Henry Bilson-Legge
The Duke of Newcastle | |
---|---|
Preceded by | Sir William Lee |
Succeeded by | Sir George Lyttelton, Bt |
In office 16 November 1756 – 13 April 1757 | |
Monarch | George II |
Prime Minister | The Duke of Devonshire |
Preceded by | Sir George Lyttelton, Bt |
Succeeded by | The Lord Mansfield |
In office 2 July 1757 – 19 March 1761 | |
Monarchs |
|
Prime Minister | The Duke of Newcastle |
Preceded by | The Lord Mansfield |
Succeeded by | The Viscount Barrington |
Personal details | |
Born | 29 May 1708 |
Died | 23 August 1764 | (aged 56)
Nationality | British |
Political party | Whig |
Spouse | Mary, Lady Stawell (later Countess of Hillsborough) |
Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
Henry Bilson-Legge
Background and education
Bilson-Legge was the fourth son of William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth, by his wife Lady Anne, daughter of Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Aylesford. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.[1]
Political career
He became private secretary to Sir Robert Walpole. In 1739 was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland by the Lord Lieutenant, William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire; being chosen Member of Parliament for the borough of East Looe in 1740, and for Orford, Suffolk, at the general election in the succeeding year.[1]
Legge only shared temporarily in the downfall of Walpole, and became in quick succession
Twelve months later he returned to his post at the exchequer in the administration of Pitt and the
In 1754 Legge took the additional name of Bilson on secondarily succeeding to the West Mapledurham estate in Buriton near Petersfield, Hampshire of his cousin, Leonard Bilson MP (1681-1715 - son of Susanna Legge, sister of Henry Legge's grandfather, George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth) upon the death of the original heir, Thomas Bettesworth, without issue.[4]
In 1759 he obtained the sinecure position of surveyor of the petty customs and subsidies in the port of London, and having in consequence to resign his seat in parliament he was chosen one of the members for Hampshire, a proceeding which greatly incensed the Earl of Bute, who desired this seat for one of his friends. Having thus incurred Bute's displeasure Legge was again dismissed from the exchequer in March 1761, but he continued to take part in parliamentary debates until his death at Tunbridge Wells in 1764.[5]
Pitt called Legge, the child, and deservedly the favourite child, of the Whigs. Horace Walpole said he was of a creeping, underhand nature, and aspired to the lion's place by the manoeuvre of the mole, but afterwards he spoke in high terms of his talents.[6]
He "was a person of great abilities, both as a statesman and financier, and went through most of the great offices of government with reputation and integrity, and quitted them to the great regret of the nation in general."[7]
Family
Henry Bilson-Legge married
References
- ^ a b c d Chisholm 1911, p. 376.
- ^ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Vol 32.
- ^ Lord Hardwicke's Letter of 18 June 1757 in Harris's Life of Hardwicke, 1847, iii. 136.
- ^ The Mapledurham estate of Leonard Bilson was left first to a cousin from the paternal branch, Thomas Bettesworth (1690-1754), grandson of Susan Bilson, sister of Leonard Bilson (1616-1695 - the grandfather of Leonard Bilson MP), who died without issue. The estate of Leonard Bilson then passed by Leonard Bilson's will to his maternal cousin, Henry Legge. See http://www.hantsfieldclub.org.uk/publications/hampshirestudies/digital/1950s/vol19/Challen2.pdf, p. 13. Retrieved January 23 2018. Note: Not Mapledurham near Reading
- ^ Chisholm 1911, pp. 376–377.
- ^ a b Chisholm 1911, p. 377.
- ^ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol1/pp503-526 Retrieved December 9 2016.
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Legge, Henry". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 376–377. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
Further reading
- Barker, George Fisher Russell (1892). Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 32. London: Smith, Elder & Co. . In
- John Butler, Bishop of Hereford (1765). Some Account of the Character of the late Rt. Hon. H. Bilson-Legge. London.
- Horace Walpole (1847). G.G.R.Barker (ed.). Memoirs of the Reign of George II. London.
- G. F. R. Barker, ed. (1894). Memoirs of the ReIgn of George III. London.
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