Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont

The Right Honourable The Earl of Egremont PC
Secretary of State for the Southern Department
In office 9 October 1761 – 21 August 1763
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Earl of Bute George Grenville
Preceded by	William Pitt
Succeeded by	The Earl of Halifax
Personal details
Born	19 August 1710(1710-08-19)
Died	21 August 1763(1763-08-21) (aged 53)

Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, PC (1710 – 21 August 1763) (a son of Sir William Wyndham and a direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham) and Catherine née Seymour, succeeded his uncle, Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, as 2nd Earl of Egremont in 1750. Charles, who had succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1740, inherited Somerset's estates in Cumberland and Sussex (see Petworth House). His younger brother was Percy Wyndham-O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond.

Wyndham was a member of Parliament (MP) from 1734 to 1750: for Bridgwater 1734-1741, Appleby 1741-1747, and Taunton 1747-1750.

Seven Years War

Further information: Great Britain in the Seven Years War

In October 1761 he was appointed Secretary of State for the Southern Department in succession to William Pitt. His term of office, during which he acted in concert with his brother-in-law, George Grenville, was mainly occupied with the declaration of war on Spain and with the negotiations for peace with France and Spain, the terms of which the earl seems to have disliked. He was also involved with the proceedings against John Wilkes.

He died on 21 August 1763. Horace Walpole perhaps rates Egremont's talents too low when he says he had neither knowledge of business, nor the smallest share of parliamentary abilities.

He was Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland 1751-1763 and Lord Lieutenant of Sussex 1762-1763.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by George Bubb Dodington Thomas Palmer	Member of Parliament for Bridgwater 1735–1741 With: George Bubb Dodington	Succeeded by George Bubb Dodington Vere Poulett
Preceded by Sir John Ramsden, Bt George Bubb Dodington	Member of Parliament for Appleby 1742–1747 With: Sir John Ramsden, Bt	Succeeded by Sir John Ramsden, Bt Randle Wilbraham
Preceded by Sir John Chapman, Bt Percy Wyndham-O'Brien	Member of Parliament for Taunton 1747–1750 With: Robert Webb	Succeeded by Robert Webb William Rowley
Political offices
Preceded by William Pitt	Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1761–1763	Succeeded by The Earl of Halifax
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Viscount Lonsdale	Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland 1751–1759	Succeeded by Sir James Lowther, 5th Bt
	Custos Rotulorum of Cumberland 1751–1763	Vacant Title next held by Sir James Lowther, 5th Bt
Preceded by Sir James Lowther, 4th Bt	Vice-Admiral of Cumberland 1755–1763
Preceded by The Duke of Newcastle	Lord Lieutenant of Sussex 1763	Succeeded by The Duke of Richmond
Peerage of England
Preceded by Algernon Seymour	Earl of Egremont 1750–1763	Succeeded by George Wyndham
Baronetage of England
Preceded by William Wyndham	Baronet (of Orchard Wyndham) 1740–1763	Succeeded by George Wyndham