Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington
| The Right Honourable The Earl of Northington PC |
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|---|---|
 The Earl of Northington by Thomas Hudson. |
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| Born | 1708 Hampshire |
| Died | 14 January 1772 Hampshire |
| Cause of death | Natural Causes |
| Residence | Hampshire |
| Nationality | English |
| Title | 1st Earl of Northington |
| Political party | Whig Party |
| Spouse | Jane Huband |
| Children | Lady Catherine Henley , Lady Bridget Henley, Jane Henley, Lady Elizabeth Henley, Mary Henley, 3 sons |
| Parents | Anthony Henley |
Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington PC (c. 1708-14 January 1772), was the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was a member of the Whig Party in the parliament and was known for his wit and writing.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Family
Henley's grandfather, Sir Robert Henley, was Master of the Court of the King's Bench. He was essentially a defense lawyer. Henley inherited an estate in the Grange in Hampshire which was built by Sir Robert Henley by Inigo Jones. Henley's father Robert Henley was educated at Oxford and was interested in literature. When arriving in London, he was the friend of the Earls of Dorset and Sunderland, and friends to Swift, the Pope, and Burnet. After becoming a married man, Anthony Henley became a chosen member in Andover of the parliament in 1698. He died in August, 1711 and was succeeded by his eldest, Anthony; the second, Robert; and his youngest son, Bertie who died in 1760.[2]
[edit] Early life
Born the second son of Anthony Henley, Robert Henley was from a wealthy family in Hampshire. Henly was educated at Westminster School and attended the St. John's College in Oxford.[1]
[edit] Career
Robert Henley gained a fellowship at the All Souls College and was called to the bar on 23 June 1732. He was elected a parliament member of Bath, Somerset in 1747 and became recorder in 1751. He was appointed Attorney General in 1756 and was promoted the next year to Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was the last person to receive this title. Although as Lord Keeper he presided over the House of Lords, he was not made a peer until 1760 when he became Baron Henley of Grange in the County of Southampton in Hampshire. When George III ascended to power, Henley came Lord Chancellor and then Viscount Henley and Earl of Northington in 1764.[1]
The delay in raising him to the peerage was due to the hostility of George II, who resented Henley's former support of the Prince of Wales's faction, known as the Leicester House party; and it was in order that he might preside as Lord High Steward at the trial of the Earl Ferrers for murder in 1760 that he then received his patent. He resigned from his position in 1767. At his residence in Hampshire, he died on January 14, 1772.
[edit] Personal life
In 1743, Henley married Jane Huband who was the daughter of Sir John Huband of Ipsley of Warwickshire. He had three sons and five daughters. The names of his daughters were as followed: Lady Catherine Henley (d. 9 Jan, 179)[3] , Lady Bridget Henley (d. 13 March 1796)[4] , Jane Henley (d. February 1823)[5] , Lady Elizabeth Henley (d. 20 August 1821)[6] , Mary Henley (b. 1753 - d. 1814)[7].[8]
[edit] Legal Positions
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Murray |
Attorney General for England and Wales 1756–1757 |
Succeeded by Sir Charles Pratt |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by In Commission |
Lord Keeper 1757–1761 |
Succeeded by The Lord Camden (Lord Chancellor) |
| Lord Chancellor 1761–1766 |
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| Preceded by The Earl of Winchilsea and Nottingham |
Lord President of the Council 1766–1767 |
Succeeded by The Earl Gower |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Marquess of Carnarvon |
Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire 1764–1771 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Chandos |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New title | Baron Henley 1760–1772 |
Succeeded by Robert Henley |
| New title | Earl of Northington 1764–1772 |
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[edit] Notes
- A memoir of the life of Robert Henely, earl of Northington, lord high chancellor of Great Britain
- The Complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdoms, Extant, Extinct or Dormant
- Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage
- re: Penancoet Family
- Complete Baronetage
- Burke's Peerage and Baronetage
- A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington". WordiQ. WordiQ. http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Robert_Henley,_1st_Earl_of_Northington. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ Henley (2nd Baron), Robert (1831). A memoir of the life of Robert Heneley, earl of Northington, lord high chancellor of Great Britain. Oxford: Oxford University. pp. 162.
- ^ Cokayne, G.E. (1910-1959). The Complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdoms, Extant, Extinct or Dormant. Glouester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing. pp. 474.
- ^ Mosley, Charles (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A: Burke's Peerage. pp. 1248.
- ^ Maubois, Caroline (2008). re: Penancoet Family.
- ^ Cokayne, George Edward (1983). Complete Baronetage. Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing. pp. 49.
- ^ Mosley, Charles (1867). Burke's Peerage and Baronetage.
- ^ "Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington". A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe. Peerage. http://www.thepeerage.com/p2903.htm. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
