John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney

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Victoria
Prime MinisterWilliam Ewart Gladstone
Preceded byThe Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Succeeded byThe Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Personal details
Born(1805-08-09)9 August 1805
Died14 February 1890(1890-02-14) (aged 84)
NationalityBritish
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Lady Emily Paget
​
(m. 1832)​

John Robert Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney

PC (9 August 1805 – 14 February 1890), known as The Viscount Sydney between 1831 and 1874, was a British Liberal politician. In a ministerial career spanning over 30 years, he was twice Lord Chamberlain of the Household and twice Lord Steward of the Household
.

Background

A member of the Townshend family headed by the Marquess Townshend, Sydney was the son of John Townshend, 2nd Viscount Sydney, by his second wife Lady Caroline Elizabeth Letitia, daughter of Robert Clements, 1st Earl of Leitrim.[1] He was educated at Eton and St John's College, Cambridge, graduating MA in 1824.[2]

Political career

Sydney was first elected to parliament for

Gentleman of the Bedchamber to William IV.[4]

In December 1852 he was appointed

Lord Palmerston became prime minister in 1855, but relinquished the position when the Liberals lost power in February 1858. The Liberals returned to office under Palmerston already in June 1859, when Sydney was made Lord Chamberlain of the Household,[7] a post he held until 1866,[8] the last year under the premiership of Lord Russell. In February 1866 he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.[9]

Sydney was once again Lord Chamberlain of the Household between 1868

first administration. In 1874 he was created Earl Sydney, of Scadbury in the County of Kent.[12] He later served under Gladstone as Lord Steward of the Household between 1880[13] and 1885[14] and between February[15] and July 1886.[16]
However, despite Lord Sydney's ministerial career lasting over 30 years he was never a member of the cabinet.

Apart from his political career he was also

Captain of Deal Castle between 1879 and 1890.[20]

Family

Lord Sydney married Lady Emily Paget, daughter of Field Marshal Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, on 4 August 1832. They had no children. He died in February 1890, aged 84, when all his titles became extinct. The Countess Sydney survived her husband by three years and died in March 1893.[1] The family seat of Frognal House was inherited by Lord Sydney's nephew Robert Marsham, who assumed the additional surname of Townshend in accordance with his uncle's will.[21]

Other notes

The Sydney Arms on Old Perry Street, Chislehurst, was previously known as The Swan, and in Pigot's Directory of 1832 known as the White Swan. It was renamed in the 1880s in honour of John Robert Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney. The pub sign is a diagram of the Sydney family arms.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b c thepeerage.com John Robert Townshend, 1st and last Earl Sydney
  2. ^ "Townshend, The Hon. John Robert (TWNT822JR)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. ^ "leighrayment.com House of Commons: West Lothian to Widnes". Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "Index of Officers-T" (PDF).
  5. ^ "No. 21397". The London Gazette. 31 December 1852. p. 3939.
  6. ^ "No. 21399". The London Gazette. 4 January 1853. p. 29.
  7. ^ "No. 22279". The London Gazette. 24 June 1859. p. 2471.
  8. ^ "No. 23137". The London Gazette. 13 July 1866. p. 3984.
  9. ^ "No. 23071". The London Gazette. 17 February 1866. p. 953.
  10. ^ "No. 23450". The London Gazette. 15 December 1868. p. 6654.
  11. ^ "No. 24071". The London Gazette. 3 March 1874. p. 1452.
  12. ^ "No. 24071". The London Gazette. 3 March 1874. p. 1453.
  13. ^ "No. 24841". The London Gazette. 4 May 1880. p. 2864.
  14. ^ "No. 25485". The London Gazette. 30 June 1885. p. 3000.
  15. ^ "No. 25585". The London Gazette. 12 February 1886. p. 682.
  16. ^ "No. 25617". The London Gazette. 17 August 1886. p. 4007.
  17. ^ Army List, various dates.
  18. ^ "No. 21896". The London Gazette. 27 June 1856. p. 2243.
  19. ^ leighrayment.com Peerage: Stratheden to Sysonby[usurped]
  20. ^ "Captains of Deal Castle". East Kent freeuk. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  21. ^ worldonline.co.za "Lord Sydney"
  22. ^ "Geograph:: The Sydney Arms, Old Perry Street © Marathon cc-by-sa/2.0".

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Whitchurch
1826–1831
With: Sir Samuel Scott, Bt 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
The Lord de Ros
 Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
1852–1858 		Succeeded by
The Lord de Ros
Preceded by Lord Chamberlain
1859–1866 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Chamberlain
1868–1874 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Steward
1880–1885 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Steward
1886 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Kent
1856–1890 		Succeeded by
The Earl Stanhope
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Viscount Sydney
1831–1890 		Extinct
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Earl Sydney
1874–1890 		Extinct
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