John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Duke of Rutland
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John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland in Garter robes, by Charles Jervis, 1725, Belvoir Castle
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| Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire | |
| In office 1721–1779 |
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| Monarch | George I George II George III |
| Preceded by | The Duke of Rutland |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Rutland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 October 1696 |
| Died | 29 May 1779 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Whigs |
| Spouse | Bridget Sutton |
| Children | 11, including John, Robert, and George |
| Parents | John Manners, 2nd Duke of Rutland Catherine Russell |
John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland (born 21 October 1696 – died 29 May 1779) was an important English nobleman. He was the oldest son of John Manners, 2nd Duke of Rutland and Catherine Russell.
From 1711, he was known as the Marquess of Granby. In 1721, he became the 3rd Duke of Rutland. This meant he had to stop his short career in the House of Commons, which is like the UK's Parliament. He had represented the area of Rutland as a member of the Whig party.
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Life and Work
John Manners held many important jobs in the government and at the royal court. From 1721 to 1779, he was the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire. This role meant he was the King's representative in that county.
He also served as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1727 to 1736. Later, he was the Lord Steward of the Household from 1755 to 1761. From 1761 to 1766, he held the position of Master of the Horse.
Early Political Career
Before becoming Duke, John Manners was a member of the British Parliament. He represented Rutland from January 1719 to February 1721.
He was also one of the people who helped start the Royal Academy of Music. This group created an opera company in London. They asked famous composers like Handel and Bononcini to write many operas for them.
Important Honors
In 1722, John Manners became a Knight of the Order of the Garter. This is a very old and important award in England. In 1727, he joined the Privy Council. This group advises the King or Queen.
He also supported the creation of London's Foundling Hospital. This hospital was a home for abandoned children. He was one of its first leaders when it officially opened in 1739. The city of Rutland, Vermont in the United States, is named after him.
Art Collection
John Manners, the 3rd Duke, loved to collect art. He started buying paintings, drawings, and prints in 1742. For about twenty years, he bought art at auctions in London. He also had people buy art for him at other auctions and from art dealers.
When his father, the 2nd Duke, died in 1721, John inherited the family's art collection. This collection included old master paintings and portraits of his ancestors.
His Taste in Art
The Duke liked smaller pictures. He once said that "A man did not deserve a good picture that would not carry it home himself." Because he preferred smaller art, he spent less money on his collection than other wealthy collectors. These other collectors often bought very large and expensive paintings.
Even so, he was a serious collector. He bought smaller works by many famous European painters. These included Raphael, Titian, Bassano, Veronese, Guido Reni, and the Italianate northerners like Claude and the two Poussins. He spent around £3,210 on paintings. To compare, building his London home around the same time cost about £4,432.
For reasons we don't know, the Duke sold 200 of his paintings between 1758 and 1759.
Chess Game
In 1747, the Duke introduced a new, bigger version of chess. This game was played on a board with 140 squares. That's ten rows and fourteen columns.
Each player had the usual chess pieces, plus some new ones. These included a "concubine" (which moved like a rook and a knight combined). There were also two "crowned rooks" (rooks that could also move one step diagonally). Players also got two extra bishops, an extra knight, and six extra pawns.
This new chess game became popular among the best chess players of that time. People like Abraham Janssen played it. This special version of chess is still played today.
Family Life
In 1717, John Manners married Bridget Sutton. She was 17 years old and inherited a lot of money from her family. They had eleven children together. Sadly, most of them died when they were young.
Their children included:
- Lady Catherine Rachel Manners (born 1718), died young
- Lady Caroline Manners (born spring 1719), died young
- Lady Frances and Lady Bridget Manners (died 30 December 1719), twins who died young
- John Manners, Marquess of Granby (1721–1770)
- Lord Robert Manners-Sutton (1722–1762)
- Lord George Manners-Sutton (1723–1783)
- Lord William Manners (29 July 1724 – 11 March 1730), died young
- Lady Leonora Manners (died June 1740), died young
- Lady Frances Manners (around 1726 – 3 February 1739), died young
- Lord Frederick Manners (born 17 February 1728)
John Manners died in 1779 when he was 82 years old. He passed away at Rutland House in London. He was buried in the family mausoleum at Belvoir Castle.
