Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon facts for kids

Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon (born January 16, 1740 – died September 26, 1799), was an important English nobleman and a big supporter of music. From 1745 to 1760, he was known as Lord Norreys.

He was born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. He was the second son of Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon. He went to Magdalen College, Oxford in 1759. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1761.

Willoughby Bertie loved music. He was a composer himself and helped many musicians. His brother-in-law, Giovanni Gallini, introduced him to famous composers like J.C. Bach and Carl Friedrich Abel. He supported their careers a lot. He also helped the famous composer Haydn when Haydn visited England. It is believed that Abingdon wrote 120 musical pieces.

Life at Home

Willoughby Bertie and his family lived at Rycote in Oxfordshire. In 1769, he paid for the building of the Swinford Toll Bridge. This bridge crosses the River Thames near Eynsham.

The Story of Potoooooooo

Bertie also bred a very famous racehorse named Potoooooooo. This horse was one of the best racehorses in the 1700s. The horse got its unusual name from a funny mistake. Bertie told his stable boy to write "Potato" on the horse's feed bin. But the boy wrote "Pot" followed by eight "o"s. Bertie found this very amusing. He decided to make the funny spelling the horse's official name.

Becoming an Earl

When his older brother James died in a fire in 1745, Willoughby Bertie became the next in line. He became the 4th Earl of Abingdon on June 10, 1760, after his father passed away.

His Views on Politics

Abingdon was known for having strong and sometimes unusual political opinions. People often said his speeches in the House of Lords were quite unique.

He strongly disagreed with Lord North's government. He spoke up for the freedom of the American colonies. However, he did not support the French Revolution. He believed it was a danger to peace and order around the world. He also thought the movement to end the slave trade was just a new idea from the French republic.

His Family

Willoughby Bertie married Charlotte Warren on July 7, 1768. Charlotte was the daughter of Admiral Sir Peter Warren. Lady Abingdon passed away on January 28, 1794. They had seven children:

• Willoughby Bertie, Lord Norreys (February 8, 1779 – February 20, 1779)
• Willoughby Bertie, Lord Norreys (born April 9, 1781), died when he was a baby
• Montagu Bertie, 5th Earl of Abingdon (April 30, 1784 – October 16, 1854)
• Captain Hon. Willoughby Bertie (June 24, 1787 – December 19, 1810), married Catherine Jane Saunders on November 26, 1808. He was lost while commanding HMS Satellite. His son, Willoughby Vere Bertie, was born after his death.
• Lady Caroline Bertie (October 17, 1788 - March 12, 1870), married Charles John Baillie-Hamilton on January 23, 1821
• Hon. Peregrine Bertie (July 30, 1790 – October 17, 1849)
• Reverend Hon. Frederic Bertie (February 12, 1793 – February 4, 1868), married Lady Georgiana Anne Emily Kerr on October 17, 1795.

Later Life

Willoughby Bertie had money problems from the time he became an Earl. His own expensive lifestyle did not help. He died in 1799 with many debts. Much of his property in Westbury, Wiltshire, was sold off over time. The manor of Weston-on-the-Green in Oxfordshire was passed down to his younger sons. It eventually belonged to his son, Reverend Frederic Bertie.

Abingdon Square Park in Manhattan, New York, is named after him.