William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington

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William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington GCH PC (17631845), known between 1821 and 1842 as The Lord Maryborough, was a British politician and an elder brother of the Duke of Wellington.

[edit] Family

William Wesley was born in 1763 at Dangan Castle the second son of 1st Earl of Mornington and Hon. Annie Hill, daughter of Viscount Dungannon. Due to the debts of his father the family was forced into financial stringency which was partially alleviated when a cousin, William Pole, left Wesley his cousin's estates in 1781. In 1789 he legally changed his name to Wellesley-Pole. Wesley married Mary Forbes, granddaughter of the 3rd Earl of Granard and 3rd Earl of Essex in 1784. They had three daughters and one son, the last of whom inherited his titles on his death in 1845.

[edit] Career

He was educated at Eton (1774–1776) before entering the Royal Navy, where he served between 1778 and 1782; aboard the frigate Incidental. A Tory, he was a Member of The Irish Parliament for Trim (1783–1790) and of the British House of Commons for East Looe (1790–1795) and Queen's County (1801–1821). He was Chief Secretary for Ireland between 1809 and 1812. He served in Lord Liverpool's government from 1814 to 1823 as Master of the Mint. In 1821 he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Maryborough, of Maryborough in the Queen's County. From 1834 to 1835 he was Postmaster-General. On the death of his elder brother, the Marquess Wellesley, in 1842 he succeeded to the earldom of Mornington.


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Viscount Belgrave
The Earl of Carysfort
Member for East Looe
1790–1795
Succeeded by
Robert Wood
Charles Arbuthnot
Preceded by
Sir John Parnell
Charles Henry Coote
Member for Queen's County
1801–1821
Succeeded by
Sir Henry Parnell
Sir Charles Henry Coote
Political offices
Preceded by
Robert Dundas
Chief Secretary for Ireland
1809–1812
Succeeded by
Robert Peel
Preceded by
The Earl of Clancarty
Master of the Mint
1814–1823
Succeeded by
George Tierney
Preceded by
The Marquess Cornwallis
Master of the Buckhounds
1823–1830
Succeeded by
The Viscount Anson
Preceded by
The Marquess Conyngham
Postmaster General
1834–1835
Succeeded by
The Marquess Conyngham
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by
Richard Wellesley
Earl of Mornington
1842–1845
Succeeded by
William Wellesley
Preceded by
New Creation
Baron Maryborough
1821–1845
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