Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton

Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton (25 June 1737 – 21 March 1797) was a British Army officer who served in the Seven Years' War and a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1759 to 1780 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Southampton.

Lord Southampton

The second son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy and a grandson of the 2nd Duke of Grafton, FitzRoy joined the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards as an ensign in 1752. He fought at the Battles of Minden and Kirchdenkern during the Seven Years' War and rose to the ranks of Captain in 1756 and Lieutenant-Colonel in 1758.

He was a Groom of the Bedchamber from 1760–62 and Whig MP (later Tory from 1770–83 and thereafter a Whig again) for Orford from 1759–61, for Bury St Edmunds from 1761–74 and for Thetford from 1774–80. On leaving the post of Queen Charlotte's Vice-Chamberlain in 1780 (a post he had held since 1768), he was created Baron Southampton on 17 October 1780[1] and was succeeded by his eldest son, George, upon his death in 1797.

Family

On 27 July 1758, FitzRoy married Anne Warren, the daughter and co-heir of Adml. Sir Peter Warren and a descendant of the Schuyler family, the Van Cortlandt family, and the Delancey family, all from British North America. They later had eleven children, among which:

• George FitzRoy, 2nd Baron Southampton;
• Charles FitzRoy (5 September 1762 — 18 October 1831), romantically linked to King George III's daughter Princess Amelia;
• Hon. Henry FitzRoy (13 September 1765 — 19 March 1794), married Lady Anne Wesley;
• Hon. Georgiana FitzRoy, married William Ponsonby.
• Lt.-Gen. William FitzRoy (12 December 1773 – 19 June 1837), married firstly a daughter of Sir Simon Clarke, 7th Baronet and secondly his cousin, a daughter of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton[2]

Legacy

Fitzroy Road on the west side of Manhattan was named after Charles Fitzroy. The road follows the route of present-day Eighth Avenue. It was named for Fitzroy after land along its route was given to his father-in-law. The street was decommissioned in the 1830s.[3] In memory of this road, the luxury condominium building at 514 West 24th Street is named The Fitzroy.[4]

References

• Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1889). "Fitzroy, Charles (1737-1797)" . Dictionary of National Biography. 19. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

1. "No. 12122". The London Gazette. 26 September 1780. p. 2.
2. "Obituary - Lt.-Gen. FitzRoy. - Gen. Sir H. T. Montresor". The Gentleman's Magazine. 8: 313. 1837. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
3. "Old Fitzroy Road" New York Times July 11, 1920 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/07/11/112663105.pdf
4. http://www.fitzroy.nyc/

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Viscount Chewton Henry Bilson Legge	Member of Parliament for Orford 1759–1761 With: John Offley	Succeeded by John Offley Thomas Worsley
Preceded by Felton Hervey Lord Hervey	Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds 1761–1774 With: Lord Hervey to 1763 William Hervey 1763–68 Lord Hervey from 1768	Succeeded by Lord Hervey Sir Charles Davers
Preceded by Henry Seymour Conway Viscount Petersham	Member of Parliament for Thetford 1774–1780 With: Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore	Succeeded by Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore Richard Hopkins
Military offices
Preceded by New regiment	Colonel of the 119th Regiment of Foot 1762–1763	Succeeded by Regiment disbanded
Preceded by Marquess of Lorne	Colonel of the 14th Regiment of Dragoons 1765–1772	Succeeded by Lt.-Gen. Daniel Webb
Preceded by The Earl of Albemarle	Colonel of the 3rd Regiment of Dragoons 1772–1797	Succeeded by Gen. Francis Lascelles
Political offices
Preceded by Hon. Robert Brudenell	Vice Chamberlain to Queen Charlotte 1768–1780	Succeeded by Vacant (Hon. Stephen Digby from 1782)
Preceded by ?	Vice-Chamberlain to The Prince of Wales 1780–1797	Succeeded by ?
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by New Creation	Baron Southampton 1780–1797	Succeeded by George FitzRoy