Jerome, 2nd Count de Salis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jerome de Salis 2nd Count de Salis-Soglio
Born	8 July 1709
Died	8 August 1794
Spouse(s)	Mary Fane
Children	4

Jérôme de Salis, 2nd Count de Salis-Soglio (8 July 1709 – 8 August 1794) was an important person with a special title called a Count de Salis-Soglio. He was a member of the Royal Society, which is a famous group for scientists. He also worked as a British diplomat in a place called the Grisons.

People knew him by many names, like Hieronimus or Jerome the grandfather. He started the English part of the de Salis family. This family later had many members who became politicians, diplomats, and military officers.

Early Life and Family History

Jerome de Salis was born on 8 July 1709, in a town called Chur. Chur was the capital of the Grisons, which was an independent republic back then. His father was Colonel Peter de Salis-Soglio. Jerome was his only son who lived to be an adult.

The de Salis family was a very old and important noble family in the Three Leagues. They were one of the main families there between the 1500s and 1700s. Their family might have come from a noble family in Como, Italy, around the year 1200.

The family first appeared in Soglio, Switzerland in the late 1200s. The Palazzo Salis in Soglio, built in 1630, still belongs to the Swiss part of the family. Another Palazzo Salis in Bondo, Switzerland, built by Jerome, is owned by the British part of the family today.

Jerome's father was a soldier in France, the Netherlands, and England. He became a special representative for the Grisons Republic in England, working for Queen Anne. He really liked England and made friends with important people from the House of Hanover.

Because his father liked England so much, he decided to send Jerome to London. Jerome de Salis became a British citizen on 24 March 1731.

This picture shows the signatures of important people like Lord Cobham on the marriage agreement for Jerome de Salis and Mary Fane.

On 7 January 1735, Jerome married Mary Fane. She was the oldest daughter of Charles, the first Viscount Fane. Many important people signed their marriage agreement. Jerome and Mary had four sons: Charles, Peter, Henry Jerome, and William.

Jerome de Salis became a Fellow of the Royal Society on 19 March 1741. This means he was chosen to be a member of a very old and respected group that promotes science. His wife's cousin, Philip, 2nd Earl Stanhope, helped him become a member.

Working as a Diplomat

The Palazzo Salis in Bondo, Switzerland was built by Jerome and his son.

In 1743, Jerome de Salis was chosen to be the British Resident. This meant he was King George II's special representative to the Grisons Leagues. He arrived in Coire on 10 April 1743. He lived there as a diplomat until 13 March 1750.

In 1748, Emperor Francis I gave Jerome's father, Peter, the title of Count in the Holy Roman Empire. This was a very high noble title. Jerome's father passed away the next year.

While he was working as a diplomat and after, Jerome lived in Chur and Chiavenna. In the mid-1760s, he started building a large summer house in Bondo, Switzerland. This village is in the Val Bregaglia. His son Peter finished building the house in 1774.

_{This is a picture of his wife, Mary Fane, who later became Countess de Salis.}

Later Life in London

Jerome de Salis moved back to London in 1768. He lived on Harley Street until he passed away on 8 August 1794.

His wife, Mary, lived in different places like Knightsbridge and Isleworth. She passed away on 31 March 1785, at 74 years old. She was buried in Harlington. She was the first of many generations of her family to be buried there.