Charles Dillon, 12th Viscount Dillon

Charles Dillon-Lee, 12th Viscount Dillon, KP, PC (Ire) (1745–1813) conformed to the established religion in 1767.

Charles Dillon
Viscount Dillon
Charles Dillon, 12th Viscount Dillon in parliamentary robes
Reign	1787–1813
Predecessor	Henry Dillon, 11th Viscount Dillon
Successor	Henry Dillon, 13th Viscount Dillon
Born	6 November 1745 London
Died	9 November 1813 Loughglynn, Ireland
Spouse(s)	Henrietta-Maria Phipps Marie Rogier
Detail Issue Henry, & others
Father	Henry Dillon, 11th Viscount Dillon
Mother	Charlotte Lee

Birth and origins

Charles was born on 6 November 1745 in London.[1][2] He was the eldest child of Henry Dillon and his wife Charlotte Lee. His father was the 11th Viscount Dillon. Charles's mother was the eldest daughter of George Lee, 2nd Earl of Lichfield. His parents had married on 26 October 1744 in London.[3]

Charles listed among his siblings

He heads the list of siblings below as the eldest: Charles (1745–1813); Frances (1747–1825), married Sir William Jerningham, 6th Baronet Baronet Jerningham;[4] Arthur (1750–1794), became a general in the French service and was guillotined after the French Revolution;[5] Charlotte (1755–1782), married Valentine, 1st Earl of Kenmare;[6] and Henry (1759–1837), became the last colonel of Dillon's Regiment and married Frances Trant.[7]

Early life

In January 1766 Pope Clement XIII ended the Catholic Church's support for the Jacobites and recognised the Hanoverian Dynasty as the rightful rulers of England. On 4 December 1767, in Dublin, Charles conformed to the established church.[8] In that same year he was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.[9]

Charles, in his youth, liked racing and gambling and made huge debts.[10] He moved to Brussels to avoid his debtors.

In 1770 he was elected MP for the Westbury Borough constituency in Wiltshire, England.[11]

In 1776 Charles changed his surname from Dillon to Dillon-Lee and quartered his arms accordingly to comply with the will of his maternal uncle George Lee, 3rd Earl of Lichfield. In that same year his mother inherited the Lichfield estate at the death of her uncle the fourth Earl, who died childless.

Family tree

Charles Dillon-Lee with his two wives, his parents, and other selected relatives. Theobald 7th Viscount d. 1691 Jacobite Mary Talbot d. 1691 Henry 8th Viscount d. 1714 Arthur 1670–1733 French General Christina Sheldon 1684–1757 Richard 9th Viscount 1688–1737 Charles 10th Viscount 1701–1741 Henry 11th Viscount 1705–1787 Charlotte Lee d. 1794 Henrietta- Maria Phipps 1757–1782 Charles 12th Viscount 1745–1813 Marie Rogier d. 1833 Arthur Dillon 1750–1794 Henry Augustus 13th Viscount 1777–1832 Henrietta Browne Charles Henry 14th Viscount 1810–1865 Theobald Dominick 15th Viscount 1811–1879 Arthur Edmund Denis 16th Viscount 1812–1892 Ellen Adderly 1809–1896 Legend XXX Charles Dillon-Lee XXX Viscounts Dillon This family tree is partly derived from the Dillon family tree pictured in La Tour du Pin.[12] Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

Marriages and children

Charles married twice. He married firstly on 19 August 1776 in Brussels Henrietta-Maria Phipps, daughter of Constantine Phipps, 1st Baron Mulgrave and his wife Lepel Hervey.[13] She was illegitimately descended from James II.

He had two children by Henrietta Maria:

1. Henry Augustus Dillon-Lee (1777–1832), succeeded him as the 13th Viscount; and
2. Frances Charlotte Dillon-Lee (1780–1819), married Thomas Webb, Baronet.[14]

His first wife died in 1782.[15] In 1787 he married, secondly, Marie Rogier of Mechelen.[16] She had been an actress in Brussels and had been his mistress in the time before his first marriage.[17]

They had at least three children:

1. James William Dillon-Lee (1792–1812), seems to have died unmarried;[18]
2. Henrietta Dillon-Lee (died 1811), seems to have died unmarried;[19] and
3. Charlotte Dillon-Lee (died 1866), married in 1813 Frederick Beauclerk (1773–1850), a younger son of Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans and an early cricketer.[20][21]

Ditchley House, the seat of the Lee Family

Later life

On 4 November 1776 Robert Lee, the 4th Earl of Lichfield, died and the earldom went extinct.[22] The nearest relatives of the last earl were his nieces. Charles's mother inherited the estate as she was the eldest of these nieces.

