13th Earl of Derby and withdrew from politics, instead concentrating on his natural history collection at Knowsley Hall, near Liverpool. He had a collection of living animals, at his death there were 1,272 birds and 345 mammals at Knowsley. Lord Derby was also the patron of the writer Edward Lear, many of Derbys collections are now housed in Liverpool museum. From 1828 to 1833 he was President of the Linnean Society, the TAL & Dai-ichi Life Derby Collection at the State Library of New South Wales
37.
John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset
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John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset KG was the only son of Lord John Philip Sackville, second son of Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1769 on the death of his uncle, Charles Sackville and he was the British Ambassador to France between 1783 and 1789 in the lead up to the French Revolution. He is best remembered for his love of cricket and he was both a good player and an important patron, but his interest was sharpened by gambling, cricket being a major attraction for gamblers throughout the 18th century. His other sporting interests included billiards and tennis, while he acquired a reputation as a womaniser. He was returned unopposed as the Member of Parliament for the county of Kent in 1768 and he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Kent in 1769, a position he held until 1797. He was Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from 1789 until his death, the young John Sackville was schooled at Westminster, where he first became a noted proponent of cricket. He went on to join Hambledon Cricket Club, based in Hambledon, Hampshire and he was joined there by Sir Horatio Mann, a Carthusian, and Lord Tankerville of Eton and Surrey, who was his keenest rival. Dorset gained a reputation as a keen competitor, the Morning Post in 1773 wrote, The Duke. In the same year, Dorset presented the Vine Cricket Ground, at Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent, to the town, at a peppercorn rent and it is one of the oldest cricket grounds in England. The first nationally reported cricket match had taken place here in the 1734 season when The Gentlemen of Kent beat The Gentlemen of Sussex, Sevenoaks Town Council still has the Vine Cricket Club, though the rent doubled to two peppercorns after the pavilion was built in the 19th century. They must also pay the Lord Sackville one cricket ball on 21 July each year, in 1775, a full-scale riot broke out at the Artillery Ground when Dorsets side was not performing too well. In 1782 the Morning Chronicle noted that His Grace is one of the few noblemen who endeavour to combine the elegance of modern luxury with the manly sports of the old English times. Dorsets patronage of cricket was expensive — the Whitehall Evening Post in 1783 noted that the cost to Dorset of maintaining his team and this was a lot, but less than the amounts some of his contemporaries were spending on racing. The report went to say that Dorset was unrivalled at cricket, tennis, in 1784 Dorset moved to Paris, surprising his critics with newfound public dedication, to serve as ambassador to France. From this moment we may consider France as a country, the King a very limited monarch. He continued to promote cricket amongst the locals and British expatriates, in 1786 The Times reported on a cricket match played by some English gentlemen in the Champs-Elysées, His Grace of Dorset was, as usual, the most distinguished for skill and activity. The French, however, cannot imitate us in such vigorous exertions of the body, the following year The Times noted that horse-racing was losing popularity in France, with cricket, on Dorsets recommendation, taking its place. In 1789 Dorset planned what might have become the first international cricket tour and his touring side, which included William Yalden, William Bedster and Lumpy Stevens, got as far as congregating on 10 August at Dover
38.
George Romney (painter)
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George Romney was an English portrait painter. He was the most fashionable artist of his day, painting many leading society figures – including his artistic muse, Emma Hamilton, Romney was born in Beckside in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, the 3rd son of John Romney, cabinet maker, and Anne Simpson. Raised in a cottage named High Cocken in modern-day Barrow-in-Furness, he was sent to school at nearby Dendron and he appears to have been an indifferent student and was withdrawn at the age of 11 and apprenticed to his fathers business instead. He proved to have an ability for drawing and making things from wood – including violins. All costs were to be borne by Georges father, in October 1756, Romney married Mary Abbot, but the couple were immediately separated when he was called away to York on business by his employer. After a year, Steele eventually agreed to cancel the apprenticeship, at Georges request, in 1757, Romney rejoined his wife and young son in Kendal, working as a portraitist, landscape and historical painter. In this period he became friends with Adam Walker, the inventor and writer, in March 1762, he parted from his wife, son and daughter, to seek his fortune in London, where he stayed until 1799. Throughout the separation, he maintained contact with his family and financially supported them, in 1763, Romney entered his painting, The Death of General Wolfe, into a Royal Society of Arts competition. According to friends of Romney, he was awarded the prize of 50 guineas. It is said that Sir Joshua Reynolds himself was the mover behind this decision. Despite his later success, Romney was never invited to join the Royal Academy of Arts, though he was asked, urged even and this decision certainly cost him valuable royal patronage and support from others connected at court. His own career supported this belief, and it was only towards the end of his life that he expressed the slightest regret for his views and his early years in the capital were something of a struggle financially. In September 1764, he travelled to Paris for a few weeks to study the works of the old masters, in 1765 he again won the second prize of 50 guineas in the Royal Society of Arts competition. In 1768, he made the acquaintance of Richard Cumberland, the dramatist, whose portrait he painted, and he also became friends with miniature painter Ozias Humphrey. In 1770 he started to exhibit his work at the Chartered Society of Artists rather the rival Free Society of Artists, by 1772 Romney was financially secure enough to make the journey to Italy to study the great artists of the past, as he had always intended. He set off in March, making his way through Europe, a letter of introduction allowed him to meet the Pope, Clement XIV, who allowed him to set up scaffolding in the Vatican to study the frescoes of Raphael. He spent 18 months in Rome making studies and sketches of the art works on view there. He returned to London in July 1775 after an absence of over 2 years, on his return, in 1775, Romney moved to Cavendish Square, in a house formerly owned by noted portraitist Francis Cotes
39.
