LEVESON GOWER, Granville, Visct. Trentham (1721-1803).

Constituency	Dates
Westminster	1747
Lichfield	1754 – 25 Dec. 1754

Family and Education

b. 4 Aug. 1721, 1st surv. s. of John, 1st Earl Gower, by his 1st w. Lady Evelyn Pierrepont, da. of Evelyn, 1st Duke of Kingston; half-bro. of Hon. John Leveson Gower. educ. Westminster 1731; Ch. Ch. Oxf. 1740. m. (1) 23 Dec. 1744, Elizabeth (d. 19 May 1746), da. and h. of Nicholas Fazakerly of Prescot, Lancs., 1s. d.v.p.; (2) 28 Mar. 1748, Lady Louisa Egerton (d. 14 Mar. 1761), da. of Scroop, 1st Duke of Bridgwater, 1s 3da.; (3) 25 May 1768, Lady Susanna Stewart, da. of John, 6th Earl of Galloway [S], 1s. 3da. suc. fa. as 2nd Earl Gower 25 Dec. 1754; K.G. 11 Feb. 1771; cr. Mq. of Stafford 1 Mar. 1786.

Offices Held

Ld. of Admiralty 1749 – 51; P.C. 22 Dec. 1755; ld. privy seal Dec. 1755 – June 1757; master of the horse 1757 – 60; master of the wardrobe 1760 – 63; ld. chamberlain Apr. 1763 – July 1765; ld. pres. of the Council Dec. 1767 – Nov. 1779, Dec. 1783–84; ld. privy seal 1784–94.

Ld. Lt. Staffs. 1755 – 1800.

biography text

The Leveson Gowers were the leading family in Staffordshire, and during this period were always accorded one of the county seats. They also controlled two seats at Newcastle-under-Lyme and one at Lichfield. The marriage in 1737 of Gertrude, daughter of the 1st Earl Gower, to John, 4th Duke of Bedford, led to a political group being formed, based on the two families—the famous ‘Bloomsbury gang’. The 2nd Earl Gower, Bedford’s brother-in-law, ranked second to Bedford himself; and after Bedford’s death in 1771 led the group until its disintegration in the late ’70s.

Lord Stafford (as he became in 1786) died 26 Oct. 1803.

Author

J.B.

Volume

Commons 1754-1790