Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox, KG, FRS, PC (22 February 1735 – 29 December 1806) was one of the most remarkable men of the 18th century, being chiefly famous for his advanced views on the question of parliamentary reform.

Charles Lennox was educated at Westminster School and succeeded his father to the peerage in 1750. He had many sisters, including the Ladies Caroline Lennox, Emily Lennox, Louisa Lennox and Sarah Lennox. He was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society on 11 December 1755.^[1]

From 1756 to 1758 Charles Lennox was the Colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot. In 1757 a second battalion (2nd/33rd) had been raised and in 1758 this battalion became an independent regiment, the 72nd Regiment of Foot. Charles Lennox was appointed Colonel of the new regiment and his younger brother George Lennox took command of the 33rd Regiment (1st/33rd). The 72nd Regiment was disbanded in 1763 at the end of the Seven Years' War.^[2]

Charles Lennox was appointed British ambassador extraordinary in Paris in 1765, and in the following year he became a secretary of state in the Rockingham Whig administration, resigning office on the accession to power of the Earl of Chatham.

In the debates on the policy that led to the War of American Independence Richmond was a firm supporter of the colonists; and he initiated the debate in 1778 calling for the removal of the troops from America, during which Chatham was seized by his fatal illness. He also advocated a policy of concession in Ireland, with reference to which he originated the phrase "a union of hearts" which long afterwards became famous when his use of it had been forgotten. In 1779 the duke brought forward a motion for retrenchment of the civil list; and in 1780 he embodied in a bill his proposals for parliamentary reform, which included manhood suffrage, annual parliaments and equal electoral areas.

Richmond sat in Rockingham's second cabinet as Master-General of the Ordnance; and in 1784 he joined the ministry of William Pitt. He now developed strongly Tory opinions, and his alleged desertion of the cause of reform led to a violent attack on him by Lauderdale in 1792, which nearly led to a duel between the two noblemen. Richmond died in December 1806, and, leaving no legitimate children, he was succeeded in the peerage by his nephew Charles, son of his brother, General Lord George Henry Lennox. The adjoining towns of Richmond and Lenox in Massachusetts were named in his honor.

He became a Privy Counsellor in 1765.

In 1802 he opened the family seat at Goodwood to horseracing. More than two hundred years later, Goodwood has grown to be a world-renowned racecourse.

[edit] Ancestry

v • d • e Ancestors of Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond

16. Charles I of England               8. Charles II of England                       17. Henrietta Maria of France               4. Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond                             18. Guillaume de Penancoët, Seigneur de Kérouaille               9. Louise Renée de Penancoët de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth                       19. Marie de Ploeuc de Timeur               2. Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond                                   20. Robert Brudenell, 2nd Earl of Cardigan               10. Francis Brudenell, Lord Brudenell                       21. Anne Savage               5. Anne Brudenell                             22. Thomas Savile, 1st Earl of Sussex               11. Frances Savile                       23. Anne Villiers               1. Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond                                         24. William Cadogan               12. Henry Cadogan                       25. Elizabeth Roberts               6. William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan                             26. Hardress Waller               13. Bridget Waller                       27. Mary (Elizabeth) Dowdall               3. Sarah Cadogan                                   28. Joan Munter               14. Jan Munter                       29. Margaretha Geelvinck               7. Margaret Cecilia Munter                             30. Hendrick Trip               15. Margaretha Trip                       31. Cecilia Godin

[edit] External links

• Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond at Genealogics
• Duke of Richmond @ Spartacus

[edit] References

1. ^ Lists of Royal Society Fellows. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
2. ^ History of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, (page 41), Brereton / Savoury, ISBN 0952155206

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by The Earl of Hertford	British Ambassador to France 1765–1766	Succeeded by The Earl of Rochford
Political offices
Preceded by Henry Seymour Conway	Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1766	Succeeded by The Earl of Shelburne
Preceded by The Viscount Townshend	Master-General of the Ordnance 1782–1783	Succeeded by The Viscount Townshend
Preceded by The Viscount Townshend	Master-General of the Ordnance 1784–1795	Succeeded by The Marquess Cornwallis
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Earl of Egremont	Lord Lieutenant of Sussex 1763–1806	Succeeded by The Duke of Norfolk
Peerage of England
Preceded by Charles Lennox	Duke of Richmond 3rd creation 1750 – 1806	Succeeded by Charles Lennox
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Charles Lennox	Duke of Lennox 2nd creation 1750 – 1806	Succeeded by Charles Lennox