William Henry Leigh, 2nd Baron Leigh

Inscription to him at St Alban's Church.

William Henry Leigh, 2nd Baron Leigh PC (January 17, 1824 - October 21, 1905) was a British politician.

Life

He was the eldest of three sons born to Chandos Leigh, 1st Baron Leigh and his wife Margarette Willes. Educated at Harrow School and Trinity College Cambridge (the university later also awarded him an honorary Doctor of Law degree), he married Lady Caroline Amelia Grosvenor (1828-1906), daughter of Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster, on 22 August 1848 and they had seven children:

• Margaret Elizabeth Leigh, married Victor Albert George Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey (1849-1945)
• Gilbert Henry Chandos Leigh (1851-1884)
• Agnes Eleanor Leigh (1853-1942)
• Francis Dudley Leigh (1855-1938)
• Rupert Leigh (1856-1919), army officer
• Rowland Charles Frederick Leigh (1859-1943), barrister
• Mary Cordelia Emily Leigh (1866-1956)

William succeeded his father as Baron Leigh on his death in 27 September 1850. He was Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire from 1856 until his death and was also made a colonel in the 3rd Battalion of the local regiment, the Warwickshire Regiment. He was High Steward of Sutton Coldfield from 1859 until 1892 and also held office as a Justice of the Peace for Gloucestershire. He donated the land for the construction of St Alban's Church, Holborn in central London. He was a Privy Councillor from 1895 onwards, the same year as he unsuccessfully stood as MP for the constituency of North Warwickshire in the general election that year. William was succeeded by his second son Francis, after his eldest son Gilbert's early death.

Sources

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p1243.htm#i12430
• https://www.geni.com/people/William-Leigh/6000000004956760654
• http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp57817/william-henry-leigh-2nd-baron-leigh
• http://www.the-eastern-window.com/EWcdv45.html