John Spencer Stanhope facts for kids
John Spencer Stanhope (born in 1787, died in 1873) was an English landowner and a person very interested in old things, known as an antiquarian. He loved to study and collect ancient objects and history.
His Life Story
John Spencer Stanhope was born on May 27, 1787. His father was Walter Spencer-Stanhope (1749–1822). John went to Christ Church, Oxford university in 1804. Around 1807, he was in Edinburgh, Scotland, and joined a debating club called the Speculative Society.
After traveling, John Spencer Stanhope was captured by the French during a war between 1810 and 1813. He was held in a place called Verdun for two years. Later, he was allowed to visit Paris before being set free.
He then traveled to Greece with a friend named Thomas Allason. While there, he did a lot of research. Based on his findings, he wrote a book in 1817 called Topography illustrative of the Battle of Plataea. This book was about the geography of an ancient battle site. In 1816, he also bought a piece of the famous Parthenon temple's frieze (a sculpted band) in Greece. He added this piece to the Elgin Marbles collection at the British Museum in London.
John Spencer Stanhope lived at Cannon Hall in Yorkshire, England, and also had land in Horsforth. He passed away on November 8, 1873. He was a member of important groups like the Royal Society (for science) and the Society of Antiquaries of London (for history and ancient things).
His Family
In 1822, John Spencer Stanhope married Elizabeth Wilhelmina Coke. Her father was Thomas William Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. John and Elizabeth had two sons: Walter Spencer-Stanhope (1827–1911) and John Roddam Spencer Stanhope.
They also had four daughters:
- Anna Wilhelmina married a lawyer named Percival Pickering.
- Eliza Anne married Richard St John Tyrwhitt.
- Anne Alicia and Louisa Elizabeth never married.
