Wilmot Vaughan, 3rd Viscount Lisburne facts for kids

Wilmot Vaughan, 3rd Viscount Lisburne (died 19 January 1766), was a Welsh landowner and an Irish noble. He became the 3rd Viscount Lisburne and took over the Trawsgoed estate in Wales in 1741. His family's money problems meant he spent many years protecting his inheritance from claims by his brother's wife and her son. He eventually married a wealthy woman, which helped his family's finances.

Early Life and Family

Wilmot was the second son of John Vaughan, 1st Viscount Lisburne, and his mother was Lady Malet Wilmot. He might have been the Wilmot Vaughan who became a captain in the army in 1723. Later, in 1737, he was put in charge of a special army company in Hull.

In 1727, Wilmot married Elizabeth Watson. She was the sister of Thomas Watson. Wilmot and Elizabeth had four children:

• Wilmot Vaughan, 1st Earl of Lisburne (born 1728, died 1800)
• Hon. John Vaughan (born around 1729, died 1795)
• Hon. Malet Vaughan (born around 1730), who died when she was young
• Hon. Elizabeth Vaughan (born around 1741, died 1817), who married Thomas Lloyd. They had children.

Wilmot's older brother, John, the 2nd Viscount Lisburne, had some family disagreements. John made a will in 1741 that left almost all his property to Wilmot. Wilmot also became the guardian of John's only daughter, Malet.

Taking Over Trawsgoed Estate

When John died shortly after making his will, Wilmot immediately took control of the Trawsgoed estate. An "estate" is a large area of land, often with a big house, owned by one family. The Trawsgoed estate brought in about £1000 each year.

However, the estate had many debts. It was "mortgaged," meaning money was borrowed against it. There were also payments set aside for John's wife, Dorothy, and for his daughter, Malet. Wilmot tried to stop the payments to Dorothy, but he was not successful.

After several years of legal battles, Dorothy and her son, Edward, reached an agreement with Wilmot in 1754. This happened just before their claims to the family title and estates were going to be decided in court. Edward agreed to drop his claims. In return, he received an "annuity," which is a fixed sum of money paid to someone each year. Edward continued to use the Vaughan family name.

A Leader in Cardiganshire

After a few years, Wilmot was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire in 1744. A "Lord Lieutenant" is a special representative of the King or Queen in a county. Wilmot took over this role from his brother.

Wilmot worked hard to manage the Trawsgoed estate better than his brother had. He wanted to make it more profitable. However, he had not yet cleared all the debts when he passed away on 19 January 1766. His son, also named Wilmot, took over his titles and estates. His son had already started to get involved in politics in 1755 and had taken over the Lord-Lieutenancy role in 1762.