Leveson Gower, was chosen member for Tavistock in Devonshire, and for the city of Litchfield, in the parliament summoned to meet on August 13th, 1747; and died on October 19th, 1753, unmarried.

Lady Gertrude, his Lordship's second daughter by his first wife, married John fourth Duke of Bedford, and died June 10th, 1794; Lady Mary, married Sir Richard Wrottesley, of Wrottesley in Staffordshire, Bart. whose widow she died April 30th, 1778.

Lady Jane, third daughter, died unmarried, 1737.

Lady Frances married Lord John Philip Sackville, second son of Lionel, Duke of Dorset, by whom she had the late Duke. She died June 26th, 1788.

Lady Elizabeth, in March 1748-9, was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Amelia and Caroline; and, in 1751, married the Honourable John Waldegrave, Esq. afterwards Earl of Waldegrave. She died

April 28th, 1784.

Lady Evelyn, youngest daughter, wedded to John Fitzpatrick, Earl of Upper Ossory, and after his decease, to Richard Vernon, of Hilton in Staffordshire, Esq. by whom she had Henrietta, now Countess of Warwick, &c.

His Lordship, deceasing on December 25th, 1754, was succeeded by his eldest son,

GRANVILLE, SECOND EARL, and FIRST MARQUIS OF STAFFORD, who married in 1744, Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas Fazakerly, of Prescot, in the county of Lancaster, Esq. and by her, who died in childbed of the small-pox, at his Lordship's house in Great Grosvenor-street, on Monday, May 19th, 1745, had a son, John, who was born on May 14th, and died the same day. His Lordship, in 1744, was elected to parliament for Bishop's Castle, in Shropshire; and to the next parliament, in 1747, was unanimously chosen for Westminster; but in November 1749, being constituted one of the lords commissioners for executing the office of lord high admiral, his seat in parliament became vacated, which occasioned a hard contested election for Westminster, between his Lordship and Sir George Vandeput, Bart. when on closing the poll he had a majority of upwards of 150 voters. He was, at the general election in 1754, returned for the city of Litchfield, and sat for the same till the death of his father.

On succeeding to the Earldom, he was constituted Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the county of Stafford. On December 19th, 1755, he had a grant of the office of lord privy seal, and in January following was sworn a privy counsellor. Resigning the privy-seal, he was, on July 2d, 1757, constituted master of the horse. His Lordship was continued by his present Majesty at the council table; as also Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of Staffordshire; and, on November 25th, 1760, was nominated keeper of the great wardrobe. On April 23d, 1763, he was declared lord chamberlain of his Majesty's household, and, in that quality, stood proxy for the Duke of Saxe Gotha, on September the 14th following, at the baptism of his Majesty's second son, Frederick, now Duke of York: but his Lordship, on July 10th, 1765, chose to resign his place of lord chamberlain. On December 23d, 1767, his Lordship was appointed president of the privy-council, aud took his seat as such on the 6th of January following; but resigned in November 1779, was again appointed December 19th, 1783; and again resigned 1784, and was appointed in November of that year lord privy-seal, which he held till 1794. On February 28th 1786, he was advanced to the title of MARQUIS OF STAFFORD. On February 11th, 1771, he was elected one of the Knights companions of the most noble order of the Garter, and was installed July 25th, the same year; his Lordship was likewise Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the county of Stafford, recorder of Stafford, a governor of the Charter-house, and vice president of the Middlesex hospital.

His Lordship, on March 28th, 1748, married, secondly, Lady Louisa Egerton, daughter of Scroop, first Duke of Bridgwater, by whom he had issue, George Granville, Viscount Trentham, born on February 9th, 1758; Lady Louisa, born on October 22d, 1749, married December 25th, 1777, to Sir Archibald Macdonald, Knight, (brother to the first Lord Macdonald,) who has since been promoted to be lord chief baron of the Exchequer, and has issue by her several children; Lady Carolina, born on November 2d, 1753, married March 22d, 1770, to Frederick the present Earl of Carlisle; and Lady Anne, born on February 22d, 1761, married, in February 1784, the Honourable Doctor Edward Vernon, now archbishop of York, by whom she has a large family; but her mother died on March 14th following her birth, and his Lordship on May 25th, 1768, was thirdly married to

Lady Susanna Stewart, daughter of John Earl of Galloway, by whom he had issue three daughters, first, Lady Georgiana Augusta, born April 13th, 1769, married the Honourable William Eliot, brother to Lord Eliot; second, Lady Charlotte, born January 11th, 1771, married Henry Charles, now Duke of Beaufort; third, Lady Susanna, born 1772, married, 1795, Dudley, now Lord Harrowby; and one son, Lord Granville Leveson, born in 1773, member of parliament for the county of Stafford, and ambassador in 1807 to Petersburgh, &c.

