Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl of Egremont
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Portrait by William Hoare
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| Secretary of State for the Southern Department | |
| In office 9 October 1761 – 21 August 1763 |
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| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Earl of Bute George Grenville |
| Preceded by | William Pitt |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Halifax |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 August 1710 |
| Died | 21 August 1763 (aged 53) |
| Spouse | Hon. Alicia Maria Carpenter |
| Children | |
| Parents | Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet Catherine Seymour |
Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, a member of the Privy Council (PC), was born on August 19, 1710, and died on August 21, 1763. He was an important British politician. He lived in grand homes like Orchard Wyndham in Somerset, Petworth House in Sussex, and Egremont House in Mayfair, London. From 1761 to 1763, he served as the Secretary of State for the Southern Department, a very important government job.
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Who Was Charles Wyndham?
Charles Wyndham was the oldest son of Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet. His father was also a very important politician. Sir William was the Secretary at War in 1712. He was also the Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1713. This job is like being in charge of the country's money. His father was also a leader for the Tory political party. He led them in the House of Commons during the reigns of King George I and King George II.
Charles's mother was Catherine Seymour. Her father was Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset. Her brother was Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset. In 1749, Algernon was given the titles of Earl of Egremont and Baron Cockermouth. He made sure that these titles would pass to his nephew, Charles Wyndham, if he had no sons.
How He Became an Earl
When his father died in 1740, Charles became the 4th Baronet. A baronet is a special title that is passed down in a family. In 1750, his uncle, Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, died. Because his uncle had no sons, Charles inherited the title of 2nd Earl of Egremont. This happened because of a "special remainder" in the title's rules.
He also received many large estates and grand homes. These included Egremont Castle in Cumbria and Leconfield Castle in Yorkshire. He also got the amazing Petworth House in Sussex. Petworth House was a huge mansion that his great-grandfather had rebuilt. These properties used to belong to the Percy family. Charles's uncle had inherited them from his mother, Lady Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset.
His Political Career
Charles Wyndham was a member of parliament (MP) for several areas. An MP is someone elected to represent a region in the government. He represented Bridgwater from 1734 to 1741. Then he represented Appleby from 1741 to 1747. Finally, he was an MP for Taunton from 1747 to 1750.
Role in the Seven Years' War
In October 1761, Charles Wyndham became the Secretary of State for the Southern Department. This was a very important role in the government. He worked closely with his brother-in-law, George Grenville. During his time in office, a big part of his job was about the Seven Years' War. He helped declare war on Spain. He also worked on the peace talks with France and Spain to end the war. He was not very happy with the terms of the peace agreement.
He was also involved in some legal actions against a man named John Wilkes. Wilkes was a journalist and politician. Charles Wyndham also served as the Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland from 1751 to 1763. He was also the Lord Lieutenant of Sussex from 1762 to 1763. A Lord Lieutenant is the King's personal representative in a county.
Family Life
On March 12, 1751, Charles Wyndham married Hon. Alicia Maria Carpenter. She was the daughter of George Carpenter, 2nd Baron Carpenter. Charles and Alicia had several children together:
- George O'Brien Wyndham (born 1751) became the 3rd Earl of Egremont after his father.
- Elizabeth Alicia Maria Wyndham (born 1752) married Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Carnarvon.
- Frances Wyndham (born 1755) married Charles Marsham, 1st Earl of Romney.
- Percy Charles Wyndham (born 1757).
- Charles William Wyndham (born 1760).
- William Frederick Wyndham (born 1763).
His Death
Charles Wyndham died on August 21, 1763, at the age of 53.
