William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe

The Right Honourable
The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
GCVO, PC, DL
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
In office
7 May 1879  21 April 1880
Monarch Victoria
Prime Minister The Earl of Beaconsfield
Preceded by The Marquess of Hertford
Succeeded by The Earl of Kenmare
Lord Steward of the Household
In office
27 June 1885  28 January 1886
Monarch Victoria
Prime Minister The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by The Earl Sydney
Succeeded by The Earl Sydney
In office
16 August 1886  11 August 1892
Monarch Victoria
Prime Minister The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by The Earl Sydney
Succeeded by The Marquess of Breadalbane
Personal details
Born 5 November 1833 (1833-11-05)
Died 25 September 1917 (1917-09-26) (aged 83)
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) (1) Lady Katherine Hamilton
(c. 1838-1874)
(2) Caroline Edgcumbe
(d. 1909)

William Henry Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe GCVO, PC, DL (5 November 1833 – 25 September 1917), styled Viscount Valletort between 1839 and 1861, was a British courtier and Conservative politician.

Background

Edgcumbe was the son of Ernest Edgcumbe, 3rd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, and Caroline Augusta, daughter of Rear-Admiral Charles Feilding.[1]

Career

Edgcumbe was returned to Parliament for Plymouth in 1859, a seat he held until 1861 when he entered the House of Lords on the death of his father.[2] In 1879 he sworn of the Privy Council[3] and appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Household by the Earl of Beaconsfield,[4] a post he held until the government fell in 1880.[5] He later served under Lord Salisbury as Lord Steward of the Household between 1885[6] and 1886[7] and again between 1886[8] and 1892.[9]

Edgcumbe was also an Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria from 1887 to 1897 and a Member of the Council to the Prince of Wales from 1901 to 1917 as well as Keeper of the Seal of the Duchy of Cornwall from 1907 to 1917. Between 1877 and 1917 he served as Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall.[2]

In early 1901 Lord Mount Edgcumbe was appointed by King Edward to lead a special diplomatic mission to announce the King´s accession to the governments of Belgium, Bavaria, Italy, Württemberg, and the Netherlands.[10] During his visit to the Belgian court in March 1901, King Leopold presented him with the Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold.[11]

Family

Lord Mount Edgcumbe married firstly, Lady Katherine Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, on 26 October 1858. They had four children:

After Lady Katherine's death in September 1874 Lord Mount Edgcumbe married secondly, his first cousin, Caroline Cecilia, daughter of the Hon. George Edgcumbe and widow of Atholl Liddell, 3rd Earl of Ravensworth, on 21 April 1906. She died in February 1909. Lord Mount Edgcumbe died in September 1917, aged 83.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Lundy, Darryl. "p. 1058 § 10574 William Henry Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe". The Peerage.
  2. 1 2 Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
  3. The London Gazette: no. 24724. p. 3459. 20 May 1879.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 24721. p. 3311. 13 May 1879.
  5. The London Gazette: no. 24842. p. 2915. 7 May 1880.
  6. The London Gazette: no. 25485. p. 3000. 30 June 1885.
  7. The London Gazette: no. 25558. p. 682. 12 February 1886.
  8. The London Gazette: no. 25617. p. 4007. 17 August 1886.
  9. The London Gazette: no. 26320. p. 4889. 26 August 1892.
  10. "The King - the special Embassies". The Times (36410). London. 23 March 1901. p. 12.
  11. "The King´s Accession". The Times (36408). London. 21 March 1901. p. 5.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
James White
Sir Robert Collier
Member of Parliament for Plymouth
1859 – 1861
With: Sir Robert Collier
Succeeded by
Walter Morrison
Sir Robert Collier
Political offices
Preceded by
The Marquess of Hertford
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
1879–1880
Succeeded by
The Earl of Kenmare
Preceded by
The Earl Sydney
Lord Steward
1885–1886
Succeeded by
The Earl Sydney
Preceded by
The Earl Sydney
Lord Steward
1886–1892
Succeeded by
The Marquess of Breadalbane
Honorary titles
Preceded by
The Lord Vivian
Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall
1877–1917
Succeeded by
John Charles Williams
Vacant
Title last held by
The 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Vice-Admiral of Cornwall
1897–1917
Vacant
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by
Ernest Edgcumbe
Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
1861–1917
Succeeded by
Piers Edgcumbe
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