December 22d, 1758, his Lordship took the oaths on being constituted Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the county of Buckingham. On February 4th, 1760, his Lordship being first knighted, was chosen a Knight companion of the most noble order of the Garter, at a chapter held in the council-chamber of St. James's; and installed, at Windsor, on May 6th following. At the accession of the present King, his Lordship was continued in his places, and as a privy counsellor: but resigned the privyseal on October 9th, 1761, and on May 9th, 1763, the Right Honourable Francis Lord Le Despenser was declared Lord Lieutenant and Custos Kotulorum of Buckinghamshire, in his Lordship's room. He made a conspicuous figure as a statesman and leader of a party at the early part of the present reign, particularly during Wilkes's popularity. Almon says, that the opposition to Lord Bute was considerably animated by his spirit and zeal.

1

His Lordship, on May 9th, 1737, married Anne, one of the daughters and coheirs of Thomas Chambers, of Hanworth in Middlesex, Esq. by Lady Mary his wife, eldest daughter of Charles Earl of Berkeley: but, by her Ladyship, who died April 7th, 1777, he had only a daughter Elizabeth, who was born on September 1st, 1738, and died on July 14th, 1742. His Lordship died September 11th, 1779, at Stowe.

He was succeeded as EARL TEMPLE by his nephew George Grenville Nugent Temple, now MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM, who was born June 17th, 1753, and in 1774, was elected M. P. for the county of Buckingham. In 1779, he succeeded his uncle as EARL TEMPLE. In 1782, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; and in December 1783, on the accession of Mr. Pitt to the premiership, secretary of state, which he resigned in a few days. On November 30th, 1784, he was created MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM. And in 1787, he was appointed a second time Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, which he resigned in 1789. He is also.one of the Tellers of the Exchequer, a place of immense profit held prior to the regulations of the late act.

His Lordship married, April 16th, 1775, Mary, eldest daughter and heir to Robert Earl Nugent, of the kingdom of Ireland (to whose Earldom he succeeded on the death of that Nobleman in 1788, in consequence of a limitation in the patent.)

By this

* See Memoir of him in Almon's Biogr. Anecdotes, vol ii p. 3.

1 This Lady was a woman of genius: a small volume of her poems was

printed at Strawberry Hill. See Park's R. and N. A.

The other coheir married Aubrey Beauclerk Lord Vere

Lady, (who was created an Irish Peeress in 1800, by the title of Baroness Nugent, with remainder to her second son Lord George) he has issue

First, Richard Earl Temple, born March 16th, 1776, who married, April 16th, 1796, Lady Anne Elizabeth Brydges, daughter and sole heir of James Brydges, third and last Duke of Chandos, (who died in September 1789) by whom he has Richard Plantagenet, Viscount Cobham, born February 11th, 1797, &c. His Lordship was elected as soon as he came of age in 1797, and to every succeeding parliament, representative for the county of Buckingham, and has held several lucrative and important offices in the state. In 1800, he was appointed a commissioner for the affairs of India, which he resigned the next year; and in 1806, joint paymaster of the forces; from which he was removed on the accession of the new ministry in Spring 1807.

Second, Lord George Grenville Nugent Temple, born December 30th, 1788.

Third, Lady Mary, born July 8th, 1787.

Titles. George Grenville Nugent Temple, Marquis of Buckingham, Earl Temple, Viscount Cobham, and Baron Cobham.

Creations. Baron Cobham and Viscount Cobham, May 23d, 1718, 4 George I. Earl Temple, October 18th, 1749, 23 Geo. II. and Marquis of Buckingham, November 30th, 1784.

Arms. Vert, on a cross, Argent, five torteaux, for Grenville. Crest. On a wreath a garb, Vert.

Supporters. On the dexter, a lion, party per Fess, embattled, Or, and Gules; on the sinister, a horse, Argent, powdered with eaglets, Sable.

Motto. Templa quam dilecta.

Chief Seats. At Stowe, in Buckinghamshire; and Gosfield Hall, Essex.

JOHN Petty, first Lord Wycombe, Earl of Shelburne, &c. was second surviving son of Thomas Fitz Maurice, Earl of Kerry in the kingdom of Ireland, by Anne, his wife, only daughter of the renowned Sir William Petty, Knight, and sister to Henry Petty, Earl of Shelburne: but before we proceed with his Lordship's paternal ancestors, we shall give an account of his mother's family, as his Lordship inherited their estate, and took their sur

name.

The said Henry, Earl of Shelburne, was descended from ANTHONY Petty, of Rumsey in the county of Southampton, clothier, who was father of the before-mentioned Sir William Petty, Anthony Petty, and a daughter, ......, besides other children. The daughter was married to James Napier, Esq. fourth son of Sir Nathaniel Napier, of Middle Mershall in Dorsetshire, Bart. who derived his origin from Lord Napier's family in Scotland, a cadet from the ancient Earls of Lennox in that kingdom (their armorial bearings being the same, viz. Argent, a Saltire, engrailed, between four roses, Gules) and whose ancestor acquired the surname of Napier by his matchless bravery in battle. From the said James Napier, Esq. descended, by this marriage, Nathaniel Napier, of Loughrew in the county of Meath, Esq. lieutenant general Robert Napier, and others of that name, in Ireland.

