Regency Personalities Series-William Eliot 2nd Earl of St Germans

Regency Personalities Series

In my attempts to provide us with the details of the Regency (I include those who were born before 1811 and who died after 1795), today I continue with one of the many period notables.

William Eliot 2nd Earl of St Germans
1 April 1767 – 19 January 1845

William Eliot

William Eliot 2nd Earl of St Germans was born at Port Eliot, Cornwall, the third son of Edward Craggs-Eliot, 1st Baron Eliot and his wife Catherine (née Elliston). He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, taking an M.A. in 1786.

From November 1791 until 1793 he was a Secretary of Legation at Berlin, from 1793 to 1794 Secretary of Embassy and Minister Plenipotentiary at The Hague and from 1796 Minister Plenipotentiary to the Elector Palatine and to the Diet of Ratisbon. Eliot also sat as Tory Member of Parliament for St Germans from 1791 to 1802 and for Liskeard from 1802 to 1823 and served as a Lord of the Admiralty from 1800 to 1804 and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1804 to 1805. In 1823 he succeeded his elder brother as second Earl of St Germans and entered the House of Lords.

Lord St Germans married four times.

On 30 November 1797 at Trentham, Staffordshire to Lady Georgina Augusta Leveson-Gower (13 April 1769 – 24 March 1806). Georgina was the daughter of Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford. They had one son and three daughters:

• Edward Granville Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans (29 August 1798 – 7 October 1877)
• Lady Caroline Georgina Eliot (27 July 1799 – April 1865)
• Lady Susan Caroline Eliot (12 April 1801 – 15 January 1835)
• Lady Charlotte Sophia Eliot (28 May 1802 – 8 July 1839)
• On 13 February 1809 at Heytesbury, Wiltshire, to Letitia A’Court (d. 20 January 1810), with no issue.

On 7 March 1812 at the Earl of Powis’ House, Berkeley Square, London, to Charlotte Robinson (1790 – 3 July 1813), with no issue.

• On 30 August 1814 at Walton, Warwickshire, to Susan Mordaunt (d. 5 February 1830), with no issue.

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Regency Personalities Series-Edward Craggs-Eliot 1st Baron Eliot

Regency Personalities Series
In my attempts to provide us with the details of the Regency, today I continue with one of the many period notables.

Edward Craggs-Eliot 1st Baron Eliot
8 July 1727 – 17 February 1804

Edward Craggs-Eliot

Edward Craggs-Eliot 1st Baron Eliot was born to Richard Eliot and Harriot Craggs, the illegitimate daughter of the Privy Counsellor and Secretary of State, James Craggs and Hester Santlow, the noted actress.

In 1742, he matriculated at St Mary Hall, Oxford but did not graduate. During 1747–1748, he travelled in Continental Europe, principally the Dutch Republic, Germany and Switzerland. On 19 November 1748 he succeeded his father. From 1748–1768 he was Member of Parliament for St Germans, Cornwall, the place of his family estate Port Eliot. In succession, he became Member of Parliament (MP) for Liskeard (1768–1774), for St Germans (1774–1775), and for Cornwall (1775–1784).

In 1751, Edward was appointed Receiver General of the Duchy of Cornwall. From 1760 until 1776, Edward was one of the eight Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, and in 1775 he again became Receiver General of the Duchy. However, in 1776 he notably voted against the employment of Hessian Troops, and resigned from the Board of Trade and Plantations, and from the government.

On 13 January 1784 he raised to the peerage as Baron Eliot, of St Germans in the County of Cornwall, and he took his seat in the House of Lords on 2 February 1784. In 1789 he changed his surname from Eliot to Craggs-Eliot, presumably to prevent the extinction of the Craggs surname. However, his children generally used the surname Eliot.

Eliot was an acquaintance of Dr Samuel Johnson and a patron of Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Edward married on 25 September 1756 at St James’ Church, Westminster, to Catherine Elliston (September 1735 – 23 February 1804), daughter of Captain Edward Elliston and Catherine Gibbon, the aunt of Edward Gibbon, with four children:

1. Edward James Eliot (9 August 1757 – September 1757)
2. Edward James Eliot (24 August 1758 – 20 September 1797)
3. John Eliot, 1st Earl of St Germans (30 September 1761 – 17 November 1823)
4. William Eliot, 2nd Earl of St Germans (1 April 1767 – 19 January 1845)

Eliot died at his Port Eliot estate on 17 February 1804, and was buried at St Germans, Cornwall

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