George Lee, 2nd Earl of Lichfield

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George Lee
Earl of Lichfield
Reign1716–1742
PredecessorEdward, 1st Earl of Lichfield
SuccessorGeorge, 3rd Earl of Lichfield
Born12 March 1690
Died15 February 1743 aged 52
Spouse(s)Frances Hales
Issue
Detail		George Henry & others
FatherEdward, 1st Earl of Lichfield
MotherCharlotte Fitzroy

George Henry Lee I, 2nd Earl of Lichfield (1690–1743) was a younger son of Edward Henry Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield and his wife Charlotte Fitzroy, an illegitimate daughter of Charles II by his mistress, the celebrated courtesan Barbara Villiers. On 14 July 1716 George Henry Lee succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl of Lichfield.

Birth and origins[edit]

George was born on 12 March 1690 in St. James Park, London.[1] He was one of the ten children and the fourth of the sons of Edward Henry Lee and his wife Charlotte Fitzroy. His father was created Viscount Quarendon and Earl of Lichfield just before his marriage. George's mother was a natural daughter of Charles II and Barbara Villiers.[2]

Family tree
George Lee, 2nd Earl, with wife, parents, and other selected relatives.
Charles II
1630–1685		Barbara
Villiers
1640–1709
Edward
1st Earl
1663–1716		Charlotte
FitzRoy
1664–1718
George
2nd Earl
1690–1742		Frances
Hales
d. 1769		Robert
4th Earl
1706–1776		Catherine
Stonhouse
1708–1784
George
3rd Earl
1718–1772		Diana
Frankland
c. 1719–1779		Henry
11th
Viscount
1705–1787		Charlotte
Lee
d. 1794
Charles
12th
Viscount
1745–1813		Henrietta-
Maria
Phipps
1757–1782
Legend
XXXGeorge
Lee		XXXEarls of
Lichfield		XXXViscounts
Dillon
Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.
George listed among his brothers
He appears below among his brothers as the fourth son:
  1. Edward Henry (1681–1713), became the colonel of the Royal Regiment of Guards, predeceased his father and never married;[3]
  2. James (died 1711), became a captain in the Royal Navy and married Sarah, daughter of John Bagshaw, but the marriage stayed childless and he predeceased his father;[4]
  3. Charles (died 1708), predeceased his father and never married;[5]
  4. George Henry (died 1742), the subject of this article;
  5. Fitzroy Henry Lee (1699–1750), became a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy;[6] and
  6. Robert Lee (1706–1776), became the 4th and last Earl.
George's sisters
  1. Charlotte (1678–1721), married Benedict Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore;[7]
  2. Anne, died young;[8]
  3. Elizabeth, married first Colonel Lee and secondly the Reverend Dr. Edward Young;[9] and
  4. Barbara, married Sir Charles, 2nd Baronet Browne of Kiddington.[10][11]

Early life[edit]

George became heir apparent and was given the corresponding courtesy title of Viscount Quarendon when his eldest brother, Edward Henry, died in 1713.[12] On 14 July 1716 his father died and he succeeded as the 2nd Earl of Lichfield.[13]

Marriage and children[edit]

In about 1717 Lord Lichfield, as he was now, married Frances Hales (died 3 February 1769), daughter of Sir John Hales, 4th Baronet of Hackington, of Woodchurch in Kent.[14]

George and Frances had three sons:

  1. George Henry (1718–1772), his successor[15]
  2. Edward Henry (died 1742)[16]
  3. Charles Henry (died 1740)[17]

—and five daughters:

  1. Charlotte, married to Henry Dillon, 11th Viscount Dillon[18]
  2. Mary, married to Cosmas Neville, Esquire[19]
  3. Frances, married Henry Hyde, 5th Baron Hyde[20]
  4. Henrietta or Harriet, married to John Bellew, 4th Baron Bellew of Duleek[21]
  5. Anne, married to Hugh Clifford, 4th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh[22]

Later life, death, and succession[edit]

In 1719 Lord Lichfield was one of main subscribers in the Royal Academy of Music (1719), a corporation that produced baroque opera on stage. In 1722 he built the Oxfordshire Stately home, Ditchley, designed by James Gibbs. Lichfield was educated at St John's College, Oxford and created a D.C.L. of Oxford on 19 August 1732. On 7 August 1739 he was made Custos Brevium in the Court of Common Pleas, as well as a governor of the Foundling Hospital.

Lichfield died on 15 February 1743 and was buried in Spelsbury.[23] He was succeeded by his son and namesake, George Henry Lee II.

