Robert Shirley, 6th Earl Ferrers
Robert Shirley, 6th Earl Ferrers (20 July 1723 – 18 April 1787) was a British Hereditary peer.
| A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Joseph Wright of Derby |
| Year | c. 1766[1] |
| Medium | Oil on canvas[1] |
| Dimensions | 1473 mm × 2032 mm (58 in × 80 in) |
| Location | Derby Museum and Art Gallery[1], Derby, England |
Early life[edit]
Ferrers was born in 1723 in St James, Westminster, the third son of Hon Laurence Shirley and grandson of Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers.
Marriage and children[edit]
On 26 December 1754, Ferrers married Catherine Cotton (d. 26 March 1786), with whom he had three children:[2]
- Robert Shirley, 7th Earl Ferrers (21 September 1756 – 2 May 1827)
- Lawrence Rowland Ferrers (1757 – 5 February 1773), who appears as a youth in Joseph Wright's painting, "A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery"
- Washington Shirley, 8th Earl Ferrers (13 November 1760 – 2 October 1842)
Later life[edit]
In 1778, Ferrers succeeded his childless elder brother, Vice-Admiral Washington Shirley, 5th Earl Ferrers, in the earldom.[2]
On 4 July 1781, he was created a Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire.[3]
Death[edit]
Lord Ferrers died in his house in London in 1787 at the age of 63 and was buried with his wife at Breedon on the Hill.[2] He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, Robert.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
DerbyCitywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c Shirley, Evelyn Philip (1873). Stemmata Shirleiana. Westminster: Nichols and Sons. pp. 198, 201–202.
- ^ Doyle, James William Edmund (1886). The Official Baronage of England. Vol. 1. London: Longmans, Green. p. 741.