John Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Earl of Shelburne PC (Ire) (1706 – 14 May 1761), known as John FitzMaurice until 1751 and as The Viscount FitzMaurice between 1751 and 1753, was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician. He was the father of William Petty FitzMaurice, Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1782 to 1783.
The Earl of Shelburne | |
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| Member of the Dublin Parliament for Member of Parliament for County Kerry | |
| In office 1743–1751 Serving with Sir Maurice Crosbie | |
| Preceded by |
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| Succeeded by |
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| Member of the Great Britain Parliament for Member of Parliament for Wycombe | |
| In office 1754–1760 Serving with
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| Preceded by |
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| Succeeded by |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | John FitzMaurice 1706 |
| Died | 14 May 1761 (age 55) |
| Resting place | Bowood, Wiltshire, England |
| Spouse |
Mary FitzMaurice (m. 1734) |
| Children | |
| Parent | |
Life
editBorn John FitzMaurice, Lord Shelburne was the second son of Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Earl of Kerry, and Anne, daughter of Sir William Petty (1623–1687). He was the younger brother of William FitzMaurice, 2nd Earl of Kerry, and the nephew of Charles Petty, 1st Baron Shelburne and Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne. He was educated at Westminster School and was called to the Bar, Middle Temple, in 1727.[1]
In 1751 he succeeded to the estates of his uncle the Earl of Shelburne (who had died childless) and assumed by Act of Parliament the surname of Petty in lieu of his patronymic.[2] Later the same year he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Dunkeron and Viscount FitzMaurice. Two years later the earldom of Shelburne was revived in his favour when he was made Earl of Shelburne, in the County of Wexford, in the Irish peerage.
In 1754 he bought Bowood Park, an estate between Chippenham and Calne in Wiltshire, and rebuilt the mansion there.[3]
Political career
editFitzMaurice was High Sheriff of Kerry in 1732.[1] In 1743 he entered the Irish House of Commons as one of two representatives for County Kerry, a seat he held until 1751.[1][4]
He was Governor of County Kerry in 1754[1] and the same year he was returned to the British House of Commons for Wycombe, a seat he held until 1760.[5] He was sworn of the Irish Privy Council in 1754[1][6] and in 1760 he was created Lord Wycombe, Baron of Chipping Wycombe, in the County of Buckingham, in the Peerage of Great Britain, which entitled him to a seat in the English House of Lords.[7]
Family
editLord Shelburne married his first cousin, Mary, daughter of the Hon. William FitzMaurice, in 1734. Their younger son the Hon. Thomas FitzMaurice married Mary O'Brien, later suo jure Countess of Orkney. Lord Shelburne died in May 1761 and was buried in Bowood, Wiltshire. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, William, who became Prime Minister of Great Britain and was created Marquess of Lansdowne in 1784. The Countess of Shelburne died in 1780.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f thepeerage.com John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne
- ^ Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1750 (24 Geo. 2). c. 43
- ^ Crowley, D. A., ed. (2002). "Bowood". A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 17. Victoria County History. University of London. pp. 116–123. Retrieved 6 March 2022 – via British History Online.
- ^ "leighrayment.com Irish House of Commons 1692-1800". Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Witney to Wythenshawe and Sale East". Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ leighrayment.com Privy Counsellors - Ireland[usurped]
- ^ "No. 10001". The London Gazette. 17 May 1760. p. 1.