Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam

The Right Honourable
The Earl Fitzwilliam
KG
The Right Honourable The Earl Fitzwilliam KG
	copy of a portrait by John Hoppner
Born	Charles William Wentworth-FitzWilliam; 4 May 1786
Died	4 October 1857 (aged 71)
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Eton College
Spouse	Hon. Mary Dundas (m. 1806; died 1830)
Children	13, including:; William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 6th Earl Fitzwilliam; Hon. George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam; Hon. Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam;
Parents	William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam; Lady Charlotte Ponsonby;

Charles William Wentworth Fitzwilliam, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam in the peerage of Ireland, and 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam in the peerage of Great Britain, KG (4 May 1786 – 4 October 1857) was a British nobleman and politician. He was president three times of the Royal Statistical Society in 1838–1840, 1847–1849, and 1853–1855; and president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in its inaugural year (1831–2).^[1]

Early life[edit]

He was born on 4 May 1786 as the only son of William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam, who served as Lord President of the Council and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and his first wife, Lady Charlotte Ponsonby (daughter of William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough).^[2] After his mother's death in 1822, his father married the Louisa, Baroness Ponsonby (daughter of Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount Molesworth and widow of William Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby), in 1823, however, she died soon after in February 1824.^[2]^[a]

His paternal grandparents were William Fitzwilliam, 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam and Lady Anne Watson-Wentworth (daughter of Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquess of Rockingham, and sister to Prime Minister Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham). His father inherited the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham's estates in 1782.^[2]

He was a pupil at Eton College from 1796 to 1802.^[2]

Career[edit]

Before inheriting the Earldom on 8 February 1833 on the death of his father, he was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Milton. Under that name, he was the Whig Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire between 1831 and 1832. Fitzwilliam became a strong supporter of Parliamentary Reform and one of the principal advocates of repeal of the Corn Laws.^[3]^[4]^[5]

The family seat was Wentworth Woodhouse, reputedly the largest private house in England.^[6]

Personal life[edit]

On 8 July 1806, Viscount Milton married his cousin, the Hon. Mary Dundas (1787–1830). Mary was the daughter of Thomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas and Lady Charlotte Fitzwilliam (the 4th Earl's sister).^[7] They had thirteen children:^[8]

Lady Charlotte Wentworth-FitzWilliam (b. 1807)^[9]
Hon. Margaret Bruce Wentworth-FitzWilliam (1809–1809)^[9]
Lady Mary Wentworth-FitzWilliam (1810–1893), who married Leonard Thompson, Esq.^[9]
William Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam, Viscount Milton (1812–1835), who married Lady Selina Charlotte Jenkinson, daughter of Charles Jenkinson, 3rd Earl of Liverpool, in 1833.^[9] They had two children; the younger survived:^[2]
- Stillborn son (14 November 1834)^[2]
- Hon. Mary Selina Charlotte Fitzwilliam (1836–1899), who married Henry Portman, 2nd Viscount Portman.^[2]
Lady Frances Laura Wentworth-FitzWilliam (1813–1887), who married Rev. William Bridgman-Simpson in 1837.^[9] They had five children:^[2]
- Mary Bridgeman-Simpson (d. 1880)^[2]
- Beatrice Dorothy Mary Bridgeman-Simpson (d. 1936)^[2]
- Orlando John George Bridgeman-Simpson (1838–1907)^[2]
- George Arthur Bridgeman-Simpson (1846–1913)^[2]
- Admiral Sir Francis Charles Bridgeman-Simpson (1848–1929)^[2]
William Thomas Spencer Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 6th Earl Fitzwilliam (1815–1902)^[9]
Hon. George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1817–1874), who married Alice Louisa Anson, daughter of daughter of Maj.-Gen. Hon. George Anson in 1865.^[9] They had three children:^[2]
- George Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1866–1935), who married Daisy Evelyn Lyster, daughter of Charles Stephan Lyster, in 1888. They had two sons:
  - George James Charles Wentworth-FitzWilliam (1888–1955), who married Lorna Beryl Morgan in 1914. They had two children:^[2]
    - Richard John Godric Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1916–1987)^[2]
    - Rosemary Ann Wentworth-FitzWilliam (1918–1997)^[2]
  - William Thomas George Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 10th Earl Fitzwilliam (1904–1979)^[2]
- Alice Mary Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1869–1956)^[2]
- Maud Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1871–1949)^[2]
Lady Anne Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1819–1879), who married Sir James John Randoll Mackenzie of Scatwell, 6th Bt at the Chapel at Wentworth Woodhouse in 1838.^[9]
Lady Dorothy Wentworth-FitzWilliam (b. 1822)^[9]
Hon. John Wentworth-FitzWilliam (1823–1824)^[9]
Hon. Charles William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1826–1894), who married Anne Dundas, daughter of Reverend Hon. Thomas Lawrence Dundas, in 1854.^[9] Died without issue.
[a son] (b. and d. 18 Mar 1828)^[9]
Lady Albreda Elizabeth Wentworth-Fitzwilliam (1829–1891), who married Fitzpatrick Henry Vernon, 2nd Baron Lyveden in 1853.^[9]

Lord Fitzwilliam died on 4 October 1857.^[10]

Notes[edit]

^ From his father's second marriage, he had five step-siblings: John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby (a diplomat), Hon. Sir William Ponsonby (a Maj.-Gen. in the Army who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo), Richard Ponsonby (Bishop of Killaloe and Kilfenora, Derry, Derry and Raphoe), George Ponsonby (MP and Junior Lord of the Treasury), and Mary (wife of Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey).

