Transcript

of

The Earl Fortescue [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc. vol. XXXVIII, (1906), p. 39.

by

J. Brooking-Rowe (Ed.)

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1906 Lynton meeting. Hugh Fortescue was born in London in 1818 as the eldest son of Hugh Fortescue, 2nd Earl Fortescue (1783-1861), by his first wife, Lady Susan (died 1827), eldest daughter of Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby.  He was also a Cambridge Apostle, the University intellectual society nicknamed from the number, twelve, of its founders. He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Devon in1839 and entered the House of Commons in 1841 as a member for Plymouth. He lost that seat in 1852, but returned in 1854 for Marylebone, which he held until January 1859, then resigned. He was then called up to the House of Lords by a writ of acceleration. In 1861, he succeeded to his father's earldom. He has a fulsome biography in Wikipedia. The obituary, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

The Earl Fortescue. Hugh Fortescue, Earl Fortescue, Viscount Ebrington, and Baron Fortescue of Castle Hill, was born 4 April, 1818, and died on 10 October, 1905. He was one of the oldest members on our list, and although he never had any opportunity of joining in its proceedings, he was always interested in its welfare and progress. He was greatly respected and loved by those who knew him best, a good landlord and neighbour, and died full of years and honours. We need not repeat the events of his life, as they have been given in full detail in many memoirs in the Press.