Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland KG PC (23 April 1675 – 19 April 1722), known as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was an English statesman. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
(1714–1717), Lord Privy Seal
(1715–1716), Lord President of the Council
(1717–1719) and First Lord of the Treasury
(1718–1721).
and Anne Digby, daughter of George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol
. On the death of his elder brother Henry in Paris
in September 1688, he became heir to the peerage
.
Called by John Evelyn
"a youth of extraordinary hopes," he completed his education at Utrecht
, and in 1695 entered the House of Commons
as member for Tiverton
. In the same year, he married Arabella, daughter of Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle
; she died in 1698 and in 1700, he married Anne Churchill
, daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
. This was an important alliance for Sunderland and for his descendants; through it he was introduced to political life and later the dukedom of Marlborough came to the Spencers.
and Scotland
, and in 1705, he was sent to Vienna
as envoy extraordinary. Although he was tinged with republican ideas and had made himself obnoxious to Queen Anne
by opposing the grant to her husband, Prince George, through the influence of Marlborough he was foisted into the ministry as Secretary of State for the Southern Department
, taking office in December 1706. From 1708 to 1710, he was one of the five Whigs collectively called the Junto
, who dominated the government, but he had many enemies, the queen still disliked him, and in June 1710, he was dismissed. Anne offered him a pension of £3000 a year, but this he refused, saying "if he could not have the honour to serve his country he would not plunder it."
Sunderland continued to take part in public life, and was active in communicating with the court of Hanover
about the steps to be taken in view of the approaching death of the queen. He made the acquaintance of George I
in 1706, but when the elector
became king, Sunderland only secured the comparatively unimportant position of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
. In August 1715, he joined the cabinet as Lord Privy Seal
. After a visit to George I in Hanover, he secured in April 1717 the position of Secretary of State for the Northern Department
. This he retained until March 1718, when he became First Lord of the Treasury
, holding also the post of Lord President of the Council
. He was now effectively the prime minister
. Sunderland was especially interested in the proposed peerage bill, a measure designed to limit the number of members of the House of Lords
, but this was defeated owing partly to the opposition of Sir Robert Walpole
. In 1719 he was one of main subscribers in the Royal Academy of Music (1719), a corporation that produced baroque opera on stage.
The bursting of the South Sea Bubble led to his political ruin. He had taken some part in launching the scheme of 1720, but he had not profited financially by it; however, public opinion was roused against him and it was only through the efforts of Walpole that he was acquitted by the House of Commons
, when the matter was investigated. In April 1721, he resigned his offices, but he retained his influence with George I until his death on 19 April 1722.
Sunderland inherited his father's passion for intrigue, while his manners were repelling, but he stands high among his associates for disinterestedness and had an alert and discerning mind. From his early years he had a great love of books, and he spent his leisure and his wealth in forming the library at Althorp
, which in 1703 was described as "the finest in Europe." In 1749 part of it was removed to Blenheim Palace
.
Sunderland's second wife died in April 1716, after a career of considerable influence on the political life of her time. In 1717, he married an Irish lady of fortune, Judith Tichborne (d. 1749), daughter of Sir Benjamin Tichborne (younger brother of Sir Henry Tichborne, 1st Baron Ferrard, (Irish cr. 1715) and Elizabeth Gibbs. She later married Sir Robert Sutton
.
. They had a single daughter:
His second wife was Lady Anne Churchill. They had five children:
His third wife was Judith Tichborne. They had three children who all died young.
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
(1714–1717), Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
(1715–1716), Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
(1717–1719) and First Lord of the Treasury
First Lord of the Treasury
The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, and is now always also the Prime Minister...
(1718–1721).
Early life
He was the second son of Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of SunderlandRobert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland
Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland KG, PC was an English statesman and nobleman.-Life:Born in Paris, son of Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland, Spencer inherited his father's peerage dignities at the age of three, becoming Baron Spencer of Wormleighton and Earl of Sunderland...
and Anne Digby, daughter of George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol
George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol
George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 until 1641 when he was raised to the House of Lords...
. On the death of his elder brother Henry in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in September 1688, he became heir to the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
.
Called by John Evelyn
John Evelyn
John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time John Evelyn (31 October 1620 – 27 February...
"a youth of extraordinary hopes," he completed his education at Utrecht
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
, and in 1695 entered the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
as member for Tiverton
Tiverton (UK Parliament constituency)
Tiverton was a constituency located in east Devon, formerly represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Enfranchised as a parliamentary borough in 1615 and first represented in 1621, it elected two Members of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. In the same year, he married Arabella, daughter of Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle
Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle
Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, KG, PC , styled Viscount Mansfield until 1676, was the only son of the William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and his first wife, Elizabeth Basset. His maternal grandparents were William Basset and Judith Austen, daughter of Thomas...
; she died in 1698 and in 1700, he married Anne Churchill
Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland (1683-1716)
Lady Anne Churchill was the second daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough...
, daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill , Duchess of Marlborough rose to be one of the most influential women in British history as a result of her close friendship with Queen Anne of Great Britain.Sarah's friendship and influence with Princess Anne was widely known, and leading public figures...
. This was an important alliance for Sunderland and for his descendants; through it he was introduced to political life and later the dukedom of Marlborough came to the Spencers.
Career
Having succeeded to the peerage in 1702, Sunderland was one of the commissioners for the union between EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and in 1705, he was sent to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
as envoy extraordinary. Although he was tinged with republican ideas and had made himself obnoxious to Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
by opposing the grant to her husband, Prince George, through the influence of Marlborough he was foisted into the ministry as Secretary of State for the Southern Department
Secretary of State for the Southern Department
The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782.Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British Secretaries of State were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but...