References[edit]

^ Fitzwilliam, Charles William, Earl (1844) Correspondence ... of Edmund Burke, London.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 3, page 4284.
^ Wasson, Ellis Archer (1987) Whig Renaissance: Lord Althorp and the Whig Party 1782-1845, Garland, London.
^ Spring, David (1954) "Earl Fitzwilliam and the Corn Laws", American Historical Review. v. 59, n. 2. Pages 287-304.
^ Fitzwilliam, Charles William, Earl (1834) Address to the Landowners of Great Britain on the Corn Laws (Second Address 1835).
^ Pagnamenta, Peter (2012) USA W.W.Norton & Co. Prairie Fever: British Aristocrats in the American West 1830-1890. Page 136,137.
^ Cokayne, George Edward (1916). The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom: Dacre to Dysart. St. Catherine Press, Limited. p. 522. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
^ Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage: Comprising Information Concerning All Persons Bearing Hereditary Or Courtesy Titles, Companions of All the Various Orders, and the Collateral Branches of All Peers and Baronets. Dean and Son. 1888. p. 753. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Lodge, Edmund (1843). The Peerage of the British Empire as at Present Existing: Arranged and Printed from the Personal Communications of the Nobility. Saunders and Otley. p. 231. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
^ Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1889). "Fitzwilliam, Charles William Wentworth" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 19. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

External links[edit]

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Viscount Milton

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Bryan Cooke Henry Grattan	Member of Parliament for Malton 1806–1807 With: Bryan Cooke	Succeeded by The Lord Headley Robert Lawrence Dundas
Preceded by William Wilberforce Walter Ramsden Fawkes	Member of Parliament for Yorkshire 1807–1830 With: William Wilberforce 1807–1812 Viscount Lascelles 1812–1818 James Stuart-Wortley 1818–1826 William Duncombe 1826–1830 Richard Fountayne Wilson 1826–1830 John Marshall 1826–1830	Succeeded by William Duncombe Viscount Morpeth Richard Bethell Henry Brougham
Preceded by Sir James Scarlett Sir Robert Heron, Bt	Member of Parliament for Peterborough 1830 With: Sir Robert Heron, Bt	Succeeded by Sir Robert Heron, Bt John Nicholas Fazakerley
Preceded by Viscount Howick	Member of Parliament for Higham Ferrers 1831	Succeeded by Charles Pepys
Preceded by William Ralph Cartwright Viscount Althorp	Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire 1831–1832 With: Viscount Althorp	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for North Northamptonshire 1832–1833 With: Lord Brudenell	Succeeded by Lord Brudenell Viscount Milton
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by William Fitzwilliam	Earl Fitzwilliam 1833–1857	Succeeded by William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by William Fitzwilliam	Earl Fitzwilliam 1833–1857	Succeeded by William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by Richard Griffin, 3rd Baron Braybrooke	President of the Surtees Society 1843–46	Succeeded by Henry Vane, 2nd Duke of Cleveland

[3] From his father's second marriage, he had five step-siblings: John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby (a diplomat), Hon. Sir William Ponsonby (a Maj.-Gen. in the Army who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo), Richard Ponsonby (Bishop of Killaloe and Kilfenora, Derry, Derry and Raphoe), George Ponsonby (MP and Junior Lord of the Treasury), and Mary (wife of Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey).

[Fitzwilliam1844-1] Fitzwilliam, Charles William, Earl (1844) Correspondence ... of Edmund Burke, London.

[Mosley2003-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 3, page 4284.

[Wasson1987-4] Wasson, Ellis Archer (1987) Whig Renaissance: Lord Althorp and the Whig Party 1782-1845, Garland, London.

[Spring1954-5] Spring, David (1954) "Earl Fitzwilliam and the Corn Laws", American Historical Review. v. 59, n. 2. Pages 287-304.

[Fitzwilliam1834-6] Fitzwilliam, Charles William, Earl (1834) Address to the Landowners of Great Britain on the Corn Laws (Second Address 1835).

[Pagnamenta2012-7] Pagnamenta, Peter (2012) USA W.W.Norton & Co. Prairie Fever: British Aristocrats in the American West 1830-1890. Page 136,137.

[Cokayne1916-8] Cokayne, George Edward (1916). The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom: Dacre to Dysart. St. Catherine Press, Limited. p. 522. Retrieved 8 February 2024.

