William Ormsby-Gore, 2nd Baron Harlech
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William Richard Ormsby-Gore, 2nd Baron Harlech (3 March 1819 – 26 June 1904) was an Anglo-Irish peer and Member of Parliament.
Ormsby-Gore was the younger son of William Ormsby-Gore and Mary Jane Ormsby. He was educated at Eton College and later purchased an Ensigncy in the 53rd Foot. He purchased a Lieutenantcy in 1839 and exchanged into the 13th Light Dragoons in 1841, purchasing a Captaincy in 1846 and a Majority in 1852.
In the 1841 election Ormsby-Gore was elected unopposed as a Conservative Party MP for County Sligo. In 1852 there was a contest for the seat and he was defeated by a nationalist-inclined Liberal candidate. He returned to Parliament in a by-election on May 17, 1858 as MP for Leitrim, a seat he held until 1876.
Ormsby-Gore bought an estate at Derrycarne near Dromod in County Leitrim and went on to rise to high office in the county: he became High Sheriff there for 1865, and was appointed as Lord Lieutenant of County Leitrim in 1878, which he remained until his death.
On January 14, 1876 Ormsby-Gore's elder brother John was created Baron Harlech. As he was childless, the peerage was created with a special remainder to his younger brother, meaning that he was made heir presumptive of the peerage should the first Baron die without legitimate children. This was an unusual procedure and it was determined at the time that the last such case had been 45 years before. As it happened, the first Baron died on June 15, 1876, and Ormsby-Gore became the second Baron Harlech.
Ormsby-Gore married Emily Seymour, daughter of Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour and sister of Francis Hugh George Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford, in 1850. He died in June 1904, aged 85, and was succeeded in the barony by his son George.
[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
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Joshua Cooper Alexander Perceval |
Member of Parliament for County Sligo with Alexander Perceval 1841 John Ffolliott 1841–1850 Sir Robert Gore-Booth, Bt 1850–1852 1841–1852 |
Succeeded by Sir Robert Gore-Booth, Bt Richard Swift |
| Preceded by Hugh Lyons Montgomery John Brady |
Member of Parliament for County Leitrim with John Brady 1858–1876 |
Succeeded by John Brady Francis O'Beirne |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Viscount Southwell |
Lord Lieutenant of Leitrim 1878–1904 |
Succeeded by The Lord Harlech |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by John Ormsby-Gore |
Baron Harlech 1876–1904 |
Succeeded by George Ormsby-Gore |
