Henry FitzRoy (politician)

For other people named Henry Fitzroy, see Henry Fitzroy (disambiguation).

Henry FitzRoy (2 May 1807 – 17 December 1859) was a British politician of the mid-nineteenth century.

The Right Honourable Henry FitzRoy
Fitzroy's family grave at City of Westminster Cemetery, Hanwell
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
In office 28 December 1852 – 30 January 1855
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Aberdeen
Preceded by	Sir William Jolliffe, Bt
Succeeded by	Hon. William Cowper
First Commissioner of Works
In office 18 June 1859 – 17 December 1859
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Viscount Palmerston
Preceded by	Lord John Manners
Succeeded by	Hon. William Cowper
Personal details
Born	(1807-05-02)2 May 1807
Died	17 December 1859(1859-12-17) (aged 52)
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Hannah Rothschild (1815–1864)

FitzRoy family grave, City of Westminster Cemetery, Hanwell

Early life

Born into the family of the Dukes of Grafton, he was a great-great-great-great-grandson of King Charles II. He was second son of Lieutenant-General George FitzRoy, 2nd Baron Southampton, by his second wife Frances Isabella, daughter of Lord Robert Seymour. Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton, was his elder brother.^[1] His grandparents were Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton and Anne Warren, daughter and co-heir of Adml. Sir Peter Warren and a descendant of the Schuyler family, the Van Cortlandt family, and the Delancey family, all from British North America.

Career

FitzRoy was returned to Parliament for Great Grimsby in 1831, a seat he held until 1832,^[2] and later represented Lewes between 1837 and 1841 and between 1842 and 1859.^[3] He was appointed Civil Lord of the Admiralty from 1845 to 1846. He served under the Earl of Aberdeen as Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department between 1852 and 1855 and under Lord Palmerston as First Commissioner of Works between June and December 1859. In 1855 he was sworn of the Privy Council.^[4]

Family

FitzRoy married Hannah, daughter of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, in 1839. They had two children, Arthur Frederic FitzRoy (1842–1858), and Caroline Blanche Elizabeth FitzRoy, who married the artist Sir Coutts Lindsay, Bt. Hannah died on 2 December 1864, aged 49.

Death

FitzRoy died on 17 December 1859 and was buried at City of Westminster Cemetery, Hanwell along with his wife.

Legacy

Fitzroy Memorial Library was built in 1862 in memory of FitzRoy, by his wife. In 1897 it was adopted by the town of Lewes as the first public library and remained so until 1956.^[5][6]

References and sources

References

1. thepeerage.com Rt. Hon. Henry FitzRoy
2. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Gorbals to Guildford". Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
3. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Leicester to Lichfield". Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
4. "No. 21660". The London Gazette. 9 February 1855. p. 470.
5. "A fitting tribute to Fitzroy". The Argus. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
6. Latham, Laura (18 February 2016). "A Rare Home From a Master of Britain's Gothic Revival". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved 6 March 2022.

Sources

• "Fitzroy, Henry". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9637. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Henry FitzRoy

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by George Harris John Shelley	Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby 1831–1832 With: Lord Loughborough	Succeeded by William Maxfield (representation reduced to one member 1832)
Preceded by Thomas Read Kemp Sir Charles Blunt, Bt	Member of Parliament for Lewes 1837–1841 With: Sir Charles Blunt, Bt 1837–1840 Viscount Cantelupe 1840–1841	Succeeded by Summers Harford Howard Elphinstone
Preceded by Summers Harford Howard Elphinstone	Member of Parliament for Lewes 1842–1859 With: Howard Elphinstone 1842–1847 Robert Perfect 1847–1852 Henry Brand 1852–1860	Succeeded by Henry Brand John Blencowe
Political offices
Preceded by Sir William Jolliffe, Bt	Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department 1852–1855	Succeeded by William Cowper
Preceded by Lord John Manners	First Commissioner of Works 1859	Succeeded by William Cowper