Thomas Lawrence
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Sir Thomas Lawrence PRA FRS was a leading English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. He was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper, at the age of ten, having moved to Bath, he was supporting his family with his pastel portraits. At eighteen he went to London and soon established his reputation as a painter in oils, receiving his first royal commission. He stayed at the top of his profession until his death, aged 60, self-taught, he was a brilliant draughtsman and known for his gift of capturing a likeness, as well as his virtuoso handling of paint. He became an associate of the Royal Academy in 1791, a member in 1794. Lawrences love affairs were not happy and, in spite of his success, at his death, Lawrence was the most fashionable portrait painter in Europe. His reputation waned during Victorian times, but has since been partially restored, Thomas Lawrence was born at 6 Redcross Street, Bristol, the youngest surviving child of Thomas Lawrence, a supervisor of excise, and Lucy Read, the daughter of a clergyman. The couple had 16 children but only five survived infancy, Lawrences brother Andrew became a clergyman, William had a career in the army, sisters Lucy and Anne married a solicitor and a clergyman. Soon after Thomas was born his father decided to become an innkeeper and took over the White Lion Inn and next-door American Coffee House in Broad Street, Bristol. It was during the familys stay at the Black Bear Inn that Lawrence senior began to make use of his sons precocious talents for drawing and reciting poetry. Visitors would be greeted with the words Gentlemen, heres my son – will you have him recite from the poets, among those who listened to a recitation from Tom, or Tommy as he was called, was the actor David Garrick. Lawrences formal schooling was limited to two years at The Fort, a school in Bristol, when he was aged six to eight, and he also became accomplished in dancing, fencing, boxing and billiards. But once again Lawrence senior failed as a landlord and, in 1779, he was declared bankrupt, from now on, Lawrence was to support his parents with the money he earned from his portraits. The family settled at 2 Alfred Street in Bath, and the young Lawrence established himself as a portraitist in pastels, the oval portraits, for which he was soon charging three guineas, were about 12 inches by 10 inches, and usually portrayed a half-length. His sitters included the Duchess of Devonshire, Sarah Siddons, Sir Henry Harpur, Warren Hastings, sometime before his eighteenth birthday in 1787 Lawrence arrived in London, taking lodgings in Leicester Square, near to Joshua Reynolds studio. He was introduced to Reynolds, who advised him to study nature, Lawrence set up a studio at 41 Jermyn Street and installed his parents in a house in Greek Street. In the Royal Academy exhibition of 1788 Lawrence was represented by five portraits in pastels and one in oils, a medium he quickly mastered. Between 1787 and his death in 1830 he would miss two of the annual exhibitions, once,1809, in protest about the way his paintings had been displayed and once, in 1819
40.
