John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Earl of Westmorland KG PC
Lord Westmorland in the parliamentary robes of an earl, by Thomas Lawrence c. 1806.
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office 1789–1794
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	William Pitt the Younger
Preceded by	The Marquess of Buckingham
Succeeded by	The Earl FitzWilliam
Lord Privy Seal
In office 14 February 1798 – 5 February 1806
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Pitt, Addington
Preceded by	The Earl of Chatham
Succeeded by	The Viscount Sidmouth
In office 25 March 1807 – 30 April 1827
Monarch	George III, George IV
Prime Minister	Portland, Perceval, Liverpool
Preceded by	The Lord Holland
Succeeded by	The Duke of Portland
Personal details
Born	(1759-06-01)1 June 1759
Died	15 December 1841(1841-12-15) (aged 82)
Nationality	British
Political party	Tory
Spouses	Sarah Child ​ ​ (m. 1782; died 1793)​ Jane Saunders ​ (m. 1800)​
Children	10
Parents	John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland Augusta Bertie

John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland (born June 1, 1759 – died December 15, 1841), was an important British politician. He was a member of the Tory party. He served in many government roles during the late 1700s and early 1800s. His most common job was Lord Privy Seal, which meant he was in charge of the King's or Queen's personal seal for official documents.

Early Life and Family Background

John Fane was born in 1759. His father was John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland. His mother was Augusta Bertie. When his father passed away in 1774, John became the 10th Earl of Westmorland. This meant he inherited his father's title and responsibilities.

Political Career Highlights

John Fane began his political career in 1789. He was first appointed as a Joint Postmaster General. This role involved overseeing the postal service. At the same time, he joined the Privy Council. This was a group of advisors to the King.

Serving in Ireland

In 1789, he became the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. This was a very important job. He represented the British King in Ireland. He held this position for five years, until 1794. During this time, he was also made a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire.

Key Government Roles

From 1795 to 1798, he served as Master of the Horse. This role involved managing the royal stables and horses. In 1798, he was appointed Lord Privy Seal. This was a powerful position. He kept this job for almost 35 years. He worked under five different Prime Ministers. These included William Pitt the Younger and Lord Liverpool. He only took a short break from this role between 1806 and 1807.

Military and Local Service

Lord Westmorland also had a military role. In 1797, he helped create a volunteer cavalry regiment in Northamptonshire. He became its colonel. Later, he was the Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. This meant he was the King's personal representative in that county. He held this role from 1828 until his death. In 1793, he was honored as a Knight of the Garter. This is a very special award in Britain.

Family Life

A portrait of John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland, from 1796.

Lord Westmorland married Sarah Anne Child in 1782. She was the only daughter of a rich banker, Robert Child. They married in Gretna Green, Scotland. This was a popular place for young couples to marry quickly. Sarah's father did not approve of the marriage. Because of this, he changed his will. He made sure that his daughter's sons would not inherit his money. Instead, his daughter's daughters would be his main heirs.

Children from First Marriage

Lord and Lady Westmorland had five children together:

• John Fane, 11th Earl of Westmorland (1784–1859): He became the next Earl after his father.
• Lady Sarah Sophia Fane (1785–1867): She inherited a large fortune from her grandfather. She married George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey.
• Lady Augusta Fane (1786–1871): She married twice.
• Lady Maria Fane (1787–1834): She married Viscount Duncannon.
• Lady Charlotte Fane (1793–1822): She never married.

Sarah, the Countess of Westmorland, passed away in 1793. She was only 29 years old.

Second Marriage

Lord Westmorland married again in 1800. His second wife was Jane Saunders. They had five children together. Later in their marriage, they separated. Only their eldest child, Lady Georgiana Fane, lived longer than both her parents.

Children from Second Marriage

• Lady Georgiana Fane (1801–1875): She never married.
• Hon. Charles Saunders John Fane (1802–1810)
• Hon. Col. Henry Sutton Fane (1804–1857)
• Hon. Montagu Augustus Villiers Fane (1805–1857)
• Lady Evelina Fane (1807–1808)

Lord Westmorland passed away in December 1841 at the age of 82. His son, John, from his first marriage, became the next Earl. His second wife, Jane, died in March 1857.