Henry FitzRoy, Earl of Euston
Encyclopedia
Henry James FitzRoy, Earl of Euston DL
(28 November 1848 – 10 May 1912) was the eldest son and heir of Augustus FitzRoy, 7th Duke of Grafton
.
Euston married Kate Walsh, daughter of John Walsh, on 29 May 1871 at St. Michael's Church, Worcester
. His wife died in 1903, nine years before him. They had no children. Euston died at Wakefield Lodge, Potterspury
, Northamptonshire
, six years before his father, and so never inherited his father's lands and titles. His younger brother, Alfred
, became the 8th Duke of Grafton
.
Euston was embroiled in the Cleveland Street scandal
when he was accused of visiting a male brothel at 19 Cleveland Street in London by The North London Press, an obscure radical weekly newspaper. Euston sued for libel. At the trial Euston admitted that when walking along Piccadilly
he had been given a card by a tout
which read "Poses plastiques. C. Hammond, 19 Cleveland Street". Euston testified that he went along to the house, believing Poses plastiques to mean a display of female nudes. He paid a sovereign to get in. On entry, Euston said he was appalled to discover the "improper" nature of the place and immediately left. The defence witnesses contradicted each other, and could not describe Euston accurately. The final defence witness, John Saul, was a male prostitute who admitted to earning his living by leading an "immoral life" and "practising criminality". The jury did not believe the defence witnesses and found in favour of Euston. H. Montgomery Hyde, an eminent historian of homosexuality, later wrote that there was little doubt that Euston was telling the truth and only visited 19 Cleveland Street once because he was misled by the card.
More recent scholarship has suggested that Euston did have a connection to London's homosexual world. According to Oscar Wilde
biographer Neil McKenna, Euston was blackmailed by Robert Cliburn, a young man who specialized in blackmailing older homosexual men.
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....
(28 November 1848 – 10 May 1912) was the eldest son and heir of Augustus FitzRoy, 7th Duke of Grafton
Augustus FitzRoy, 7th Duke of Grafton
Augustus Charles Lennox FitzRoy, 7th Duke of Grafton KG CB , known as Lord Augustus FitzRoy before 1882, was the second son of the 5th Duke of Grafton and his wife, Mary Caroline, daughter of Admiral the Hon Sir George Cranfield-Berkeley.On 9 June 1847, he married Anna Balfour and had four...
.
Euston married Kate Walsh, daughter of John Walsh, on 29 May 1871 at St. Michael's Church, Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. His wife died in 1903, nine years before him. They had no children. Euston died at Wakefield Lodge, Potterspury
Potterspury
Potterspury is a village and civil parish in the district of South Northamptonshire. The nearest main town is Milton Keynes, the centre of which is about 7 miles south-east...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, six years before his father, and so never inherited his father's lands and titles. His younger brother, Alfred
Alfred FitzRoy, 8th Duke of Grafton
Alfred William Maitland FitzRoy, 8th Duke of Grafton , styled Lord Alfred FitzRoy between 1882 and 1912 and Earl of Euston between 1912 and 1918, was the son of the 7th Duke of Grafton and his wife Anna Balfour, daughter of James Balfour [and aunt of Arthur Balfour].He married, firstly, Margaret...
, became the 8th Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for his 2nd illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland, Henry FitzRoy...
.
Euston was embroiled in the Cleveland Street scandal
Cleveland Street scandal
The Cleveland Street scandal occurred in 1889, when a homosexual male brothel in Cleveland Street, Fitzrovia, London, was discovered by police. At the time, sexual acts between men were illegal in Britain, and the brothel's clients faced possible prosecution and certain social ostracism if discovered...
when he was accused of visiting a male brothel at 19 Cleveland Street in London by The North London Press, an obscure radical weekly newspaper. Euston sued for libel. At the trial Euston admitted that when walking along Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
he had been given a card by a tout
Tout
In British English, a tout is any person who solicits business or employment in a persistent and annoying manner...
which read "Poses plastiques. C. Hammond, 19 Cleveland Street". Euston testified that he went along to the house, believing Poses plastiques to mean a display of female nudes. He paid a sovereign to get in. On entry, Euston said he was appalled to discover the "improper" nature of the place and immediately left. The defence witnesses contradicted each other, and could not describe Euston accurately. The final defence witness, John Saul, was a male prostitute who admitted to earning his living by leading an "immoral life" and "practising criminality". The jury did not believe the defence witnesses and found in favour of Euston. H. Montgomery Hyde, an eminent historian of homosexuality, later wrote that there was little doubt that Euston was telling the truth and only visited 19 Cleveland Street once because he was misled by the card.
More recent scholarship has suggested that Euston did have a connection to London's homosexual world. According to Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
biographer Neil McKenna, Euston was blackmailed by Robert Cliburn, a young man who specialized in blackmailing older homosexual men.