In 1787 he served as High Sheriff of Mayo. On 3 November 1787, his father, Henry Dillon, 11th Viscount Dillon, died and Charles succeeded as the 12th Viscount Dillon.[23] He was solemnly confirmed in the Viscountcy in 1788 by the Irish House of Lords.[24] He was invested as a Knight of the Order of St. Patrick in 1798.[25]

In 1794 Charles inherited the Lichfield estate from his mother. Ditchley became the seat of the Viscounts Dillon and remained in the possession of the family until 1934.

During the passing of the Acts of Union 1800 Lord Dillon supported the union.[26]

In 1802 Lord Dillon sold the manor of Quarendon, where the seat of the Lee family had once stood, to James Du Pré of Wilton Park. Quarendon was of course part of the land inherited from his mother. In 1806 Lord Dillon raised a regiment, namely the 101st Regular, recruited from the inhabitants of his Irish lands and surrounding areas near Loughglinn, County Roscommon.

Death, succession, and timeline

Lord Dillon died at Loughglinn, on 9 November 1813.[27][28] Despite his conversion, he was buried in the Dillon Family Vault in the Cemetery at the Augustinian Friary, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, Ireland. His widow died in London in 1833. He was succeeded by his only son, Henry Augustus, as the 13th Viscount Dillon.

Timeline
Age	Date	Event
0	1745, 6 Nov	Born in London[1]
22	1767, 4 Dec	Conformed to the established religion.[8]
30	1776, 19 Aug	Married, 1stly, Henrietta Maria Phipps, in Brussels.[13]
30	1776, 4 Nov	Robert Lee, the 4th Earl of Lichfield died.[22] His mother inherited.
36	1782, 1 Aug	His 1st wife died.[15]
42	1787	Married, 2ndly, Marie Rogier.[16]
41	1787, 3 Nov	His father died and he succeeded as the 12th Viscount Dillon.
42	1788, 18 Mar	Was confirmed as Viscount by the Irish House of Lords.
49	1794	His mother died and he inherited the Lichfield estate.
68	1813, 9 Nov	Died at Loughglinn, County Roscommon, Ireland.[27]

Ancestry
Charles Dillon-Lee, 12th Viscount Dillon's ancestors in three generations
Charles Dillon-Lee, 12th Viscount Dillon	Father: Henry Dillon, 11th Viscount Dillon	Paternal Grandfather: Gen. Arthur Dillon	Paternal Great-grandfather: Theobald Dillon, 7th Viscount Dillon
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Mary Talbot of Templeogue, Ireland
		Paternal Grandmother: Christina Sheldon	Paternal Great-grandfather: Gen. Ralph Sheldon of Winchester
			Paternal Great-grandmother: ?
	Mother: Charlotte Lee of Lichfield	Maternal Grandfather: George Lee, 2nd Earl of Lichfield	Maternal Great-grandfather: Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Charlotte Fitzroy
		Maternal Grandmother: Frances Hales	Maternal Great-grandfather: John Hales of Woodchurch, 4th Baronet
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Helen Bellings

