Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol

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Augustus John Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, PC (19 May 1724 – 23 December 1779) was a British admiral and politician. He was known as the English Casanova, due to his huge success with women, including deflowering a dozen Portuguese nuns.

As a young man, he entered the Navy, where his promotion was rapid. He distinguished himself in several encounters with the French, and was of great assistance to Admiral Hawke in 1759, although he had returned to England before the Battle of Quiberon Bay in November 1759. Having served with distinction in the West Indies under Rodney, his active life at sea ceased when the Peace of Paris was concluded in February 1763. He was, however, nominally Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean in this year, and was made Vice Admiral of the Blue in January 1778.

Hervey was Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds from 1757 to 1763, and, after being for a short time Member for Saltash, again represented Bury St Edmunds from 1768 until he succeeded his brother in the Earldom of Bristol in 1775.

He often took part in debates in Parliament, and was a frequent contributor to periodical literature. Having served as a Lord of the Admiralty from 1771 to 1775 he won some notoriety as an opponent of the Rockingham ministry and a defender of Admiral Keppel. In August 1744 he had been secretly married to Elizabeth Chudleigh (1720–1788), afterwards Duchess of Kingston, but this union was dissolved in 1769. Lord Bristol died leaving no legitimate issue, and having, as far as possible, alienated his property from the title. He was succeeded by his brother.

Many of his letters are in the Record Office, and his journals in the British Museum. Other letters are printed in the Grenville Papers, vols. iii. and iv. (Londun, 1852-1853), and the Life of Admiral Keppel, by the Rev. Thomas Keppel (London, 1852).

[edit] See also

Named after Hervey:

Hervey Bay, Queensland, bay and town in Australia

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Felton Hervey Earl of Euston	Member for Bury St Edmunds 1757–1763 with Felton Hervey 1757–1761, Charles Fitzroy 1761–1763	Succeeded by Charles Fitzroy William Hervey
Preceded by John Clevland George Adams	Member for Saltash 1763–1768 with George Adams	Succeeded by Martin Hawke Thomas Bradshawe
Preceded by Charles Fitzroy William Hervey	Member for Bury St Edmunds 1768–1775 with Charles Fitzroy 1768–1774, Sir Charles Davers 1774–1775	Succeeded by Sir Charles Davers Henry Seymour Conway
Political offices
Preceded by Viscount Conway	Chief Secretary for Ireland 17661767	Succeeded by Theophilus Jones
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by George Hervey	Earl of Bristol 1775–1779	Succeeded by Frederick Hervey