Henry Digby, 1st Earl Digby
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Henry Digby, 1st Earl Digby (21 July 1731 – 25 September 1793), was a British peer and Member of Parliament.
Digby was the younger son of Hon. Edward Digby, son of William Digby, 5th Baron Digby. His mother was Charlotte Fox, daughter of Sir Stephen Fox. Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, was his uncle and Charles James Fox his cousin. Digby was elected to the House of Commons for Ludgershall in 1755, a seat he held until 1761, and then represented Wells between 1761 and 1765. In 1757 he succeeded his elder brother as seventh Baron Digby but as this was an Irish peerage it did not entitle him to sit in the British House of Lords and did not force him to resign his seat in the House of Commons. However, in 1765 Digby was created Baron Digby, of Sherborne in the County of Dorset, in the Peerage of Great Britain and with remainder to the male issue of his father. From 1771 to 1793 Lord Digby served as Lord Lieutenant of Dorset. In 1790 he was further honoured when he was Viscount Coleshill and Earl Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, with remainder to his heirs male.
Lord Digby married, firstly, Elizabeth Feilding, daughter of Hon. Charles Feilding, in 1763. They had no children. After his first wife's death in 1765 he married, secondly, Mary Knowler, daughter of John Knowler, in 1779. Lord Digby died in September 1793, aged 62, and was succeeded in his title by his eldest son Edward. The Countess Digby died in 1794.
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir John Bland Thomas Hayward |
Member of Parliament for Ludgershall with Thomas Hayward 1755–1761 |
Succeeded by Thomas Whately John Paterson |
| Preceded by Charles Tudway Robert Digby |
Member of Parliament for Wells with Clement Tudway 1761–1765 |
Succeeded by Clement Tudway Robert Child |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Shaftesbury |
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset 1771–1793 |
Succeeded by The Lord Rivers |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New title | Earl Digby 1790–1793 |
Succeeded by Edward Digby |
| Baron Digby 1765–1793 |
||
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by Edward Digby |
Baron Digby 1757–1793 |
Succeeded by Edward Digby |
[edit] References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
- www.thepeerage.com
