Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore

Summary

Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore (c. 1713 – 22 August 1782) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons for 49 years from 1733 to 1782.

Holme Lacy House

Born Charles FitzRoy, he was the illegitimate son of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton, and was educated at Westminster School from 1721 to 1730. He married Frances Scudamore in 1744 after her divorce from Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, in 1743. She was the only child and heir of James Scudamore, 3rd Viscount Scudamore, bringing him the Viscounts Scudamore seat of Holme Lacy. Fitzroy added the Scudamore name to his own on 22 March 1749.[1]

He was Member of Parliament for Thetford (1733 to 1754), Hereford (1754 to 1768), Heytesbury (1768 to 1774) and Thetford again from 1774 to March 1782.[1] Due to his continued forty-eight-year service in the British House of Commons, FitzRoy-Scudamore succeeded William Aislabie as Father of the House in 1781 but died a year later.

His only child, Frances (1750–1820), became the second wife of Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, but became insane and was locked away for many years. After her death without children, the estate of Holme Lacy fell into extensive litigation, eventually settling on Sir Edwin Stanhope, 3rd Baronet, who adopted the additional surname Scudamore.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Sedgwick, Romney R. (1970). "FITZROY (afterwards FITZROY SCUDAMORE), Charles (?1713-82), of Holme Lacy, Herefs.". In Sedgwick, Romney (ed.). The House of Commons 1715-1754. The History of Parliament Trust.
  2. ^ Burke's Baronetage
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Thetford
1733–1754
With: Sir Edmund Bacon 1733–1739
Lord Augustus FitzRoy 1739–1741
Lord Henry Beauclerk 1741–1754
Succeeded by
Lord Henry Beauclerk
Herbert Westfaling
Preceded by
Henry Cornewall
Daniel Leighton
Member of Parliament for Hereford
1754–1768
With: John Symons 1754–1764
John Scudamore 1764–1768
Succeeded by
John Scudamore
Sir Richard Symons
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Heytesbury
1768–1774
With: William A'Court-Ashe
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Thetford
1774–1782
With: Hon. Charles FitzRoy 1774–1780
Richard Hopkins 1780–1782
Succeeded by
Court offices
Preceded by Groom Porter
1743–1763
Succeeded by
Francis Buller
Honorary titles
Preceded by Father of the House
1781–1782
Succeeded by