Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Honourable The Marquess of Lansdowne KG PC FRS
Portrait by Henry Walton, c. 1805
Leader of the House of Lords
In office 6 July 1846 – 27 February 1852
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Lord John Russell
Preceded by	The Duke of Wellington
Succeeded by	The Earl of Derby
Lord President of the Council
In office 6 July 1846 – 27 February 1852
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Lord John Russell
Preceded by	The Duke of Buccleuch
Succeeded by	The Earl of Lonsdale
In office 23 April 1835 – 3 September 1841
Monarch	William IV Victoria
Prime Minister	The Viscount Melbourne
Preceded by	The Earl of Rosslyn
Succeeded by	The Lord Wharncliffe
In office 22 November 1830 – 14 November 1834
Monarch	William IV
Prime Minister	The Earl Grey The Viscount Melbourne
Preceded by	The Earl Bathurst
Succeeded by	The Earl of Rosslyn
Secretary of State for the Home Department
In office 16 July 1827 – 22 January 1828
Monarch	George IV
Prime Minister	The Viscount Goderich
Preceded by	William Sturges Bourne
Succeeded by	Robert Peel
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 5 February 1806 – 26 March 1807
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Lord Grenville
Preceded by	William Pitt the Younger
Succeeded by	Spencer Perceval
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 16 November 1809 – 31 January 1863 Hereditary Peerage
Preceded by	The 2nd Marquess of Lansdowne
Succeeded by	The 4th Marquess of Lansdowne
Member of Parliament for Cambridge University
In office 15 December 1806 – 27 April 1807
Preceded by	William Pitt the Younger
Succeeded by	Vicary Gibbs
Member of Parliament for Calne
In office 31 August 1802 – 24 October 1806
Preceded by	Sir Francis Baring, Bt
Succeeded by	Osborne Markham
Personal details
Born	(1780-07-02)2 July 1780 Lansdowne House, Mayfair, Middlesex, England
Died	31 January 1863(1863-01-31) (aged 82) Bowood House, Derry Hill, Wiltshire, England
Political party	Whig
Spouses	Lady Louisa Fox-Strangways (1785–1851)
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh Trinity College, Cambridge

Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (born July 2, 1780 – died January 31, 1863), was an important British politician. He was also known as Lord Henry Petty until 1809. He had a very long career in government, working for almost 50 years. During this time, he held several important jobs, including Home Secretary (in charge of internal affairs), Chancellor of the Exchequer (like a finance minister), and he was three times the Lord President of the Council (a senior government role).

Early Life and Education

Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice was born on July 2, 1780. His father was William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, who had also been a Prime Minister. His mother was Lady Louisa.

Henry went to school at Westminster School. He then studied at the University of Edinburgh and Trinity College, Cambridge. These schools helped him prepare for his future in politics.

Starting His Political Career

Henry began his political journey in 1802. He became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Calne. He quickly showed that he was a very skilled politician.

In February 1806, he became the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This was in the government led by Lord Grenville. At this time, he was an MP for the University of Cambridge. However, he lost both his seat and his job in 1807.

In 1809, he became the Marquess of Lansdowne. This meant he moved from the House of Commons to the House of Lords. He continued to be a very active leader for the Whig political party.

Key Political Interests

Henry was very interested in allowing Roman Catholic people to have more rights. He always supported this cause. He also believed in ending the slave trade and supported better education for everyone.

In 1818, he also became the 4th Earl of Kerry. He joined the government again in May 1827 with George Canning. From July 1827 to January 1828, he served as the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

Later Government Roles

Henry was the Lord President of the Council for many years. He held this job under two Prime Ministers: Earl Grey and Lord Melbourne. This was from November 1830 to August 1841. There was a short break in 1835 when Robert Peel was Prime Minister.

He held the same important job during the entire time Lord John Russell was Prime Minister (1846–1852). He was even offered the chance to become Prime Minister himself, but he said no. He also served in the governments of Lord Aberdeen and Lord Palmerston, but without a specific office.

In 1857, he turned down the offer to become a Duke. He passed away on January 31, 1863.

His Influence and Legacy

Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice was a very powerful Whig politician. This was because of his social standing and his calm, moderate approach to politics. Queen Victoria often asked for his advice on important matters. His many years of experience in government made his advice very valuable to his political party.

In the town of Kenmare, he gave the land for the Holy Cross Church. In 1864, Father John O'Sullivan built the church on that site.

Other Public Roles

Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice also played a role in other important organizations. He led the first meeting of the London Statistical Society. He was also its first president from 1834 to 1836. He served a second term as president from 1842 to 1844.

Family Life

Photograph of Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne, c. 1857

Lord Lansdowne married Lady Louisa Fox-Strangways in 1808. She was the daughter of the 2nd Earl of Ilchester. They had two sons and one daughter together:

• William Thomas Petty-FitzMaurice, Earl of Kerry (born March 30, 1811 – died August 21, 1836)
• Lady Louisa (born 1813 – died June 12, 1906). She married Hon. James Kenneth Howard.
• Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne (born January 7, 1816 – died July 5, 1866).

Lady Louisa passed away in April 1851. Lord Lansdowne died in January 1863, at the age of 82. His oldest son, the Earl of Kerry, had died before him. So, his only surviving son, Henry, became the next Marquess of Lansdowne. This son was the father of Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, who also became a famous politician.