John Stratford, 1st Earl of Aldborough facts for kids
John Stratford, 1st Earl of Aldborough (born 1697 or 1698 – died 29 May 1777) was an important Irish politician. He was a member of the House of Stratford, a well-known noble family. He eventually became an Earl, which is a high rank of nobility.
Early Life and Family
John Stratford was born in 1697 or 1698 in a place called Ormond, in Ireland. He was the third son of Edward Stratford, who was a very rich landowner. His mother was Elizabeth Baisley.
John's father had disagreements with his two older sons. Because of this, he decided not to leave his property to them. Instead, John inherited all of his father's large estate. John started studying at Trinity College, Dublin in 1716.
Becoming a Politician
In 1721, John Stratford became a member of the Irish House of Commons. This was like being a member of parliament in Ireland at that time. He represented the area of Baltinglass.
People said that John wasn't a very active member of parliament. His main goal was to get a special title of nobility, known as a peerage. He also served as a High Sheriff of Wexford in 1727 and 1739. He was also High Sheriff of Wicklow in 1736. A High Sheriff was an important local official.
Gaining Noble Titles
John Stratford continued to be a member of parliament for Baltinglass until 1763. On 21 May 1763, he was given his first noble title: Baron Baltinglass. This made him a member of the Peerage of Ireland.
Later, in 1776, he received another title and became Viscount Aldborough. This was part of a plan by Earl Harcourt, who was the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (like a governor). Earl Harcourt wanted to gain more support for the British government in the Irish Parliament.
Finally, on 9 February 1777, John Stratford was given even higher honors. He became Viscount Amiens and Earl of Aldborough. The title "Viscount Amiens" was supposedly based on a made-up family history. This story claimed that Stratford's family came from Amiens and had been companions of William the Conqueror.
Family Life
John Stratford married Martha O'Neale. Her father was Benjamin O'Neale, who was an Archdeacon (a church official). John and Martha had a very large family with six sons and nine daughters.
In his later years, John Stratford became unwell and easily annoyed. He had disagreements with most of his children. After his death, his titles were passed down through his sons. His oldest son, Edward, became the 2nd Earl. After Edward, his second son, John, became the 3rd Earl. Then, his fourth son, Benjamin, became the 4th Earl. One of his daughters, Martha, married Morley Saunders and had children.