, taking office in December 1706. From 1708 to 1710, he was one of the five Whigs collectively called the Junto
Whig Junto
The Whig Junto is the name given to a group of leading Whigs who were seen to direct the management of the Whig party and often the government, during the reigns of William III and Anne. The Whig Junto proper consisted of John Somers, later Baron Somers; Charles Montagu, later Earl of Halifax;...
, who dominated the government, but he had many enemies, the queen still disliked him, and in June 1710, he was dismissed. Anne offered him a pension of £3000 a year, but this he refused, saying "if he could not have the honour to serve his country he would not plunder it."
Sunderland continued to take part in public life, and was active in communicating with the court of Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
about the steps to be taken in view of the approaching death of the queen. He made the acquaintance of George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
in 1706, but when the elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
became king, Sunderland only secured the comparatively unimportant position of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. In August 1715, he joined the cabinet as Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
. After a visit to George I in Hanover, he secured in April 1717 the position of Secretary of State for the Northern Department
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
The Secretary of State for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of Great Britain up to 1782. Before the Act of Union, 1707, the Secretary of State's responsibilities were in relation to the English government, not the British. Even after the Union, there was...
. This he retained until March 1718, when he became First Lord of the Treasury
First Lord of the Treasury
The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, and is now always also the Prime Minister...
, holding also the post of Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
. He was now effectively the prime minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. Sunderland was especially interested in the proposed peerage bill, a measure designed to limit the number of members of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, but this was defeated owing partly to the opposition of Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
. In 1719 he was one of main subscribers in the Royal Academy of Music (1719), a corporation that produced baroque opera on stage.
The bursting of the South Sea Bubble led to his political ruin. He had taken some part in launching the scheme of 1720, but he had not profited financially by it; however, public opinion was roused against him and it was only through the efforts of Walpole that he was acquitted by the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, when the matter was investigated. In April 1721, he resigned his offices, but he retained his influence with George I until his death on 19 April 1722.
Sunderland inherited his father's passion for intrigue, while his manners were repelling, but he stands high among his associates for disinterestedness and had an alert and discerning mind. From his early years he had a great love of books, and he spent his leisure and his wealth in forming the library at Althorp
Althorp
Althorp is a country estate of about and a stately home in Northamptonshire, England. It is about north-west of the county town of Northampton. The late Diana, Princess of Wales is buried in the estate.-History:...
, which in 1703 was described as "the finest in Europe." In 1749 part of it was removed to Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
.
Sunderland's second wife died in April 1716, after a career of considerable influence on the political life of her time. In 1717, he married an Irish lady of fortune, Judith Tichborne (d. 1749), daughter of Sir Benjamin Tichborne (younger brother of Sir Henry Tichborne, 1st Baron Ferrard, (Irish cr. 1715) and Elizabeth Gibbs. She later married Sir Robert Sutton
Robert Sutton (diplomat)
Sir Robert Sutton KB was an English diplomat and then politician.-Early life:He was the elder son of Robert Sutton of Averham, Nottinghamshire, and his wife, Katherine, the daughter of the Revd William Sherborne of Pembridge, Herefordshire...
.
Children
His first wife was Arabella Cavendish, daughter of Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of NewcastleHenry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle
Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, KG, PC , styled Viscount Mansfield until 1676, was the only son of the William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and his first wife, Elizabeth Basset. His maternal grandparents were William Basset and Judith Austen, daughter of Thomas...
. They had a single daughter:
- Frances Spencer (died 27 July 1742), married Henry Howard, 4th Earl of CarlisleHenry Howard, 4th Earl of CarlisleHenry Howard, 4th Earl of Carlisle KG , styled Viscount Morpeth until 1738 was a British peer and Whig politician....
.
His second wife was Lady Anne Churchill. They had five children:
- Robert SpencerRobert Spencer, 4th Earl of SunderlandRobert Spencer, 4th Earl of Sunderland was a British peer, the son of the Whig politician, Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland. His mother was Lady Anne Churchill, the daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough...
(24 October 1701 – 27 November 1729), succeeded his father as 4th Earl of Sunderland - Anne Spencer (1702 – 19 February 1769), married William Bateman, 1st Viscount Bateman.
- Charles SpencerCharles Spencer, 3rd Duke of MarlboroughCharles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough KG, PC , known as The Earl of Sunderland between 1729 and 1733, was a British soldier and politician. He briefly served as Lord Privy Seal in 1755...
(22 November 1706 – 20 October 1758), succeeded his brother as 5th Earl of Sunderland, and succeeded his aunt, Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough, as 3rd Duke of Marlborough. - John SpencerJohn Spencer (British politician)John Spencer was a British politician and an ancestor of the Earls Spencer.-Biography:Born the Hon. John Spencer, he was the youngest son of the 3rd Earl of Sunderland and his wife, Lady Anne Churchill. In 1732, he succeeded his cousin, William Godolphin, Marquess of Blandford as Member of...
(13 May 1708 – 19 June 1746), father of John Spencer, 1st Earl SpencerJohn Spencer, 1st Earl SpencerJohn Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer was a British peer and politician.Spencer was born in 1734, at his family home, Althorp. He was the son of Hon. John Spencer and Georgiana Carolina Carteret , and a grandson of the 3rd Earl of Sunderland...
. - Diana Spencer (1710 – 27 September 1735), married John Russell, 4th Duke of BedfordJohn Russell, 4th Duke of BedfordJohn Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, FRS was an 18th century British statesman. He was the fourth son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey...
.
His third wife was Judith Tichborne. They had three children who all died young.