William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth
William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth (1672-1750), only son of George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth, succeeded to his father's barony in 1691. In 1702 he was appointed a member of the Board of Trade and Plantations, and eight years later he became Secretary of State for the Southern Department and joint keeper of the signet for Scotland. In 1711 he was created Viscount Lewisham and Earl of Dartmouth; in 1713 he exchanged his offices for that of Lord Privy Seal, which he held until the end of 1714. After a long period of retirement from public life he died on 15 December 1750. Dartmouth's eldest son George Legge, Viscount Lewisham (c. 1703-1732), predeceased his father, leaving a son, William. Another son of the first earl was Henry Bilson-Legge, who later served as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
In politics he was a moderate; himself a Tory he was prepared to work with moderate Whigs. He earned the regard of Robert Harley, another believer in moderation; Dartmouth in return remained a loyal friend after Harley's downfall[1]. He also had the confidence of Queen Anne, who praised him as "an honest man."[2]As a Minister though far from brilliant he earned a reputation for competence and hard work. He was also noted for discretion; foreign ambassadors complained that it would be easier to get information from a brick wall. In private life his fondness for laughing at his own jokes led to his nickname "the Jester".[3]
The Dartmouth family lived at Sandwell Hall (since demolished) in the Sandwell Valley.
[edit] References
- ^ Hamilton, Elizabeth. "The Backstairs Dragon- a life of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford. Hamish Hamilton: London, 1969
- ^ Gregg, Edward. Queen Anne (2nd ed.) Yale University Press, 2001
- ^ Hamilton, The Backstairs Dragon
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Earl of Sunderland |
Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1710–1713 |
Succeeded by The Viscount Bolingbroke |
| Preceded by John Robinson |
Lord Privy Seal 1713–1714 |
Succeeded by The Marquess of Wharton |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by George Legge |
Baron Dartmouth 1691–1750 |
Succeeded by William Legge |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New title | Earl of Dartmouth 1711–1750 |
Succeeded by William Legge |
