Henry Lygon, 4th Earl Beauchamp

General Henry Beauchamp Lygon, 4th Earl Beauchamp DL (5 January 1784 – 8 September 1863), styled The Honourable Henry Lygon from 1806 until 1853, was a British Army officer and politician.[1]

Henry Lygon, 4th Earl Beauchamp
Henry Beauchamp Lygon, 4th Earl Beauchamp (1784–1863) (Richard Dighton)
Born5 January 1784
Died8 September 1863
Allegiance Great Britain
Service/branch British Army
RankGeneral
Battles/warsPeninsular War
Other workMember of Parliament

Background

Beauchamp was the third son of William Lygon, 1st Earl Beauchamp, by his wife Catharine, the only daughter of James Denn.[2] A younger brother was Edward Pyndar Lygon, who also became a General.

Military career

Beauchamp was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford and entered the British Army in 1803 as a cornet in the 13th Dragoons. Made a captain in the 16th Light Dragoons, Beauchamp served with the regiment during the Peninsular War from 1809 until its end in 1814.[2] He took part in the First Battle of Porto and then in the Battle of Talavera.[2] After the Battle of the Côa in 1810, he was wounded in the Battle of Bussaco.[2] Beauchamp was promoted to major in the 1st Life Guards in 1815, to major-general in 1837 and received the colonelcy of the 10th Royal Hussars for life in 1843. Three years later he became lieutenant-general and finally general in 1853.

Political career

Apart from his military career Beauchamp also entered the British House of Commons in 1816, sitting as Member of Parliament for Worcestershire until 1831. He represented the county also as a Deputy Lieutenant.[2] Beauchamp was returned to the House for the newly established constituency Worcestershire West in 1832, holding the seat until 1853. In that year he succeeded his elder brother John in the earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords.

Family

Lord Beauchamp married Lady Susan Caroline, second daughter of William Eliot, 2nd Earl of St Germans, in 1824. They had three sons and three daughters. Lady Susan died in January 1835, aged 37. Lord Beauchamp remained a widower until his death in September 1863, aged 79. He was succeeded in the earldom by his second but eldest surviving son, Henry.

References

  1. "LYGON, Hon. Henry Beauchamp (1784-1863), of Springfield, Worcs". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  2. Dod, Robert P. (1860). The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Whitaker and Co. pp. 109–110.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Viscount Elmley
Hon. William Lyttelton
Member of Parliament for Worcestershire
1816–1831
With: Hon. William Lyttelton 1816–1820
Sir Thomas Winnington, Bt 1820–1830
Hon. Thomas Foley 1830–1831
Succeeded by
Hon. Thomas Foley
Hon. Frederick Spencer
New constituency Member of Parliament for Worcestershire West
1832–1853
With: Hon. Thomas Foley 1832–1833
Henry Jeffreys Winnington 1833–1841
Frederic Winn Knight 1841–1853
Succeeded by
Frederic Winn Knight
Viscount Elmley
Military offices
Preceded by
The Marquess of Londonderry
Colonel of the 10th (Prince of Wales's Own Royal) Hussars
1843–1863
Succeeded by
Edward, Prince of Wales
Preceded by
The Lord Seaton
Colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards
1863
Succeeded by
The Marquess of Tweeddale
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Reginald Pyndar
Earl Beauchamp
1853–1863
Succeeded by
Henry Lygon
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