| The Right Honourable The Earl of Dartmouth GCVO, KCB, PC, VD TD, JP |
|
|---|---|
| The Earl of Dartmouth as caricatured by Stuff in Vanity Fair in 1895. | |
| Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | |
| In office 27 June 1885 – 28 January 1886 |
|
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| Preceded by | Lord Charles Bruce |
| Succeeded by | Viscount Kilcoursie |
| In office 5 August 1886 – 24 November 1891 |
|
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| Preceded by | Viscount Kilcoursie |
| Succeeded by | Lord Burghley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 May 1851 Westminster, London |
| Died | 11 March 1936 Patshull Hall, Staffordshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Mary Coke (1849-1929) |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
William Heneage Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth GCVO, KCB, PC, VD, TD, JP (6 May 1851 – 11 March 1936), styled Viscount Lewisham between 1853 and 1891, was a British peer and Conservative politician. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household between 1885 and 1886 and again between 1886 and 1891.
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Born at Westminster, London,[1] Dartmouth was the eldest son of William Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth, and Lady Augusta, daughter of Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford. The Hon. Sir Henry Legge was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.[2] He played first class cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club in 1877.[1]
Legge entered Parliament in 1878 as Member of Parliament for West Kent, a seat he held until the constituency was split in 1885,[2][3] when he was elected to the new constituency of Lewisham.[2][4] The same year he was sworn of the Privy Council[5] and made Vice-Chamberlain of the Household in Lord Salisbury's first administration.[6] The Conservatives fell from power in January 1886 but returned to office under Salisbury already in July of the same year, when Dartmouth was once again appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household,[7] a post he retained until 1891. He left the Commons in August 1891 on succeeding his father's titles.[2] In October of the same year he was also appointed Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire (succeeding his father),[8] which he remained until 1927.[2]
Lord Dartmouth served with a volunteer battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment during the First World War, for which he was appointed a KCB in 1917. On his retirement, he was made a GCVO in 1928. He was also an Alderman of the Staffordshire County Council and a Justice of the Peace for both Staffordshire and Shropshire.[2]
Lord Dartmouth married Lady Mary, fourth daughter of the Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester, on 18 December 1879. They had five children:
The Countess of Dartmouth, who was made a CBE in 1920, died in December 1929.[2] Lord Dartmouth survived her by seven years and died at Patshull Hall, Staffordshire,[1] in March 1936, aged 84. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, William.[2]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Charles Mills, Bt John Gilbert Talbot |
Member of Parliament for West Kent 1878 – 1885 With: Sir Charles Mills, Bt 1868–1885 |
Constituency split |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Lewisham 1885 – 1891 |
Succeeded by John Penn |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Lord Charles Bruce |
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 1885–1886 |
Succeeded by Viscount Kilcoursie |
| Preceded by Viscount Kilcoursie |
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 1886–1891 |
Succeeded by Lord Burghley |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Dartmouth |
Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire 1891–1927 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Harrowby |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by William Legge |
Earl of Dartmouth 1891–1936 |
Succeeded by William Legge |