The Marquis died October 26th, 1803, and was succeeded by his eldest son, GEORGE GRANVILLE LEVESON GOWER, SECOND MARQUIS OF STAFFORD, who, while a commoner represented the county of Stafford in parliament. In 1790 he was sent ambassador extraordinary to Paris, and recalled in 1792. In 1798 he was called up to the house of peers by the title of his father's Barony, as LORD GOWER. In January 1803, on the death of his uncle Francis, last Duke of Bridge water, he became his heir general, and succeeded to that part of his immense property which consisted in shares in those numerous and splendid inland canals, of which his Grace was the illustrious founder, and by which he has immortalized his name.

His Lordship married, September 4th, 1785, Elizabeth Countess of Sutherland, and Baroness of Stathnaver in Scotland, in her own right, by whom he has issue,

First, George Granville, Earl Gower, born August 8th, 1786. Second, Lady Charlotte, born June 8th, 1788.

Third, Lord William, born June 4th, 1792, and died 1793.

Fourth, Lord William Leveson, died June 17th, 1804.

Fifth, Lord Francis.

Sixth, Lady Elizabeth.

His Lordship is a Knight of the Garter; and in right of his wife, hereditary high sheriff of Sutherlandshire. He is also recorder of Stafford, &c.

Titles. George Granville Leveson Gower, Marquis of Stafford, Earl Gower, Viscount Trentham; and Lord Gower, Earon of Stittenham, and Bart.

Creations. Baronet, June 2d, 1620, 18 Jac. I. Earon Gower of Stittenham in com. Ebor. by letters patent, March 16th, (1702-3) 2 Queen Anne; Viscount Trentham, and Earl Gower, July Sth, 1746, 20 George II.; and Marquis of Stafford, February 28th, 1786.

Arms. Quarterly, 1st and 4th, barry of eight, Argent and Gules, over all, a cross flory, Sable, for Gower: 2d and 3d Azure, three laurel leaves erect, Or, for Leveson.

Crest. On a wreath, a wolf passant, Argent, collared, and chained, Or.

Supporters. Two wolves, Argent, each having a collar and chain, Or.

Motto. Frangas non flectes.

Chief Seat. At Trentham in the county of Stafford.

THE patriarch of this noble family, (which is undoubtedly of great antiquity in the county of Norfolk) was LODOVIC, a noble Norman, who coming into England in Henry the First's reign, assumed the surname of Tow NSHEND, and took to wife Elizabeth, the daughter and heir of Sir Thomas de Havile, in whose right he became possessed of the manor of Havile, in Rainham, where his posterity have ever since continued to have their principal residence. The family of Havile, or De Hautville, (de Alta Villa, as it is called in old deeds) was of Norman extraction, as their name sufficiently evidences, and settling in Norfolk, became possessed of a very considerable inheritance, which thus came by marriage to the family of Townshend. This Lodovic de Townshend, Lord of Raineham, in right of his wife, had by her

b

WALTER de Townshend, his successor, who took to wife Maud, daughter of Sir Walter de Scogan, Knight, a family of good account in Norfolk, and had issue

ROGER de Townshend, who, by his wife Catharine, daughter of John Atherton, of the county of Sussex, Esq. was father to

C

Sir THOMAS de Townshend, Knight, and to Catharine, the wife of Charles Blackney, of Sperham, in Norfolk, Esq. The said Sir Thomas married Eleanor, daughter of William Paine, of the county of Norfolk, Esq. and departing this life, was interred in the east part of the church of the White Friers, or our Lady of Mount Carmel, near Fleet-street.

d

a Vis de Com. Salop. and Norf in Offic. Armor. and in Bibl. Harleyana. Jekyl's Liber Baronettorum, MS. p. 155.

Stow's Survey of London, enlarged by Strype, B. III. p. 268.