Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Tavistock by Joshua Reynolds | |
| Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire | |
| In office 1761–1767 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Thomas Alston, Bt Henry Osborn |
| Succeeded by | Robert Henley-Ongley The Earl of Upper Ossory |
| Member of Parliament for Armagh Borough | |
| In office 1759–1760 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Knatchbull Philip Bragg |
| Succeeded by | Robert Cuninghame Hon. John Ponsonby |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 September 1739 |
| Died | 22 March 1767 (aged 27) |
| Spouse | Lady Elizabeth Keppel |
| Children | Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford Lord William Russell |
| Parent(s) | John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford Hon. Gertrude Leveson-Gower |
Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (27 September 1739 – 22 March 1767) was a British politician and heir apparent to the dukedom of Bedford until his death in 1739.
Early life
Russell was born on 27 September 1739. He was the eldest son of the John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford and, his second wife, Lady Gertrude Leveson-Gower. His father was a prominent Whig statesman and peer who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Privy Seal, Lord President of the Council, and British Ambassador to France. His only sibling was Lady Caroline Russell, the wife of George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough.[1]
His father was the fourth son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, and the former Elizabeth Howland (daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham). His maternal grandparents were John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower and the former Lady Evelyn Pierrepont (eldest daughter of the 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull).
Career
From 1759 to 1761, he sat in the Irish House of Commons as Whig Member of Parliament for Armagh Borough and then in the British House of Commons for Bedfordshire until 1767.[2] He was considered a close friend of Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham.[3]
He was elected as a Bailiff to the board of the Bedford Level Corporation in 1761, a position he held until his death.[4]
Personal life
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On 8 June 1764, he married Lady Elizabeth Keppel (1739–1768), the youngest child of Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle.[5] Lady Elizabeth had been one of ten bridesmaids to Queen Charlotte at her wedding to George III. They had three sons:[1]
- Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford (1765–1802), who never married.[1]
- John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford (1766–1839), who married Hon. Georgiana Byng, daughter of George Byng, 4th Viscount Torrington. After her death, he married Lady Georgiana Gordon, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon.[1]
- Lord William Russell (1767–1840), who married Lady Charlotte Villiers, eldest daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey.[1]
Lord Tavistock died in 1767 after falling from his horse while hunting. Their eldest son succeeded his grandfather as 5th Duke of Bedford in 1771.[1] His widow died two years later of tuberculosis.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. Burke's Peerage Limited. 1850. pp. 81–83. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ↑ Beatson, Robert (1807). A chronological register of both houses of the British Parliament, Volume II.
- ↑ Namier, Sir Lewis Bernstein (1985). The House of Commons, 1754-1790. Boydell & Brewer. p. 367. ISBN 978-0-436-30420-0. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ↑ Wells, Samuel. History of the Drainage of the Great Level of the Fens Called ..., Volume 1. p. 500.
- 1 2 Piozzi, Hester Lynch (1989). The Piozzi Letters: 1811-1816. University of Delaware Press. pp. 198–199. ISBN 978-0-87413-394-3. Retrieved 4 January 2024.