William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington

The Right Honourable The Earl of Harrington PC
200px William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington (Godfrey Kneller, 1646-1723)
Lord President of the Council
In office 13 February 1742 – 3 January 1745
Monarch	George II
Prime Minister	The Earl of Wilmington Henry Pelham
Preceded by	The Earl of Wilmington
Succeeded by	The Duke of Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office 15 November 1746 – 15 December 1750
Monarch	George II
Preceded by	The Earl of Chesterfield
Succeeded by	The Duke of Dorset
Personal details
Born	William Stanhope c.1690
Died	8 December 1756(1756-12-08) London, England.
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Anne Griffith (daughter of Colonel Edward Griffith and Elizabeth Lawrence)
Parents	John Stanhope Dorothy Agard
Residence	Elvaston Castle
Occupation	Peer, British statesman and diplomat.

General William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, PC (c.1683 – 8 December 1756) was a British statesman and diplomat.

Biography

Coat of Arms of the Earl of Harrington

He was a younger son of John Stanhope of Elvaston, Derbyshire, and a brother of Charles Stanhope (1673–1760), an active politician during the reign of George I. His ancestor, Sir John Stanhope (d. 1638), was a half-brother of Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield. Educated at Eton, William Stanhope entered the army and served in Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession as Lieutenant and captain in the 2nd Foot Guards (1703), captain and lieutenant-colonel in the 3rd Foot Guards (1710), colonel of the Regiment of Foot (1711–12), Regiment of Dragoons (1715–18) and the 13th Dragoons (1725–30), Major-General (1735), Lieutenant-General (1739) and General (1747).

He afterwards turned his attention to more peaceful pursuits, went on a mission to Madrid and represented his country at Turin. When peace was made between Britain and Spain in 1720 Stanhope became British ambassador to the latter country, and he retained this position until March 1727, having built up his reputation as a diplomatist during a difficult period. He was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household in 1727–30 and a Privy Councillor on 31 May 1727. In 1729 he had some part in arranging the Treaty of Seville between Britain, France and Spain, and for his services in this matter he was created Baron Harrington in January 1730.

Later in the same year he was appointed Secretary of State for the Northern Department under Sir Robert Walpole, replacing Lord Townshend, but, like George II, he was anxious to assist the emperor Charles VI in his war with France, while Walpole favoured a policy of peace. Although the latter had his way Harrington remained secretary until the great minister's fall in 1742, when he was transferred to the office of Lord President of the Council and was created Earl of Harrington of (Harrington, Northamptonshire) and Viscount Petersham of (Surrey).

In 1744, owing to the influence of his political allies, the Pelhams, he returned to his former post of Secretary of State, but he soon lost the favour of the king, and this was the principal cause why he left office in October 1746. He was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1747 to 1751, and he died in London on 8 December 1756.

File:William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington by James Worsdale.jpg

William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington

in 1741 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

He had married Anne, the daughter and heiress of Colonel Edward Griffith, and had 2 sons. He was succeeded by his eldest son, William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington

Styles of address

• 1683–1727: Mr William Stanhope
• 1727–1730: The Right Honourable William Stanhope
• 1730–1741: The Right Honourable The Lord Harrington PC
• 1741–1742: The Right Honourable The Lord Harrington PC FRS
• 1742–1756: The Right Honourable The Earl of Harrington PC FRS

References

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 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Edward Mundy Nathaniel Curzon	Member of Parliament for Derby 1715–1722 With: Lord James Cavendish	Succeeded by Lord James Cavendish Thomas Bayley
Preceded by John Gumley Marquess of Carnarvon	Member of Parliament for Steyning 1727 With: John Gumley	Succeeded by The Viscount Vane Thomas Bladen
Preceded by Lord James Cavendish Thomas Bayley	Member of Parliament for Derby 1727–1730 With: Lord James Cavendish	Succeeded by Lord James Cavendish Charles Stanhope
Military offices
Preceded by Sir Robert Rich	Colonel of Harrington's Regiment of Dragoons 1725–1730	Succeeded by Henry Hawley
Diplomatic posts
Vacant War of the Quadruple Alliance Title last held by John Chetwynd	British Ambassador to Spain 1721–1727	Succeeded by Benjamin Keene
Political offices
Preceded by Thomas Coke	Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 1727–1730	Succeeded by Lord Hervey
Preceded by The Duke of Devonshire	Northern Secretary 1730–1742	Succeeded by The Lord Carteret
Preceded by The Earl of Wilmington	Lord President of the Council 1742–1745	Succeeded by The Duke of Dorset
Preceded by The Lord Carteret	Northern Secretary 1744–1746	Succeeded by The Earl of Chesterfield
Preceded by The Earl of Chesterfield	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1746–1751	Succeeded by The Duke of Dorset
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation	Earl of Harrington 1742–1756	Succeeded by William Stanhope
	Baron Harrington 1730–1756