Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 2.djvu/397

 396 COWPER. sometime (1757) an officer in the Army ; M.P. for Hertford, 1759-61 ; Knight of St. Hubert of Bavaria. Having, on 5 Dec. 1754, by the death of hid grandfather, the Earl of Grantham abovenamed, inherited his estates, he was, by pat. dat. at Vienna, 31 Jan. 1778, or. by the Emperor Joseph II, a Prince of the Holy Roman Einpini?) with a rem. to him and the heirs male of his body (as the representative of the Counts of Nassau d'Auverquerque) and obtained Royal Lie. If' Aug. 1785 to accept the same. He IK. 2 June 1775, at Florence, Hannah Anne, da. and coheir of Charles Uohe, of Horkestowe, co. Lincoln. Marriage regd. at Leghorn. He d. at Florence, 22 Dee. 1789, and was bur. 17 Feb. 179C, at Hertingfordbury. Will pr. Jan. 1790. His widow d. 5 Sep. 1S2R, at her villa near Florence. Will pr. April 1S27. IV. 17S9. 4- George Augustus (Claveicixg-Cowpek), Maui, G'owpee, &c, 1st s. and h., b. 9 Aug. 1770, at Florence ; ed. at St. John's Coll., Cambridge ; cr. M.A., 1795. He d. uiun. 12 and was bur. 19 Feb. 1799, at Hertingfordbury. Will pr. May 1799. V. 1799. 5. Peter Leopold Louis Francis Nassau (Clavkuinu- Cowper), Eaiil Cowan, &c., br. and h., b. 6 May 1778, at Florence ; matric. at Oxford (Ch. Oh.), 20 March 1794 ; B.A., 1797 ; Student (Mid. Temple), 1794 ; F.K.S., 1809. He hi. 20 July 1S05, at Melbourne House, Whitehall, St Margarets, Westin., F.inily Mary (a minor), 1st da. of Peniston (Lamb), 1st Viscount Melbourne [I ], by Elizabeth, da. of Sir Ralph Miuianke, Bart. He d. 21 July 1837, aged 59, at Putney, Surrey. Will pr. Sep. 1837. His widow, who was b. 21 April 1787, m. 16 Dec 1839, at St. Geo. Han. Sq., Henry John (Temple), 3rd Viscount Palmerston [I.], the celebrated Prime Minister, who d. s.p. 18 Oct. 1865, aged 81. ( b ) She d. 11 Sep. 1869, in her 83rd year, at Brocket Hall, Herts. WiU pr. 22 Jan 1870, under £100,000 ; resworn June 1370, under £120,000. VI. 1837. 6. George Augustus Frederick (Cowper), Earl Cowtkr, &c, s. and h., 6. 26 June 1806, in George Street, St. Geo. Han. Sq. ; sometime an officer in the Royal Horse Guards (Blue) ; Lieut. 31st Foot, 1835 : M.P. for Canterbury, 1830-35 ; Under Sec. of State for Foreign Affairs, Nov. to Dec. 1834 ; Lord Lieut, and Custos Rot. for Kent, 1846-56. He m. 7 Oct. 1833, at St. James Westm., Anne Florence, 1st da. of Thomas Philip (df. Grey, formerly Robinson), Earl de Grey, by Henrietta Frances, da. of William Willoughby (Cole), 1st Earl ok Enotskillen [I.] He d. at Maidstone (suddenly, while attending the assizes), 15 April 1856, in his 50th year. Will pr. June 1856. His widow, who was b. 8 June 1806, and who, on the death of her father, s.p.m.s., 14 Nov. 1859, became, suo jure, Baroness Lucas of Chudwell, d. 23 July 1880, at 4, St. James' Square. Will pr. 12 Oct. 1880, under £80,000. ( a ) " Sacri Romani Imperii Princeps de Cowper," says the patent In the obituary notice in the " New London Magazine," Feb. 1790, it is stated that " it is by mistake that he was called a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, for no man can be a Prince of the Empire who does not possess the landed territory in the Empire from which he derives his title, and a seat in the Diet among the Princes." The Lordship of Mildenheim in Suabia, which was granted to the Duke of Marlborough and erected into a Principality (he being thereupon admitted, by his deputy, to git in the College of Princes), is quoted as an example ; it being added "this never was the case with the late Earl Cowper, who was no otherwise a Prince of the Empire, than that his present Imperial Majesty created him a Prince of the Milanese, one of his Italian provinces, which is considered as a fief, and consequently a branch of the Empire. His Lordship therefore was, strictly speaking, a Prince of Milan in the Holy Roman Empire." However this may be, he appears to have obtained this great honour at the request of the Emperor's brother Leopold, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the Countess being at that time "distinguished by his attachment." In 1786, however, "her attachment " was to Mr. Merry, the poet (known as " Delia Crusca "), according to Mrs. Piozzi. See Wheatley's " Wraxall s Memoirs," vol. i, p. 195. ( b ) His title became extinct at his death, and he devised Broadlands, in the parish of Romsey, Hants, to his widow, on whose death it passed to her 2nd son, the Hon. William Francis Cowper-Temple, cr. 25 May 1880, Baron Mount Temple, co. Sligo. He d. s.p. 16 Oct. 1888, in his 77th year, when that title also became extinct.