Christie's
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Christies is a historic British auction house. It was founded in 1766 by James Christie and its main premises are in King Street, St. Jamess, in London, and on Rockefeller Plaza in New York City in the United States. The company is owned by Groupe Artémis, the company of François-Henri Pinault. Sales in 2015 totalled £4.8 billion, however, other sources note that James Christie rented auction rooms from 1762, and newspaper advertisements of Christies sales dating from 1759 have also been traced. Christies soon established a reputation as an auction house. From 1859, the company was called Christie, Manson & Woods, in 1958, it established its first overseas office, by placing a representative in Rome. The first overseas salesroom opened in Geneva, where Christies holds jewellery auctions, Christies was a public company, listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1973 to 1999. In 1974, Jo Floyd was appointed chairman of Christies and he served as chairman of Christies International plc. from 1976 to 1988, until handing over to Lord Carrington, and later was a non-executive member of the board of directors until 1992. The auction houses subsidiary Christies International Inc. held its first sale in the United States in 1977,13 years later than Sothebys, Christies growth was slow but steady since 1989, when it had 42 percent of the auction market. In 1990, the company reversed a policy and guaranteed a minimum price for a collection of artworks in its May auctions. In 1996, the auction houses sales eclipsed Sothebys for the first time since 1954. In 1993, Christies paid $10.9 million for the London gallery Spink & Sons, which specialised in Oriental art and British paintings, the company bought Leger Gallery for $3.3 million in 1996, and merged it with Spink to become Spink-Leger. The company has not been reporting profits, though it gives sale totals twice a year. Its policy, in line with U. K. accounting standards, is to convert non-U. K, results using an average exchange rate weighted daily by sales throughout the year. In 2002, Christies France held its first auction in Paris, like Sothebys, Christies became increasingly involved in high-profile private transactions. Under the original deal, the gallery was meant to be the channel for all of Christies private-client business as well as the focus of its primary trade. Also, the house originally announced that Haunch employees could not bid at auction because of conflicts of interest or issues of market manipulation. Today, the continues to operate as an independent company in London and New York
41.
James Gillray
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James Gillray was a British caricaturist and printmaker famous for his etched political and social satires, mainly published between 1792 and 1810. Gillray has been called the father of the cartoon, with his works satirizing George III, prime ministers. He was born in Chelsea, London and his father, a native of Lanark, had served as a soldier, losing an arm at the Battle of Fontenoy, and was admitted, first as an inmate, and afterwards as an outdoor pensioner, at Chelsea Hospital. Gillray commenced life by learning letter-engraving, at which he became adept. This employment, however, proved irksome to James, so he wandered about for a time with a company of strolling players and his caricatures are almost all in etching, some also with aquatint, and a few using stipple technique. None can correctly be described as engravings, although this term is loosely used to describe them. Hogarths works were the delight and study of his early years, paddy on Horseback, which appeared in 1779, is the first caricature which is certainly his. Two caricatures on Admiral Rodneys naval victory at the Battle of the Saintes, Gillray lived with Miss Humphrey during the entire period of his fame. It is believed that he several times thought of marrying her, and that on one occasion the pair were on their way to the church and we live very comfortably together, we had better let well alone. There is no evidence, however, to support the stories which scandalmongers invented about their relations, Gillrays plates were exposed in Humphreys shop window, where eager crowds examined them. One of his prints, Very Slippy-Weather, shows Miss Humphreys shop in St. Jamess Street in the background. Gillrays eyesight began to fail in 1806 and he began wearing spectacles but they were unsatisfactory. Unable to work to his previous standards, James Gillray became depressed and started drinking heavily. He produced his last print in September 1809, as a result of his heavy drinking Gillray suffered from gout throughout his later life. His last work, from a design by Bunbury, is entitled Interior of a Barbers Shop in Assize Time, while he was engaged on it he became mad, although he had occasional intervals of sanity, which he employed on his last work. The approach of madness may have been hastened by his intemperate habits, in July 1811 Gillray attempted to kill himself by throwing himself out of an attic window above Humphreys shop in St Jamess Street. Gillray lapsed into insanity and was looked after by Hannah Humphrey until his death on 1 June 1815 in London, he was buried in St Jamess churchyard, Piccadilly. A number of his most trenchant satires are directed against George III, during the French Revolution, Gillray took a conservative stance, and he issued caricature after caricature ridiculing the French and Napoleon, and glorifying John Bull
42.
The London Gazette
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The London Gazette claims to be the oldest surviving English newspaper and the oldest continuously published newspaper in the UK, having been first published on 7 November 1665 as The Oxford Gazette. This claim is made by the Stamford Mercury and Berrows Worcester Journal. It does not have a large circulation, in turn, The London Gazette carries not only notices of UK-wide interest, but also those relating specifically to entities or people in England and Wales. However, certain notices that are only of specific interest to Scotland or Northern Ireland are also required to be published in The London Gazette, the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes are published by TSO on behalf of Her Majestys Stationery Office. They are subject to Crown Copyright, the London Gazette is published each weekday, except for Bank Holidays. The official Gazettes are published by The Stationery Office, the content, apart from insolvency notices, is available in a number of machine-readable formats, including XML and XML/RDFa via Atom feed. The London Gazette was first published as The Oxford Gazette on 7 November 1665. Charles II and the Royal Court had moved to Oxford to escape the Great Plague of London, the Gazette was Published by Authority by Henry Muddiman, and its first publication is noted by Samuel Pepys in his diary. The King returned to London as the plague dissipated, and the Gazette moved too, the Gazette was not a newspaper in the modern sense, it was sent by post to subscribers, not printed for sale to the general public. Her Majestys Stationery Office took over the publication of the Gazette in 1889, publication of the Gazette was transferred to the private sector, under government supervision, in the 1990s, when HMSO was sold and renamed The Stationery Office. In time of war, dispatches from the conflicts are published in The London Gazette. People referred to are said to have mentioned in dispatches. When members of the forces are promoted, and these promotions are published here. Man tally-ho, Miss piano, Wife silk and satin, Boy Greek and Latin, the phrase gazetted fortune hunter is also probably derived from this. Notices of engagement and marriage were also published in the Gazette. Gazettes, modelled on The London Gazette, were issued for most British colonial possessions
43.
