William Colyear, 3rd Earl of Portmore facts for kids

William Charles Colyear, who became the 3rd Earl of Portmore, as a young boy.

William Charles Colyear (1745–1823) was an important person from Scotland. He was known as the 3rd Earl of Portmore. Before he became an Earl, people called him Viscount Milsington until 1785.

Growing Up

William Charles Colyear was born in 1745. He was the only son of Charles Colyear, who was the 2nd Earl of Portmore. His mother was Juliana. When his older brother David passed away in 1756, William became known as Viscount Milsington.

He went to two famous schools. First, he studied at Eton College. Then, he went to St John's College, Cambridge, a well-known university. In 1774, he tried to become a Member of Parliament for a place called Evesham. He ran as a member of the Tory political group, but he did not win the election.

His Interests and Role

Like his father, William Charles Colyear loved horse racing. He owned several racehorses. He and his wife often went to horse races together. One of his grey horses, named Tiffany, won a race in 1780. Another horse he owned, Scarf, raced in the famous 1781 Epsom Derby in 1781.

In 1785, his father passed away. William then became the 3rd Earl of Portmore. This meant he took on his father's title and responsibilities.

Family Life

On November 5, 1770, William Charles Colyear married Mary Leslie. She was born in 1753 and passed away in 1799. Mary was the daughter of the 10th Earl of Rothes.

William and Mary had several children:

• Thomas Charles Colyear, 4th Earl of Portmore (1772–1835): He became the 4th Earl of Portmore. He had one son with his first wife, Lady Mary Elizabeth Bertie.
• Hon William Colyear
• Hon Francis Colyear (1781–1787)
• Lieutenant Hon John David Colyear (died 1801)
• Lady Mary Colyear (1773–1800)
• Lady Julia Colyear (1774–1800)
• Lady Catherine Caroline Colyear: She married James Bracknell.

A very sad event happened in 1800. His two daughters, Lady Mary and Lady Julia, passed away on the same day in Bath. They died within just a few hours of each other. This sad event was so impactful that a poet named Mary Young Sewell wrote a poem about it.

William Charles Colyear passed away in London in 1823. His son, Thomas Charles Colyear, 4th Earl of Portmore, then became the next Earl.