Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale facts for kids

Portrait of Lord Scarsdale and his wife, Lady Caroline, painted in 1761.

Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale (born in 1726 – died on December 5, 1804) was an important English politician. He belonged to the Tory Party. He lived at Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire and later became a peer, which means he was given a special title and a seat in the House of Lords.

Early Life and Family

Nathaniel and his brother John with their mother, painted around 1738–1740.

Nathaniel Curzon was the son of Sir Nathaniel Curzon, 4th Baronet of Kedleston, and his mother, Mary Assheton. His younger brother, Assheton Curzon, also became a Lord later on.

Nathaniel's father was a Member of Parliament (MP) for several areas, including Derby and Derbyshire. This shows that Nathaniel came from a family deeply involved in politics. When Nathaniel's uncle, Sir John Curzon, died in 1727, his father inherited the family title and Kedleston Hall.

Political Career and Achievements

Nathaniel Curzon followed in his father's footsteps and became a politician. In 1747, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Clitheroe. He held this position until 1754. After that, he took over his father's seat as the MP for Derbyshire.

In 1758, Nathaniel inherited his father's title and Kedleston Hall. A few years later, in 1761, he was given the special title of Lord Scarsdale. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament. He even served as the Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords, helping to lead important discussions.

Building Kedleston Hall

Kedleston Hall, a grand country house.

Nathaniel Curzon was very passionate about his family home, Kedleston Hall. He started making plans to improve the estate even before he inherited it. He hired a landscape gardener named William Emes to create beautiful, natural-looking lakes in the park.

In 1759, he decided to completely rebuild the house. He wanted it to be a grand home designed in the Palladian style. He first hired architects James Paine and Matthew Brettingham. However, he was very impressed by the designs of Robert Adam, who was working on some garden buildings for the estate. Nathaniel quickly put Robert Adam in charge of building the new mansion.

Nathaniel wanted Kedleston Hall to be even more impressive than Chatsworth, the home of his wealthy neighbors, the Cavendishes. He also worked with a famous cabinet-maker named John Linnell. Linnell created amazing furniture for the house, including sofas with detailed carvings of sea creatures like mermaids and mermen.

Today, Kedleston Hall is open to the public and is looked after by the National Trust. A part of the house is still lived in by the Curzon family.

Personal Life

Portrait of Nathaniel's son, Admiral Henry Curzon.

In 1751, Nathaniel Curzon married Lady Carolina Colyear. She was the daughter of Charles, Earl of Portmore. Nathaniel and Lady Carolina had five sons and two daughters together:

• Nathaniel Curzon, 2nd Baron Scarsdale (1752–1837)
• Hon. Charles William Curzon (1758–1804), an Army officer
• Hon. John Curzon (1759–1794), a Naval officer
• Hon. David Francis Curzon (1761–1832), a Reverend
• Hon. Henry Curzon (1765–1846), an Admiral in the Royal Navy
• Hon. Caroline Curzon (died 1841)
• Hon. Juliana Curzon (died 1835)

Lord Scarsdale passed away in 1804. His eldest son, also named Nathaniel, became the 2nd Lord Scarsdale.