George Keppel, 6th Earl of Albemarle
Encyclopedia
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, FGS, FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
(13 June 1799 – 21 February 1891), styled The Honourable from birth until 1851, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier, Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician and writer.
Background and education
Born in MaryleboneMarylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, he was the third and eldest surviving son of William Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle
William Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle
William Charles Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle GCH, PC , briefly styled Viscount Bury between May and October 1772, was a British Whig politician.-Background:...
and his first wife Elizabeth, fourth daughter of Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford
Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford
Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford was a British politician.He was the son of Edward Southwell by his wife Katherine, daughter of Edward Watson, Viscount Sondes....
. In 1851, he succeeded his older brother Augustus
Augustus Keppel, 5th Earl of Albemarle
Augustus Frederick Keppel, 5th Earl of Albemarle , styled Viscount Bury from 1804 until 1849, was an English nobleman....
as earl. His lifelong friend was Sir Robert Adair. Keppel spent his childhood at his father's residence Elden Hall and was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
. In 1815, he entered the British Army as an ensign.
Career
Keppel fought with the 14th Regiment of Foot in the Battle of WaterlooBattle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. He was transferred as lieutenant to the 20th Regiment of Foot in 1820 and as captain to the 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot
62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot
The 62nd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which was raised as a line regiment in 1756 and saw service through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries...
in 1825. Already two years later, he became major and lieutenant-colonel in 1841. Keppel was promoted to colonel in 1854 and to major-general in 1858. He was made lieutenant-general in 1866 and finally general in 1874.
Keppel represented East Norfolk
East Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
East Norfolk was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Norfolk. It returned two Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1868. Another Eastern division was created in 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member...
in the British 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...
from 1832 until three years later. He stood unsuccessfully for King's Lynn
King's Lynn (UK Parliament constituency)
King's Lynn was a constituency in Norfolk, known as Lynn or Bishop's Lynn prior to 1537, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, and one member thereafter. Until 1918 it was a parliamentary borough, after which the name...
in 1837 and for Lymington
Lymington (UK Parliament constituency)
Lymington was a parliamentary borough in Hampshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1584 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-1584-1640:- 1640-1868 :...
in 1841, however sat for the latter eventually from 1847 to 1849, when he succeeded his father to the Earldom.
From 1820, Keppel was Equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex
Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex
The Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex , was the sixth son of George III of the United Kingdom and his consort, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was the only surviving son of George III who did not pursue an army or naval career.- Early life :His Royal Highness The Prince Augustus...
. In 1838, he was appointed High Sheriff of Leitrim
High Sheriff of Leitrim
The High Sheriff of Leitrim was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Leitrim, Ireland from c.1584 until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Leitrim County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and administrative...
. He served as Groom-in-Waiting between the latter year and 1841 and was Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Lord John Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
between 1846 and the next year. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
from 1859 and was Fellow of the Geological Society (FGS) as well as the Society of Antiquaries of London
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
(FSA).
Family and death
On 4 August 1831, he married Susan Trotter, daughter of Sir Coutts Trotter, 1st Baronet in WillesdenWillesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
. They had four daughters and one son. Keppel died, aged 91 in Portman Square
Portman Square
Portman Square is a square in London, part of the Portman Estate. It is located at the western end of Wigmore Street, which connects it to Cavendish Square to its east. It is served by London bus route 274...
in London and was buried in Quidenham
Quidenham
Quidenham is a small rural village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 576 in 183 households as of the 2001 census...
. He was succeeded in his titles by his only son William
William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle
William Coutts Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle KCMG, PC , styled Viscount Bury between 1851 and 1891, was a British soldier and politician. He served in the British Army before entering parliament in 1857...
.
Works
- Personal Narrative of a Journey from India to England (1827)
- Personal Narrative of Travels in Babylonia, Assyria, Media and Scythia (1827)
- Narrative of a Journey across the Balcan (1831)
- Memoirs of the Marquess of Rockingham and his Contemporaries (1852)
- Fifty Years of My Life (1876)