Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton
President of the Royal Society | |
---|---|
In office 1830–1838 | |
Preceded by | Prince Augustus Frederick |
Succeeded by | William Parsons |
Member of Parliament for Northampton | |
In office 1812–1820 | |
Preceded by | Spencer Perceval |
Succeeded by | George Robinson |
Personal details | |
Born | 2 January 1790 |
Died | 17 January 1851 | (aged 61)
Resting place | Castle Ashby |
Nationality | British |
Spouse |
Margaret Douglas-Maclean-Clephane
(m. 1815; died 1830) |
Children | 6, including |
Parent(s) | Charles Compton, 1st Marquess of Northampton Maria Smith |
Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
Spencer Joshua Alwyne Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton
Life
The second son of the
On 24 July 1815, he married Margaret Maclean Clephane, eldest daughter of Major-general Douglas Maclean Clephane.[2]
In the Commons, Compton established a reputation as something of a maverick. Despite his family's strong Tory credentials, he often voted against the Tory government of the day. This led to his losing his seat in the general election of 1820.
After 1820 Compton took up residence in Italy, where his house became a centre of attraction, and exercised his influence in favour of many of the unfortunate victims of despotic authority both in Lombardy and in Naples. He returned to England in 1830, and became a prominent figure in political and cultural life. He supported the Reform Bill in the House of Lords, but became more engaged in promoting the arts and sciences.[2]
In 1820–22 he was
He died on 17 January 1851, and was buried at Castle Ashby on 25 January.[2]
Family
On 24 July 1815 Compton married Margaret Douglas-Maclean-Clephane, who was a poet admired by Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth, although her poetry was not published. The marriage was a happy one, producing six children. The couple lived in Italy for ten years from 1820 to 1830. Compton succeeded his father as Marquess of Northampton in 1828. Following Lady Northampton's death in 1830, Northampton returned to England. Among their children were:
- Charles Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton(1816–1877)
- Lady Marianne Margaret Compton (1817–1888), later Lady Marian Alford
- Admiral William Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton (1818–1897)
- Lord Alwyne Compton (1825–1906), successively Dean of Worcester and Bishop of Ely
- Lady Margaret Compton, married Frederick Leveson-Gower
See also
References
- ^ "Compton, Lord Spencer Joshua Alwyne (CMTN808SJ)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ a b c d Boase 1887.
- ^ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter C" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- Attribution
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Boase, George Clement (1887). "Compton, Spencer Joshua Alwyne". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 11. pp. 451–452.