Timeline
Age Date Event
0 1690, 12 Mar Born, in London.[1]
11 1702, 8 Mar Accession of Queen Anne, succeeding King William III[24]
23 1713 Became heir apparent on his brother's death and gained the courtesy title of Viscount Quarendon.[12]
24 1714, 1 Aug Accession of King George I, succeeding Queen Anne[25]
26 1716, 14 Jul Succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl of Lichfield.[13]
26–27 1717, about Married Frances Hales.[14]
37 1727, 11 Jun Accession of King George II, succeeding King George I[26]
52 1743, 15 Feb Died and was buried at Spelsbury.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 23. "... [George Lee, the 2nd Earl was] b. in St. James' Park, 12 March 1689/90;"
  2. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 29. "His lordship [Edward Lee, 1st Earl] m. [married] Lady Charlotte Fits-Roy, natural dau. [daughter] of King Charles  II., by Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland ..."
  3. ^ Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 19. "Edward Henry Lee, styled Viscount Quarendon, 2d but 1st surv. s. [surviving son] and h. ap. [heir apparent], b. [born] at Windsor 6 June 1681, Col. of the Royal Reg. of Guards. He d.v.p. [predeceased his father] and unm. [unmarried] 1713."
  4. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 35. "James, capt. R.N., m. [married] Sarah, dau. [daughter] of John Bagshaw, and d. [died] in 1711, s.p. [childless]"
  5. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 57 317, right column, line 37. "Charles, d. unm. [died unmarried] 1708."
  6. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 39. "Fitzroy Henry, vice-admiral R.N., d.s.p. [died childless] 1720."
  7. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 41. "Charlotte, m. [married] to Benedict Calvert, Lord Baltimore."
  8. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 42. "Anne, d. [died] young."
  9. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 43. "Elizabeth, m. [married] 1st to Col. Lee 2ndly to Rev. Dr. Edward Young."
  10. ^ Burke & Burke 1838, p. 89, right column, line 4. "The gentleman [George Browne] m. first, in 1725, Lady Barbara Lee, youngest daughter of Edward, first Earl of Lichfield and widow of Colonel Lee ..."
  11. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 44. "Barbara, m. to Sir Charles Browne, Bart. of Kiddington."
  12. ^ a b Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 24. "... styled Viscount Quarenton from 1713 till he suc. [succeeded] to the peerage on 14 July 1716;"
  13. ^ a b Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 47. "... [the 1st Earl] d. [died] in 1716 and was s. [succeeded] by his eldest surviving son, George Henry Lee, 2nd Earl ..."
  14. ^ a b Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 26. "He [George Lee, the 2nd Earl] m. [married] Frances, da. [daughter] of Sir John Hales, 4th Bart. of Woodchurch, co Kent, by his first wife "
  15. ^ Burke 1883, p. 172, right column, line 54. "I. George-Henry, his successor."
  16. ^ Burke 1883, p. 172, right column, line 55. "II. Edward-Henry, d. [died] 1642"
  17. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 56. "III. Charles-Henry, d. [died] 1640"
  18. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 57. "I. Charlotte, m. 26 October 1645 Henry, 11th Viscount Dillon. Lady Charlotte became eventually heiress of her father; and her fortune was inherited by her descendents, the viscounts Dillon."
  19. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 61. "II. Mary, m. [married] to Cosmas-Henry-Joseph Neville, Esq. of Nevill Holt, co. Leicester."
  20. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 63. "III. Frances, m. [married] to Viscount Cornbury"
  21. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 64. "IV. Harriet, m. [married] to John, Lord Bellew."
  22. ^ Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 65. "V. Anne, m. [married] in 1749 to Hugh, 4th Baron Clifford, of Chudleigh."
  23. ^ Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 27. "He [George Lee, the 2nd Earl was] d. 15 Feb. 1742/3 and was bur. at Spelsbury."
  24. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 45, line 31. "Anne ... acc. 8 Mar. 1702 ..."
  25. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 45, line 38. "George I … acc. 1 Aug. 1714;"
  26. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 46, line 11. "George II … acc. 11 Jun. 1727;"

Bibliography[edit]

  • Burke, John; Burke, John Bernard (1838). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of England. London: Scott, Webster and Geary. OCLC 810767722.
  • Burke, Bernard (1883). A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire (New ed.). London: Harrison. OCLC 499232768.
  • Cokayne, George Edward (1893). Complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant. Vol. V (1st ed.). London: George Bell and Sons. OCLC 1180836840. – L to M (for Lichfield)
  • Fryde, Edmund Boleslaw; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks, No. 2 (3rd ed.). London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0-86193-106-8. – (for timeline)
  • Murdoch, Tessa (ed.), Noble Households: Eighteenth-Century Inventories of Great English Houses (Cambridge, John Adamson, 2006) ISBN 978-0-9524322-5-8 OCLC 78044620. For an inventory of the earl's furniture at Ditchley, Oxfordshire, following his death in 1743, see pp. 145–52.


Peerage of England
Preceded by Earl of Lichfield
1716–1742 		Succeeded by
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