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British politician with Irish connections From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont PC FRS (24[1] or 25[2] February 1711 – 4 December 1770) was a British politician, political pamphleteer, and genealogist who served as First Lord of the Admiralty. Of Anglo-Irish background, he sat in both the Irish and British Parliaments. He was the father of the Regency Era Prime Minister Spencer Perceval.
The Earl of Egmont | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Thomas Hudson | |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | |
| In office 1763–1766 | |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Sandwich |
| Succeeded by | Sir Charles Saunders |
| Postmaster General | |
| In office 1762–1763 | |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Bessborough Robert Hampden-Trevor |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Hyde Robert Hampden-Trevor |
| Member of Parliament for Ilchester | |
| In office 1761–1761 Serving with Joseph Tolson Lockyer | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Lockyer Joseph Tolson Lockyer |
| Succeeded by | William Wilson Joseph Tolson Lockyer |
| Member of Parliament for Bridgwater | |
| In office 1754–1762 | |
| Preceded by | George Dodington Robert Balch |
| Succeeded by | Viscount Perceval Edward Southwell |
| Member of Parliament for Weobly | |
| In office 1747–1754 | |
| Preceded by | Mansel Powell Savage Mostyn |
| Succeeded by | John Craster Savage Mostyn |
| Member of Parliament for Westminster | |
| In office 1741–1747 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Charles Wager The Lord Sundon |
| Succeeded by | Viscount Trentham Sir Peter Warren |
| Member of Parliament for Dingle | |
| In office 1731–1749 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Crosbie John FitzGerald |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Fownes, 2nd Baronet Robert FitzGerald |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Perceval 25 February 1711 |
| Died | 4 December 1770 (aged 59) Pall Mall, London |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 16 |
| Parent(s) | John Perceval, 1st Earl of Egmont Catherine Parker |
| Residence | Enmore Castle |
He was the son and heir of John Perceval, 1st Earl of Egmont, by his wife Catherine Parker. He was baptised at the Palace of Westminster, London. His two siblings were Lady Catharine Perceval (wife of Thomas Hanmer MP of The Fenns) and Lady Helena Perceval (wife of John Rawdon, 1st Earl of Moira).[3]
His paternal grandparents were Sir John Perceval, 3rd Baronet of Lohort Castle and the former Catherine Dering (daughter of Sir Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet). His maternal grandparents were Sir Philip Parker, 2nd Baronet of Arwarton and the former Mary Fortray (a daughter of landowner and author Samuel Fortrey of Byall Fen).[3]
He succeeded his father in 1748 as 2nd Earl of Egmont in the Peerage of Ireland.[3]
Perceval sat in the Irish House of Commons for Dingle between 1731 and 1749. In April 1748, he was created Gentleman of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales. He was made a Privy Counsellor in January 1755.[4]
He sat in the Parliament of Ireland for Dingle (1731–49) and in the House of Commons for Westminster (1741–47), Weobley (1747–54) and Bridgwater (1754–62). In 1762 he was created Baron Lovel and Holland, of Enmore in the County of Somerset, in the Peerage of Great Britain, which gave him an automatic seat in the House of Lords.[5] From 1751 to 1757, he designed and created Enmore Castle at Enmore in Somerset, which received "the dismissive mockery of Horace Walpole".[6]
He was appointed joint Postmaster-General for 1762–3 alongside Robert Hampden, 4th Baron Trevor[citation needed] and served as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1763 to 1766.[7] As First Sea Lord, places named in his honour were Port Egmont, the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands and Mount Taranaki in New Zealand, which was named Mount Egmont by Captain James Cook in 1770 during his first voyage around the world.[8]
Perceval married twice. His first marriage was on 15 February 1737 to Lady Catherine Cecil, who was the second daughter of James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury. Before her death on 16 August 1752, aged 33, they had five sons and two daughters:[10]
His second marriage was to Catherine Compton, the third daughter of the Hon. Charles Compton and sister of Charles Compton, 7th Earl of Northampton and Spencer Compton, 8th Earl of Northampton, on 26 January 1756.[18] By Catherine Compton he had three sons and six daughters as follows:[3]
Lord Perceval died on 4 December 1770 at Pall Mall, London, aged 59. Following his death, his widow was created on 23 May 1770 Baroness Arden of Lohort Castle in the county of Cork in the peerage of Ireland, with remainder to her heirs male. She survived her husband and died at Langley, Buckinghamshire, on 11 June 1784, aged 53.[22]
Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands, established in 1765, is named after him.[23]
Mount Egmont in New Zealand was named after him by James Cook in recognition of his encouragement of Cook's first voyage. While the mountain has returned to its original Maori name of Taranaki since the 2000s, the Egmont name still applies to the national park that surrounds the peak and geologists still refer to the peak as the Egmont Volcano.[24]
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