George Lee, 2nd Earl of Lichfield

George Lee
Earl of Lichfield
Reign	1716–1742
Predecessor	Edward, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Successor	George, 3rd Earl of Lichfield
Born	12 March 1690
Died	15 February 1743 aged 52
Spouse(s)	Frances Hales
Issue Detail	George Henry & others
Father	Edward, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Mother	Charlotte Fitzroy

George Henry Lee I, 2nd Earl of Lichfield (1690–1743) was a younger son of Edward Henry Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield and his wife Charlotte Fitzroy, an illegitimate daughter of Charles II by his mistress, the celebrated courtesan Barbara Villiers. On 14 July 1716 George Henry Lee succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl of Lichfield.

Birth and origins

George was born on 12 March 1690 in St. James Park, London.^[1] He was one of the ten children and the fourth of the sons of Edward Henry Lee and his wife Charlotte Fitzroy. His father was created Viscount Quarendon and Earl of Lichfield just before his marriage. George's mother was a natural daughter of Charles II and Barbara Villiers.^[2]

Family tree

George Lee, 2nd Earl, with wife, parents, and other selected relatives. Charles II 1630–1685 Barbara Villiers 1640–1709 Edward 1st Earl 1663–1716 Charlotte FitzRoy 1664–1718 George 2nd Earl 1690–1742 Frances Hales d. 1769 Robert 4th Earl 1706–1776 Catherine Stonhouse 1708–1784 George 3rd Earl 1718–1772 Diana Frankland c. 1719–1779 Henry 11th Viscount 1705–1787 Charlotte Lee d. 1794 Charles 12th Viscount 1745–1813 Henrietta- Maria Phipps 1757–1782 Legend XXX George Lee XXX Earls of Lichfield XXX Viscounts Dillon Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

George listed among his brothers

He appears below among his brothers as the fourth son: Edward Henry (1681–1713), became the colonel of the Royal Regiment of Guards, predeceased his father and never married;[3] James (died 1711), became a captain in the Royal Navy and married Sarah, daughter of John Bagshaw, but the marriage stayed childless and he predeceased his father;[4] Charles (died 1708), predeceased his father and never married;[5] George Henry (died 1742), the subject of this article; Fitzroy Henry Lee (1699–1750), became a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy;[6] and Robert Lee (1706–1776), became the 4th and last Earl.

George's sisters
Charlotte (1678–1721), married Benedict Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore;[7] Anne, died young;[8] Elizabeth, married first Colonel Lee and secondly the Reverend Dr. Edward Young;[9] and Barbara, married Sir Charles, 2nd Baronet Browne of Kiddington.[10][11]

Early life

George became heir apparent and was given the corresponding courtesy title of Viscount Quarendon when his eldest brother, Edward Henry, died in 1713.^[12] On 14 July 1716 his father died and he succeeded as the 2nd Earl of Lichfield.^[13]

Marriage and children

In about 1717 Lord Lichfield, as he was now, married Frances Hales (died 3 February 1769), daughter of Sir John Hales, 4th Baronet of Hackington, of Woodchurch in Kent.^[14]

George and Frances had three sons:

1. George Henry (1718–1772), his successor^[15]
2. Edward Henry (died 1742)^[16]
3. Charles Henry (died 1740)^[17]

—and five daughters:

1. Charlotte, married to Henry Dillon, 11th Viscount Dillon^[18]
2. Mary, married to Cosmas Neville, Esquire^[19]
3. Frances, married Henry Hyde, 5th Baron Hyde^[20]
4. Henrietta or Harriet, married to John Bellew, 4th Baron Bellew of Duleek^[21]
5. Anne, married to Hugh Clifford, 4th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh^[22]

Later life, death, and succession

In 1719 Lord Lichfield was one of main subscribers in the Royal Academy of Music (1719), a corporation that produced baroque opera on stage. In 1722 he built the Oxfordshire Stately home, Ditchley, designed by James Gibbs. Lichfield was educated at St John's College, Oxford and created a D.C.L. of Oxford on 19 August 1732. On 7 August 1739 he was made Custos Brevium in the Court of Common Pleas, as well as a governor of the Foundling Hospital.

Lichfield died on 15 February 1743 and was buried in Spelsbury.^[23] He was succeeded by his son and namesake, George Henry Lee II.

Timeline
Age	Date	Event
0	1690, 12 Mar	Born, in London.[1]
11	1702, 8 Mar	Accession of Queen Anne, succeeding King William III[24]
23	1713	Became heir apparent on his brother's death and gained the courtesy title of Viscount Quarendon.[12]
24	1714, 1 Aug	Accession of King George I, succeeding Queen Anne[25]
26	1716, 14 Jul	Succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl of Lichfield.[13]
26–27	1717, about	Married Frances Hales.[14]
37	1727, 11 Jun	Accession of King George II, succeeding King George I[26]
52	1743, 15 Feb	Died and was buried at Spelsbury.