References

1. Debrett 1828b, p. 749, line 3: "... [Charles] b. 6. Nov 1745 ..."
2. O'Callaghan 1854, p. 50, footnote: "... the former [Charles] in London, in November, 1745."
3. Cokayne 1916, p. 360, line 22: "He m., 26 Oct. 1744, at the Portuguese Embassy Chapel, Charlotte, 1st da. and eventually h. of George Henry [LEE], 2nd EARL OF LICHFIELD ..."
4. Debrett 1828a, p. 315: "Sir William [Jerningham], 6th bart., m. June 1767, Frances Dillon, eldest da. of Henry, 11th Viscount Dillon ...
5. Burke 1949, p. 603, right column, line 19: "... was guillotined 13 April 1794, during the Reign of terror."
6. Debrett 1828b, p. 723, line 44: "VALENTINE ... m. 1st 7 July 1777, Charlotte Dillon, da. of Henry, 11th Viscount Dillon ..."
7. Burke 1949, p. 603, right column, line 28: "Henry, Major-Gen in the French and English services, Col. of the Dillon Regt. (in the English army 1794–8) when on the surrender of the 2nd Bn. at San Domingo it passed to the English Army, b. 28 June 1759; m. 1stly 29 Apr. 1790 Frances, dau. of Dominick Trant ..."
8. Brown & Power 2005, p. 284: "... the succession of the title and lands of the Dillons in Ireland was assured by the conversion of Henry's eldest son Charles Dillon (later twelfth Viscount Dillon of Costello-Gallen) in Dublin of 4 December 1767 ..."
9. "Library and Archive Catalogue". Royal Society. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
10. La Tour du Pin 1913b, p. 162, line 11: "... Charles Dillon, était joueur et accablé de dettes."
11. House of Commons 1878, p. 145: "Charles Dillon, esq., vice Sir William Blackstone, knt., appointed one of the Puisne Justices of the King's Bench / 21 Feb. 1770 / ditto [Westbury Borough]"
12. La Tour du Pin 1913a, pp. 14–15: "Note généalogique sur la Maison des Lords Dillon"
13. Cokayne 1916, p. 361, line 10b: "He m., 1stly, 19 Aug. 1776 at Brussels, Henrietta Maria, da. of Constantine John (PHIPPS) 1st BARON MULGRAVE [I.] by Lepell da. of John (HERVEY) BARON HERVEY OF ICKWORTH. She, who was b. 26 Mar. 1757, d. 1 Aug. 1782.
14. Debrett 1838, p. 609, line 11: "FRANCES-CHARLOTTE, b. 17 Feb. 1780, m. 14 March 1799, sir Thomas Webb, of Oddstock, co. Wilts, bart., and d. 27 April 1819."
15. Cokayne 1916, p. 361, line 13a: "She [Henrietta-Maria], who was b. 26 Mar. 1757, d. 1 Aug. 1782."
16. Cokayne 1916, p. 361, line 13b: "He m., 2ndly, in 1787, Marie ROGIER, of Malines, in Belgium.
17. La Tour du Pin 1913b, p. 162, line 3: "... elle avait toutes les apparences de ce qu'elle était en réalité: une vieille actrice. Mon oncle l'avait eue comme maitresse avant d'épouser Miss Phipps, fille du Lord Mulgrave."
18. Burke 1949, p. 603, right column, line 57: "James William, Ensign, Gren. Guards, b. 1792, d. 10 Oct. 1812."
19. Burke 1949, p. 603, right column, line 58: "d. 11 April 1811."
20. Debrett 1838, p. 609, line 18: "CHARLOTTE, m. 3 July 1813, lord Frederick Beauclerk."
21. Burke 1949, p. 603, right column, line 59: "Charlotte, m. 1813, Rev. Lord Frederick Beauclerk, D.D., 4th son of the 5th Duke of St. Albans, and d. 26 Sept. 1866."
22. Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, bottom: "His lordship d. 4 November 1776, when the earldom of Lichfield and minor honours became EXTINCT."
23. Debrett 1828b, p. 748, last line: "The viscount d. 3 Nov 1887, and was succeeded by his only son."
24. Debrett 1828b, p. 749, line 1: "CHARLES, 12th viscount, whose claim to the viscountcy was established by the house of lords in Ireland, after a solemn hearing, 18 March 1788;"
25. Cokayne 1916, p. 361, line 10a: "K.P. 19 Mar. 1798."
26. MacDougall 1799, p. 77: "LORD DILLON. THIS nobleman is the brother of the celebrated 'Arthur Dillon,' so well known at the court of France, who was guillotined, and of the handsome Dillon, the favourite of the Queen of France, who was massacred. He possesses considerable property, power and influence, which he exerts in favour of the union."
27. Debrett 1828b, p. 749, line 11: "The viscount d. 9 Nov 1813, and was succeeded by his only son ..."
28. Cokayne 1916, p. 361, line 14: "He d. 9 Nov. 1813 at Loughglin House, co. Roscommon, aged 68.

• Brown, Michael; Power, Thomas P. (2005), Converts and Conversion in Ireland 1650–1850, Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 1-85182-810-9
• Burke, Bernard (1866), A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire (New ed.), London: Harrison
• Burke, Bernard (1949), A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire (99th ed.), London: Burke's Peerage Ltd.
• Cokayne, George Edward (1916), Gibbs, Vicary (ed.), The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant, 4 (2nd ed.), London: St Catherine Press – Dacre to Dysart
• Debrett, John (1828a), Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1 (17th ed.), London: F. C. and J. Rivington - England (for Jerningham)
• Debrett, John (1828b), Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 2 (17th ed.), London: F. C. and J. Rivington - Scotland and Ireland (for Dillon)
• Debrett, John (1838), Courthope, William (ed.), Debrett's Complete Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (22nd ed.), London: F. C. and J. Rivington
• House of Commons (1878), "Members of Parliament", Parliamentary Papers, London: H. M. Stationery Office, 62 (for the subject as MP)
• La Tour du Pin, Henriette-Lucy, Marquise de (1913a), Journal d'une femme de cinquante ans (in French), 1 (7th ed.), Paris: Librairie Chapelot
• La Tour du Pin, Henriette-Lucy, Marquise de (1913b), Journal d'une femme de cinquante ans (in French), 2 (7th ed.), Paris: Librairie Chapelot
• MacDougall, Henry (1799), Sketches of Irish Political Characters of the Present Day, London: P. O'Shea Publisher
• O'Callaghan, John (1854), History of the Irish Brigade in the service of France, New York: Printed by the author

External links

• Genealogy of Henry Dillon, 12th Viscount Dillon of Costello-Gallin on The Peerage website

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Peregrine Bertie William Blackstone	Member of Parliament for Westbury 1770–1774 With: Peregrine Bertie	Succeeded by Thomas Wenman Nathaniel Bayly
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Henry Dillon	Viscount Dillon 1787–1813	Succeeded by Henry Dillon-Lee