George Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford facts for kids
George Harry Booth-Grey (born January 7, 1827 – died January 2, 1883) was an important English noble, landowner, and a member of Parliament. He was known as the 7th Earl of Stamford and 3rd Earl of Warrington. He was also a keen cricketer and loved horse racing.
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Contents
Early Life
George Harry Booth-Grey was born in Enville, Staffordshire. He was the only son of George Grey, who was known as Lord Grey of Groby. When his father passed away in 1835, George became the 9th Baron Grey of Groby. This meant he inherited an old noble title.
He went to Eton College, a famous school, from 1840 to 1843. After that, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge for a year. In 1845, when his grandfather died, George inherited even more important titles: Earl of Stamford, Earl of Warrington, and Baron Delamer.
Hobbies and Public Roles
Cricket and Horse Racing
George was a member of the famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He played in eight important cricket matches between 1851 and 1858. He scored 81 runs in these games and caught two balls.
He was also a big supporter of horse racing. He was in charge of the Quorn Hunt, a famous fox hunting group, from 1856 to 1863. While his racehorses didn't win many big races, his young male horse, Diophantus, won the important Two Thousand Guineas race in 1861.
Military Service
Besides his hobbies, George also served in the military. He was a captain in the Cheshire Yeomanry from 1845 to 1856. Later, in 1871, he became an honorary colonel for the 7th Battalion, Lancashire Rifles (Volunteers).
Family and Estates
Marriages and Inheritance
Lord Stamford and Warrington married twice but did not have any children. His first wife was Elizabeth King Billage, whom he married in 1848. His second wife was Catherine Cox, whom he married in 1855.
He inherited many large family estates, which are big areas of land with houses. These included Enville Hall in Staffordshire, Bradgate Park and other lands in Leicestershire (like the village of Groby), Dunham Massey Hall in Cheshire, and Stalybridge in Lancashire.
Building and Donations
After inheriting his estates, he paid for St Margaret's Church to be built at Dunham Massey. It was started in 1851 and finished in 1855. He built it to honor his sister, Lady Margaret Milbank. He also owned the rights to choose priests for several churches and was the lord of many villages.
After his second marriage, the Earl asked an architect to design a new house for him in Groby, Leicestershire. This house, called Bradgate House, was finished in 1856. It was built in a grand style and was sometimes called the "Calendar House" because it had 365 windows, 52 rooms, and 12 main chimneys!
In 1860, twelve farms on his land at Bradgate were flooded to create Cropston Reservoir, which supplied water. In 1879, he gave 16 acres (about 6.5 hectares) of his land in Stalybridge to the local council. This land became a public park called Stamford Park. He also sold more land for new houses to be built.
When he passed away at Bradgate House in 1883, his title of Earl of Warrington ended because he had no children. His other two titles went to a distant cousin, Harry Grey, who became the 8th Earl of Stamford.
He left his estates to his widow, Catherine, for her lifetime. After she died in 1905, the estates were divided among his relatives.
Arms
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 Grey arms
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 Booth arms
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See also
- Dunham Massey
- Earl of Warrington
