| The Right Honourable The Lord Athlumney PC |
|
|---|---|
| Chief Secretary for Ireland | |
| In office 22 July 1847 – 21 February 1852 |
|
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | Lord John Russell |
| Preceded by | Henry Labouchere |
| Succeeded by | Lord Naas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1802 |
| Died | 7 December 1863 Dover, Kent |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Lady Maria Conyngham (d. 1843) (2) Maria Jones (1831-1899) |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
William Meredyth Somerville, 1st Baron Athlumney PC (1802 – 7 December 1873), known as Sir William Somerville, Bt, between 1831 and 1863, was a British Liberal politician.
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Athlumney was the son of Sir Marcus Somerville, 4th Baronet, and Mary Anne, daughter of Sir Richard Gorges-Meredyth, 1st Baronet. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.
Athlumney was returned to Parliament for Drogheda in 1837, a seat he held until 1852, and served under Lord John Russell as Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department from 1846 to 1847 and as Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1847 to 1852. In 1847 he was sworn of the Privy Council. He lost his seat in the 1852 general election, but was successfully returned for Canterbury in 1854, and continued to represent this constituency until 1865. In 1863 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Athlumney, of Somerville and Dollarstown in the County of Meath, and in 1866 he was further honoured when he was created Baron Meredyth, of Dollarstown in the County of Meath, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Lord Athlumney married firstly Lady Maria Harriet, daughter of Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess Conyngham, in 1832. They had one son (who died as an infant) and one daughter. After her death in December 1843 he married secondly Maria Georgiana Elizabeth, daughter of Herbert George Jones, in 1860. They had two sons (of whom the youngest died as a child). Lord Athlumney died in Dover, Kent, in December 1873 and was succeeded by his eldest and only surviving son from his second marriage, James. Lady Athlumney died in January 1899, aged 67.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hon. Randal Plunkett |
Member of Parliament for Drogheda 1837–1852 |
Succeeded by James McCann |
| Preceded by Henry Plumptre Gipps Henry Butler-Johnstone |
Member of Parliament for Canterbury 1854–1865 With: Charles Manners Lushington 1854–1857 Henry Butler-Johnstone 1857–1862 Henry Munro-Butler-Johnstone 1862–1865 |
Succeeded by Henry Munro-Butler-Johnstone John Walter Huddlestone |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Hon. John Manners-Sutton |
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department 1846–1847 |
Succeeded by Sir Denis La Marchant, Bt |
| Preceded by Henry Labouchere |
Chief Secretary for Ireland 1847–1852 |
Succeeded by Lord Naas |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| New creation | Baron Athlumney 1863–1873 |
Succeeded by James Somerville |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baron Meredyth 1866–1873 |
Succeeded by James Somerville |
| Baronetage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by Marcus Somerville |
Baronet (of Somerville) 1831 – 1873 |
Succeeded by James Somerville |