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Lord Charles Spencer

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Lord Charles Spencer
Portrait of Lord Charles Spencer, by Joshua Reynolds
Joint Postmaster General
In office
1801–1806
Serving with
MonarchGeorge III
Prime Minister
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Master of the Mint
In office
1806–1806
MonarchGeorge III
Prime MinisterWilliam Pitt the Younger
Preceded byThe Earl Bathurst
Succeeded byCharles Bathurst
Personal details
Born(1740-03-31)31 March 1740
Died16 June 1820(1820-06-16) (aged 80)
NationalityBritish
Spouse
Mary Beauclerk
(m. 1762; died 1812)
ChildrenRobert Spencer
John Spencer
William Robert Spencer
Parent(s)Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
Hon. Elizabeth Trevor

Lord Charles Spencer PC (31 March 1740 – 16 June 1820) was a British courtier and politician from the Spencer family who sat in the House of Commons between 1761 and 1801.

Early life

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Spencer was born on 31 March 1740. He was the second son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, and the Hon. Elizabeth Trevor, daughter of Thomas Trevor, 2nd Baron Trevor. George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough, was his elder brother.[1]

Career

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Spencer sat as Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire from 1761 to 1790 and 1796 to 1801[2] and was sworn of the Privy Council in 1763.[3]

He served as Comptroller of the Household from 1763 to 1765, as a Junior Lord of the Admiralty from 1768 to 1779 and as Treasurer of the Chamber from 1779 to 1782, when that sinecure post was abolished. He was later Postmaster General from 1801 to 1806 and Master of the Mint in 1806. From 1806 until his death, he was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to George III.[4]

Personal life

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Portrait of Lady Charles Spencer by Sir Joshua Reynolds

On 2 October 1762, Spencer was married to Lady Mary Beauclerk (1743–1812), a daughter of Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere and the sister of Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans.[5] Together, they had three sons:[6]

Lady Spencer died in January 1812 aged 68. Charles survived her by eight years and died in June 1820, aged 80.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Cannon, John (2010) [2004]. "Spencer, Charles". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26118. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ "SPENCER, Lord Charles (1740–1820), of Wheatfield, Oxon." History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. ^ "No. 10306". The London Gazette. 19 April 1763. p. 1.
  4. ^ "Gentlemen of the Bedchamber 1660–1702, 1714–1837". British History Online. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  5. ^ Burkes Peerage (1939 edition), s.v Marlborough, Duke
  6. ^ "SPENCER, Lord Charles (1740–1820), of Wheatfield, Oxon." History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  7. ^ Stephens, Frederic George (1884). English Children, as Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds: An Essay on Some of the Characteristics of Reynolds as a Painter, with Especial Reference to His Portraiture of Children. Seeley, Jackson and Halliday. p. 19. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  8. ^ Troide, Lars E. (1 February 1991). Early Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney, Volume 2. McGill-Queen's Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-7735-8510-2. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  9. ^ "SPENCER, John (1767-1831), of Wheatfield, Oxon". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  10. ^ Hicks, Carola (19 August 2014). Improper Pursuits: The Scandalous Life of an Earlier Lady Diana Spencer. St. Martin's Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4668-7864-8. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire
1761–1790
With: Sir James Dashwood, Bt 1761–1768
The Viscount Wenman 1768–1790
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire
1796–1801
With: John Fane
Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Parliament of Great Britain
Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire
1801
With: John Fane
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest
1763
Succeeded by
Surveyor of Gardens and Waters
1763
Succeeded by
Preceded by Comptroller of the Household
1763–1765
Succeeded by
Preceded by Treasurer of the Chamber
1779–1782
Office abolished
Preceded by Postmaster General
1801–1806
With: The Lord Auckland 1801–1804
The Duke of Montrose 1804–1806
Succeeded by
Preceded by Master of the Mint
1806
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Senior Privy Counsellor
1817–1820
Succeeded by