Parliament of Great Britain
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The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. This lasted nearly a century, until the Acts of Union 1800 merged the separate British and Irish Parliaments into a single Parliament of the United Kingdom with effect from 1 January 1801. Following the Treaty of Union in 1706, Acts of Union ratifying the Treaty were passed in both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland, which created a new Kingdom of Great Britain. The Acts dissolved both parliaments, replacing them with a new parliament, referred to as the Parliament of Great Britain and it was not even considered necessary to hold a new general election. While Scots law and Scottish legislation remained separate, new legislation was thereafter to be enacted by the new parliament, after the Hanoverian King George I ascended the British throne in 1714 through the Act of Settlement of 1701, real power continued to shift away from the monarchy. George was a German ruler, spoke poor English, and remained interested in governing his dominions in continental Europe rather than in Britain. Reformers and Radicals sought parliamentary reform, but as the French Revolutionary Wars developed the British government became repressive against dissent and progress towards reform was stalled. During the first half of George IIIs reign, the still had considerable influence over Parliament. Most candidates for the House of Commons were identified as Whigs or Tories, reformers like William Beckford and Radicals beginning with John Wilkes called for reform of the system. In 1780 a draft programme of reform was drawn up by Charles James Fox and Thomas Brand Hollis and this included calls for the six points later adopted by the Chartists. Pitt had previously called for Parliament to begin to reform itself, proposals Pitt made in April 1785 to redistribute seats from the rotten boroughs to London and the counties were defeated in the House of Commons by 248 votes to 174
44.
Charles Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton
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Charles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton was a Member of the British Parliament and a member of the peerage of Ireland. He was born on 11 October 1748, the son of Thomas and he married Lady Isabella Stanhope, daughter of William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington, on 27 November 1768. He conformed to the Church of England on 5 March 1769 and he was elected to the House of Commons in 1771 and represented the Lancashire constituency as a Whig until 1774. He died in either late December 1794 or January 1795 and was succeeded by his only son, Leigh Rayments Peerage Pages – Peerages beginning with M Leigh Rayments Peerage Pages – Peerages beginning with S
45.
Thomas Egerton, 1st Earl of Wilton
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Thomas Grey Egerton, 1st Earl of Wilton, known as Sir Thomas Grey Egerton, Bt from 1756 to 1784, was a British peer from the Egerton family. Egerton was the son of Sir Thomas Grey Egerton, 6th Baronet, on 12 September 1769, he married Eleanor, youngest daughter and coheir of Sir Ralph Assehton, 3rd Bt, of Middleton. Egerton sat as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire from 1772 to 1784, the peerage was created with remainder to heirs male of his body. Egerton was listed as a subscriber to the Manchester, Bolton and he died on 23 September 1814, aged 65, decessit sine prole malus. On his death the Barony of Grey de Wilton became extinct as he had no sons while the Baronetcy was passed on to a distant relative and he was succeeded in the Viscountcy and Earldom according to the special remainder by his grandson Lord Thomas Grosvenor Egerton. There was one surviving daughter, Eleanor, who on 28 April 1794 married Robert Grosvenor, then Viscount Belgrave, in 1802 he became 2nd Earl Grosvenor, bibliography Hansard 1803–2005, contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Wilton Baron Grey de Wilton
46.
British general election, 1774
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Lord Norths government was returned with a large majority. The opposition consisted of supporting the Marquess of Rockingham and the Earl of Chatham. Norths opponents referred to his supporters as Tories, but no Tory party existed at the time, see British general election,1796 for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain, the general election was held between 5 October 1774 and 10 November 1774. At this period elections did not take place at the time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or parliamentary borough fixed the precise date, list of Parliaments of Great Britain MPs elected in the British general election,1774 British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher. New York, Published for the History of Parliament Trust by Oxford University Press
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