Sir WILLIAM Petty, aforesaid, was born at Rumsey, on May 26th, 1623, and discovered such an early genius for mechanics, and so well understood the business of some artificers, viz. smiths, carpenters, &c. that he could, at twelve years of age, work at their several employments. He learned grammar at the place of

his nativity, whence he went to the University of Oxford; and, when he attained the fifteenth year of his age, was master of the Latin, Greek, and French languages, the whole system of common arithmetic, and those parts of practical geometry and astronomy that tended to the knowledge of navigation, dialling, &c. Thus qualified, he served on board the royal navy, where, at the age of twenty years, he had made about 60l. with which he went to the Low Countries and France, in 1643, when the parliamentary rebellion raged against King Charles I. and studied, with great application, anatomy, medicine, &c. at Utrecht, Leyden, Amsterdam, Paris, &c. Whilst abroad, he read Velasius with the famous Mr. Thomas Hobbes, of Malmesbury, who delighted in his company, and testified an eagerness to encourage his pregnant genius. He returned to Rumsey, in 1647, in company with his brother Anthony, whom he had educated; and by that time had increased his stock to about 70l. after defraying his own and his said brother's expenses abroad. On March 6th, 1647-8, the parliament ordered him a patent, to be in force for seventeen years, for teaching his method of double writing. He concurred with the people then in power; and practised physic at Oxford, where he also instructed the young students in anatomy and chemistry. He became deputy-professor of anatomy in that University; and on March 7th, 1649-50, was admitted to the degree of doctor of physic, at the recommendation of lieutenant colonel Kelsey, deputy governor of the garrison in that city, as well as of other persons, who all gave to the delegates of the University ample testimony of his rare qualities and extraordinary gifts. About the same time, he was likewise elected Fellow of Brazen Nose College; and in December, 1650, he acquired no small reputation for being the chief person in the recovery of Anne Green, who had been hanged at Oxford, on the 14th of that month, for childmurder, and ordered for dissection; but Sir William, observed that she had symptoms of life, which he humanely cherished, and not only prevented her from being hung up a second time, but procured a pardon for her, and she lived many years after that. In January following, he was unanimously chosen professor of anatomy in the University of Oxford; and being a favourite among the virtuosi, was soon afterwards received a member of the Royal College of Physicians in London, and appointed lecturer on music in Gresham College there.

His capital was reduced to 281. at his admission into the College of Physicians; but with his income as Fellow of Brazen

and

Nose College, and professor of anatomy, in Oxford, and as lecturer in Gresham College, together with his practice as doctor, he raised it to about 4007. with which, and 1007. advanced by the commonwealth, he set out in August, 1652, as physician-general to the army in Ireland, and to its commander, lieutenant-general Edmund Ludlow, as well as the head quarters; having an allow ance of 20s. a day, which he enjoyed, with his office, till June, 1659. In that quality he landed, on September 10th, at Waterford, and proceeded thence to Dublin, where he met with great success as doctor amongst people of the first rank. He was made clerk of the council there, and constituted secretary to Oliver Cromwell, who was then styled Lord Lieutenant; for the discharge of which two offices he was allowed 400 l. a year. In December, 1654, he engaged in the survey of Ireland finished it with such exactness, that there was not an estate, even of 60l. a year, but what was distinctly marked in its true value : and the whole performance was illustrated with accurate maps. Among other advantages attending the said survey, he had, by agreement with the soldiers, a penny an acre; and it appears, by an order of government, dated at the Castle of Dublin, March 19th, 1655-6, that he had then surveyed two millions and eight thousand acres of forfeited profitable land (part of which he subdivided among the late disbanded troops) besides the church and crown lands; which, according to the rates in the contract, when the army should be put in possession of the whole, amounted to the sum of 17,9007. of which he had received 7,500l. and, from the army, 2,1861. 2s. besides the money that was to be deducted from the advance of former surveys. By the aforesaid order, he received 3,000l. more, in consideration of his being in want of money to pay several persons employed under him in the survey: but part of his contract remained in arrear till after King Charles's restoration, when full payment was provided for him by act of parliament.

By his employment in the survey (which was unquestionably of public utility) it was said, that he acquired an estate of 5 or 6,000l. a year, and that he could, from Mount Mangerton in Kerry, behold 50,000 acres of his own land: and that large acquisition having brought an odium upon him, he shews the unreasonableness thereof (in his book of Reflections upon some Persons and Things in Ireland) and demonstrates how he might, without ever meddling with surveys, have acquired as large a fortune. "In the year 1649," (says he) "I proceeded M. D. after the charges