Robert Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham
Robert Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham PC (c. 1720 – 16 November 1779), styled The Honourable Robert Maxwell from 1756 to 1759, was an Irish peer and a Member of both the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland.
Farnham was the eldest son of John Maxwell, 1st Baron Farnham and Judith Barry, daughter of James Barry, and was educated at Trinity College Dublin. He inherited the Farnham estate in County Cavan on the death of his father in 1759. He was appointed High Sheriff of Cavan in 1757.
Political career
Farnham was elected to the
He succeeded as 2nd Baron Farnham on 6 August 1759. He was created Viscount Farnham on 10 September 1760, and Earl of Farnham on 13 May 1763. He also became a Privy Councillor in Ireland on 19 September 1760. He remained in the British House of Commons until 1768, being re-elected in 1761 and supporting the governments of Lord Bute and George Grenville, though there is no record of his ever having spoken in the House.
Family
Lord Farnham married twice, firstly in 1759 to Henrietta Cantillon, widow of William Matthias Stafford-Howard, 3rd
References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. (ISBN 033338847X)
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [better source needed]
- Maxwell family genealogy, part 03. showing the Maxwell of Calderwood, Maxwell of Farnham (co. Cavan), and Maxwell of Finnebrogue families.
External links
References
- ^ Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790 (London: HMSO, 1964)
- ^ Note 2, Page 138, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)