Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 2.djvu/213

 212 CLT ARTLEY — CH A.THAM. CHAEELEY. John Ferrers of Chartley, co. Stafford, s. and h. of Eoberi, Earl Of DRKBY {attainted 1266) was sum. to Pari, as a Baron (LORD FERRERS) by writ 6 Feb. (1298/9), 27 Ed. I. and subsequently. From his place of residence anil perhaps to distinguish him from the Lord Ferrers dc Oroby, lie has generally been considered as Lord Ferrers dc Chartley, tho' neither he, nor any of his successors appear to have been sum. under that designation. Walter Devereux (who m. the heiress) was sum. temp. Ed. IV as "Devereux de Ferrers" or Dominus DR Ferrers, and Sir Robert Shirley, a coheir of the above, was sum. temp. Car. ii and Jac. ii as " Shirley de Ferrers." See " Ferrers [of Char-tiny], Barony, cr. 1299. CHATHAM. i.e. "Chatham, co. Kent" Barony {Campbell), cr. 1719 with tho Earldom ok Greenwich. See " Auotle " Dukedom of [S.l cr. 1701, under the 2nd Duke. Extinct 1743. Barony 1. Hester Pitt, wife of the Et. lion. "William Pitt, T 1761 afterwards (1766) cr. Earl of Chatham (see below), was, 4 Dec. 1761, ' *' " cr. BARONESS CHATHAM of Chatham, co. Kent, with rem. of that Barony to the heirs male of her body by her said husband. The peerage was doubtless granted for his political services, but, she herself was sister to two eminent statesmen, viz. the Rt. Hon. George Grenvillo and Richard, Earl Temple, being only da. of Richard Grenville of Wotton, Bucks, by Hester, mo jure Countess TEMPI* She was b. 8 Nov. and bap. 6 Dec. 1720 at St. James Westm. ; m. 16 Nov. 1754 by spec. lie. in Argyll street. She d. a widow 2 April 1803 at Burton Pynsent, co. Somerset and was bur. the 16th at Westm. Abbey, aged 83. Will, or admon., 1810. Her peerage devolved on her s. and h., John, 2nd Earl of Chatham. See below. Earldom i. The Et. Hon. William Pitt (husband of Hester, T 1766 S!<0 i me Paroness Chatham abovenamed) was 4 Aug. 1766, cr. VISCOUNT PITT OF BURTON PYNSENT,(») co. Somerset, and EARL OF CHATHAM, co. Kent. The career of this celebrated statesman is a matter of history. He was second s. of Robert Pitt of Boconnock, co. Cornwall, by Hariet, sister of John, 5th Viscount and 1st Earl Grandison [I.] da. of Gen. the Hon. Edward Vii.liers of Dromana. He was 6. 15 Nov. and bap. 13 Dec. 1 70S at St. James, Westm. ; ed. at Eton ; matric. at Oxford (Triu. Coll.) 1 -1 Jan. 1 726/7 ; Cornet, 1st Reg. of Horse, 1721-35 ; M.P. for Old Sarum, 1735-47 ; for Seaford, 1747-54 ; for Aldborough, 1754-56 ; fur Oakhamptou, 1756-57 and for Bath 1757-66. Groom of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales, 1737-45. Paymaster Gen. of the Forces. 1746-55. P.C., 174C. Sec. of State (Southern dep.) 1756 to April 1757 and June 1757 to 1761. Lord Privy Seal, (after having been cr. a Peer( b ) as above) July 17CC to Feb. 1768 and March to Oct. 1768, being considered the actual Trime Minister (under the nominal lead of the Duke of Grafton) during the earlier part of that period, till his ill health, early in 1 767, wholly Becluded him from business. In Jan. 1770 he again took his place in Pari, but in opposition to the ministry, where- upon the Duke of Grafton resigned the lead to Lord North, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. For the second time ill health (for two years. 1775-77) again kept him in strict retirement, but on 30 May 1777, " swathed in flannels " ho made his celebrated speech in the House of Lords (rejected by 76 against 26) urging the arrest of the war with America. There seems little doubt but that, in 1778, he would have (a) This estate worth £3000 a year bad been left him by Sir William Pynsent, Bart, (who d. s.p. 8 Jan. 1765) owing to the testator's admiration of his patriotism. ( b ) See some interesting remarks, on the inadvisability and tho unpopularity of his taking a Peerage, in Stanhope's " History of England," vol. v, pp. 241-46 where Lord Chesterfield's remark is quoted " that all bis enemies rejoice at it and all his friends are stupified and dumbfounded,"