See also

• Lee Baronets of Quarendon, Buckinghamshire, 1611–1776.

References

1. Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 23. "... [George Lee, the 2nd Earl was] b. in St. James' Park, 12 March 1689/90;"
2. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 29. "His lordship [Edward Lee, 1st Earl] m. [married] Lady Charlotte Fits-Roy, natural dau. [daughter] of King Charles  II., by Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland ..."
3. Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 19. "Edward Henry Lee, styled Viscount Quarendon, 2d but 1st surv. s. [surviving son] and h. ap. [heir apparent], b. [born] at Windsor 6 June 1681, Col. of the Royal Reg. of Guards. He d.v.p. [predeceased his father] and unm. [unmarried] 1713."
4. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 35. "James, capt. R.N., m. [married] Sarah, dau. [daughter] of John Bagshaw, and d. [died] in 1711, s.p. [childless]"
5. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 57 317, right column, line 37. "Charles, d. unm. [died unmarried] 1708."
6. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 39. "Fitzroy Henry, vice-admiral R.N., d.s.p. [died childless] 1720."
7. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 41. "Charlotte, m. [married] to Benedict Calvert, Lord Baltimore."
8. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 42. "Anne, d. [died] young."
9. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 43. "Elizabeth, m. [married] 1st to Col. Lee 2ndly to Rev. Dr. Edward Young."
10. Burke & Burke 1838, p. 89, right column, line 4. "The gentleman [George Browne] m. first, in 1725, Lady Barbara Lee, youngest daughter of Edward, first Earl of Lichfield and widow of Colonel Lee ..."
11. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 44. "Barbara, m. to Sir Charles Browne, Bart. of Kiddington."
12. Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 24. "... styled Viscount Quarenton from 1713 till he suc. [succeeded] to the peerage on 14 July 1716;"
13. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 47. "... [the 1st Earl] d. [died] in 1716 and was s. [succeeded] by his eldest surviving son, George Henry Lee, 2nd Earl ..."
14. Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 26. "He [George Lee, the 2nd Earl] m. [married] Frances, da. [daughter] of Sir John Hales, 4th Bart. of Woodchurch, co Kent, by his first wife "
15. Burke 1883, p. 172, right column, line 54. "I. George-Henry, his successor."
16. Burke 1883, p. 172, right column, line 55. "II. Edward-Henry, d. [died] 1642"
17. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 56. "III. Charles-Henry, d. [died] 1640"
18. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 57. "I. Charlotte, m. 26 October 1645 Henry, 11th Viscount Dillon. Lady Charlotte became eventually heiress of her father; and her fortune was inherited by her descendents, the viscounts Dillon."
19. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 61. "II. Mary, m. [married] to Cosmas-Henry-Joseph Neville, Esq. of Nevill Holt, co. Leicester."
20. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 63. "III. Frances, m. [married] to Viscount Cornbury"
21. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 64. "IV. Harriet, m. [married] to John, Lord Bellew."
22. Burke 1883, p. 317, right column, line 65. "V. Anne, m. [married] in 1749 to Hugh, 4th Baron Clifford, of Chudleigh."
23. Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 27. "He [George Lee, the 2nd Earl was] d. 15 Feb. 1742/3 and was bur. at Spelsbury."
24. Fryde et al. 1986, p. 45, line 31. "Anne ... acc. 8 Mar. 1702 ..."
25. Fryde et al. 1986, p. 45, line 38. "George I … acc. 1 Aug. 1714;"
26. Fryde et al. 1986, p. 46, line 11. "George II … acc. 11 Jun. 1727;"

Bibliography

• Burke, John; Burke, John Bernard (1838). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of England. London: Scott, Webster and Geary. OCLC 810767722.
• Burke, Bernard (1883). A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire (New ed.). London: Harrison. OCLC 499232768.
• Cokayne, George Edward (1893). Complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant. Vol. V (1st ed.). London: George Bell and Sons. OCLC 1180836840. – L to M (for Lichfield)
• Fryde, Edmund Boleslaw; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks, No. 2 (3rd ed.). London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0-86193-106-8. – (for timeline)
• Murdoch, Tessa (ed.), Noble Households: Eighteenth-Century Inventories of Great English Houses (Cambridge, John Adamson, 2006) ISBN 978-0-9524322-5-8 OCLC 78044620. For an inventory of the earl's furniture at Ditchley, Oxfordshire, following his death in 1743, see pp. 145–52.

Peerage of England
Preceded by Edward Lee	Earl of Lichfield 1716–1742	Succeeded by George Lee