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Portrait of Charles Fitzroy 1st Baron Southampton 1737 1797

Lord Southampton

Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton (25 June 1737 – 21 March 1797) was a British Army officer who served in the Seven Years' War and a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1759 to 1780 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Southampton.

The second son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy and a grandson of the 2nd Duke of Grafton, FitzRoy joined the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards as an ensign in 1752. He fought at the Battles of Minden and Kirchdenkern during the Seven Years' War and rose to the ranks of Captain in 1756 and Lieutenant-Colonel in 1758.

He was a Groom of the Bedchamber from 1760–62 and Whig MP (later Tory from 1770–83 and thereafter a Whig again) for Orford from 1759–61, for Bury St Edmunds from 1761–74 and for Thetford from 1774-80. On leaving the post of Queen Charlotte's Vice-Chamberlain in 1780 (a post he had held since 1768), he was created Baron Southampton on 17 October 1780[1] and was succeeded by his eldest son, George, upon his death in 1797.

Family[]

On 27 July 1758, FitzRoy married Anne Warren, the daughter and co-heir of Adml. Sir Peter Warren and a descendant of the Schuyler family, the Van Cortlandt family, and the Delancey family, all from British North America. They later had eleven children, among which:

  • George FitzRoy, 2nd Baron Southampton;
  • Charles FitzRoy (5 September 1762 — 18 October 1831), romantically linked to King George III's daughter Princess Amelia;
  • Hon. Henry FitzRoy (13 September 1765 — 19 March 1794), married Lady Anne Wesley;
  • Hon. Georgiana FitzRoy, married William Ponsonby.
  • Lt.-Gen. William FitzRoy (12 December 1773 – 19 June 1837), married firstly a daughter of Sir Simon Clarke, 7th Baronet and secondly his cousin, a daughter of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton[2]

References[]

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Viscount Chewton
Henry Bilson Legge
Member of Parliament for Orford
1759–1761
With: John Offley
Succeeded by
John Offley
Thomas Worsley
Preceded by
Felton Hervey
Lord Hervey
Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds
1761–1774
With: Lord Hervey to 1763
William Hervey 1763–68
Lord Hervey from 1768
Succeeded by
Lord Hervey
Sir Charles Davers
Preceded by
Henry Seymour Conway
Viscount Petersham
Member of Parliament for Thetford
1774–1780
With: Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore
Succeeded by
Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore
Richard Hopkins
Military offices
Preceded by
New regiment
Colonel of the 119th Regiment of Foot
1762–1763
Succeeded by
Regiment disbanded
Preceded by
Marquess of Lorne
Colonel of the 14th Regiment of Dragoons
1765–1772
Succeeded by
Lt.-Gen. Daniel Webb
Preceded by
The Earl of Albemarle
Colonel of the 3rd Regiment of Dragoons
1772–1797
Succeeded by
Gen. Francis Lascelles
Political offices
Preceded by
Hon. Robert Brudenell
Vice Chamberlain to Queen Charlotte
1768–1780
Succeeded by
Vacant
(Hon. Stephen Digby from 1782)
Preceded by
?
Vice-Chamberlain to The Prince of Wales
1780–1797
Succeeded by
?
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by
New Creation
Baron Southampton
1780–1797
Succeeded by
George FitzRoy
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