William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester

Colonel His Grace
The Duke of Manchester
Governor of Jamaica
In office
1808–1827
Monarch George III
George IV
Preceded by Sir Eyre Coote
Succeeded by John Keane
Postmaster General
In office
1827 – 15 November 1830
Monarch George IV
William IV
Prime Minister George Canning
The Viscount Goderich
The Duke of Wellington
Preceded by Lord Frederick Montagu
Succeeded by The Duke of Richmond
Personal details
Born 21 October 1771 (1771-10-21)
Died 18 March 1843(1843-03-18) (aged 71)
Rome, Italy
Nationality British
Spouse(s) Lady Susan Gordon
(1774-1828)

Colonel William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester (21 October 1771 – 18 March 1843), styled Viscount Mandeville until 1788, was a British peer, soldier, colonial administrator and politician.

Background and education

Manchester was the eldest surviving son of George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester, and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Dashwood, 2nd Baronet.[1] He was educated at Harrow and then served in the British Army, achieving the rank of colonel in 1794.[2]

Political career

Willam was Governor of Jamaica from 1808 to 1827, and prepared the colony for the emancipation of slaves.[2] In 1815 he dealt with the aftermath of the destruction of Port Royal by fire and of the plantations by a hurricane. Manchester Parish in Jamaica was named after him, while the capital of Mandeville was named after his son, Viscount Mandeville.[3]

After his return to Britain he served as Postmaster General between 1827 and 1830 (succeeding his younger brother Lord Frederick Montagu).[2][4] He was also Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire between 1793 and 1841.[4]

Family

William married Lady Susan, third daughter of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, on 7 October 1793. They had eight children:[5]

The Duchess of Manchester caused a social scandal when she eloped with one of her footmen. According to The Complete Peerage, "it is mentioned in the Memoirs of a Highland Lady, under date 1812, that 'the Duchess had left home years before with one of her footmen.' Lady Jerningham wrote, 6 September 1813: 'the Duchess of Manchester is finally parted from her husband, her conduct becoming most notoriously bad'". Having become a social outcast, she died at Eaton, Edinburgh, in August 1828, aged 54. Manchester survived her by fifteen years and died in Rome, Italy, in March 1843, aged 71. He was succeeded in the dukedom by his son, George.[1]

Styles of address

References

  1. 1 2 thepeerage.com William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester
  2. 1 2 3 1911encyclopedia.org Earls and Dukes of Manchester
  3. ↑ www.flickr.com Manchester, Jamaica
  4. 1 2 leighrayment.com Peerage: Mance to Massereene
  5. ↑ John Debrett (1836). Debrett's Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland. [Another]. p. 22. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  6. ↑ thepeerage.com, Emily Dupré.
  7. ↑ thepeerage.com, Lord William Francis Montagu.
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Eyre Coote		 Governor of Jamaica
1808–1821 		Succeeded by
John Keane
Political offices
Preceded by
Lord Frederick Montagu		 Postmaster General
1827–1830 		Succeeded by
The Duke of Richmond
Honorary titles
Preceded by
The Duke of Montrose		 Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire
1793–1841 		Succeeded by
The Earl of Sandwich
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by
George Montagu		 Duke of Manchester
1788–1843 		Succeeded by
George Montagu
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