[Debrett's1888-9] Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage: Comprising Information Concerning All Persons Bearing Hereditary Or Courtesy Titles, Companions of All the Various Orders, and the Collateral Branches of All Peers and Baronets. Dean and Son. 1888. p. 753. Retrieved 8 February 2024.

[Lodge1843-10] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Lodge, Edmund (1843). The Peerage of the British Empire as at Present Existing: Arranged and Printed from the Personal Communications of the Nobility. Saunders and Otley. p. 231. Retrieved 8 February 2024.

[DNB-11] Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1889). "Fitzwilliam, Charles William Wentworth" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 19. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

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v t e Presidents of the Royal Statistical Society
19th century	1834–1836 The Marquess of Lansdowne 1836–1838 Sir Charles Lemon, Bt 1838–1840 The Earl FitzWilliam 1840–1842 Viscount Sandon 1842–1843 The Marquess of Lansdowne 1843–1845 Lord Ashley 1845–1847 The Lord Monteagle of Brandon 1847–1849 The Earl FitzWilliam 1849–1851 The Earl of Harrowby 1851–1853 The Lord Overstone 1853–1855 The Earl FitzWilliam 1855–1857 The Earl of Harrowby 1857–1859 Lord Stanley 1859–1861 Lord John Russell 1861–1863 Sir John Pakington, Bt 1863–1865 William Henry Sykes 1865–1867 The Lord Houghton 1867–1869 William Ewart Gladstone 1869–1871 William Newmarch 1871–1873 William Farr 1873–1875 William Guy 1875–1877 James Heywood 1877–1879 George Shaw-Lefevre 1879–1880 Thomas Brassey 1880–1882 James Caird 1882–1884 Robert Giffen 1884–1886 Rawson W. Rawson 1886–1888 George Goschen 1888–1890 Thomas Graham Balfour 1890–1892 Frederic J. Mouat 1892–1894 Charles Booth 1894–1896 The Lord Farrer 1896–1897 John Biddulph Martin 1897 Alfred Edmund Bateman 1897–1899 Leonard Courtney 1899–1900 Henry Fowler 1900–1902 The Lord Avebury
20th century	1902–1904 Patrick George Craigie 1904–1905 Sir Francis Powell, Bt 1905–1906 The Earl of Onslow 1906–1907 Richard Martin 1907–1909 Sir Charles Dilke, Bt 1909–1910 Jervoise Athelstane Baines 1910–1912 Lord George Hamilton 1912–1914 Francis Ysidro Edgeworth 1914–1915 The Lord Welby 1915–1916 Lord George Hamilton 1916–1918 Bernard Mallet, Registrar General 1918–1920 Herbert Samuel 1920–1922 R. Henry Rew 1922–1924 The Lord Emmott 1924–1926 Udny Yule 1926–1928 The Viscount D'Abernon 1928–1930 A. William Flux 1930–1932 Sir Josiah Stamp 1932–1934 The Lord Meston 1934–1936 Major Greenwood 1936–1938 The Lord Kennet 1938–1940 Arthur Lyon Bowley 1940–1941 Henry William Macrosty 1941 Hector Leak 1941–1943 William Beveridge 1943–1945 Ernest Charles Snow 1945–1947 The Lord Woolton 1947–1949 David Heron 1949–1950 Sir Geoffrey Heyworth 1950–1952 Austin Bradford Hill 1952–1954 Ronald Fisher 1954–1955 The Lord Piercy 1955–1957 Egon Pearson 1957–1959 Harry Campion 1959–1960 Hugh Beaver 1960–1962 Maurice Kendall 1962–1964 Joseph Oscar Irwin 1964–1965 Sir Paul Chambers 1965–1966 L. H. C. Tippett 1966–1967 M. S. Bartlett 1967–1968 Frank Yates 1968–1969 Arthur Cockfield 1969–1970 R. G. D. Allen 1970–1971 Bernard Benjamin 1971–1972 George Alfred Barnard 1972–1973 Harold Wilson 1973–1974 D. J. Finney 1974–1975 Henry Daniels 1975–1977 Stella Cunliffe 1977–1978 Henry Wynn 1978–1980 Sir Claus Moser 1980–1982 David Cox 1982–1984 Peter Armitage 1984–1985 Walter Bodmer 1985–1986 John Nelder 1986–1987 James Durbin 1987–1989 John Kingman 1989–1991 Peter G. Moore 1991–1993 T. M. F. Smith 1993–1995 D. J. Bartholomew 1995–1997 Adrian Smith 1997–1999 Robert Nicholas Curnow 1999–2001 Denise Lievesley
21st century	2001–2003 Peter Green 2003–2005 Andy Grieve 2005–2007 Tim Holt 2008–2009 David Hand 2010–2010 Bernard Silverman (resigned Feb 2010; replaced pro tem by David Hand) 2011–2012 Valerie Isham 2013–2014 John Pullinger 2014–2016 Peter Diggle 2017–2018 David Spiegelhalter 2019– Deborah Ashby
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