Spencer Joshua Alwyne Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton (2 January 1790 – 17 January 1851), known as Lord Compton from 1796 to 1812 and as Earl Compton from 1812 to 1828, was a British nobleman and patron of science and the arts.

Life

The second son of the 9th Earl of Northampton (later the First Marquess), Compton studied at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

, receiving a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

degree in 1810. In 1812, following the assassination of his cousin, the prime minister

Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval (1 November 1762 – 11 May 1812) was a British statesman and barrister who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. Perceval is the only British prime minister to ...

, Compton, by now Earl Compton as heir to the Marquessate, took his seat for Northampton in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

. On 24 July 1815, he married Margaret Maclean Clephane, eldest daughter of Major-general Douglas Maclean Clephane.
/ref> In the Commons, Compton established a reputation as something of a maverick. Despite his family's strong

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

credentials, he often voted against the Tory government of the day. This led to his losing his seat in the general election of 1820. After 1820 Compton took up residence in Italy, where his house became a centre of attraction, and exercised his influence in favour of many of the unfortunate victims of despotic authority both in Lombardy and in Naples. He returned to England in 1830, and became a prominent figure in political and cultural life. He supported the Reform Bill in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

, but became more engaged in promoting the arts and sciences. In 1820–22 he was president of the Geological Society of London. He served as president of the

Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes ...

(1845–46 and 1850–51), and in 1838 became president of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

, an office he held for ten years. He took a particular interest in

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

, especially in fossils, although he was not himself a scientist, but more of an interested amateur. The

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

species '' Regnosaurus northamptoni'' was named after him. He resigned in 1848, due to his opposition to the Society's increasing professionalization. Compton was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 1846. He held the position of president of the Royal Society of Literature from 1849 until his death. He died on 17 January 1851, and was buried at

Castle Ashby Castle Ashby is the name of a civil parish, an estate village and an English country house in rural Northamptonshire. Historically the village was set up to service the needs of Castle Ashby House, the seat of the Marquess of Northampton. The v ...

on 25 January.

Family

On 24 July 1815 Compton married Margaret Douglas-Maclean-Clephane, who was a poet admired by

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

and

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ' ...

, although her poetry was not published. The marriage was a happy one, producing six children. The couple lived in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

for ten years from 1820 to 1830. Compton succeeded his father as Marquess of Northampton in 1828. Following Lady Northampton's death in 1830, Northampton returned to England. Among their children were: Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton

Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton

* Charles Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton (1816–1877) *Lady Marianne Margaret Compton (1817–1888), later Lady Marian Alford *Admiral

William Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton Admiral William Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton, (20 August 1818 – 11 September 1897), known as Lord William Compton from 1828 to 1877, was a British peer and Royal Navy officer. Biography Northampton was born at York Place, Marylebo ...

(1818–1897) * Lord Alwyne Compton (1825–1906), successively

Dean of Worcester The Dean of Worcester is the head of the Chapter of Worcester Cathedral in Worcester, England. The current dean is Peter Atkinson, who lives at The Deanery, College Green, Worcester. Crockford's on-line accessed by subscription Tuesday 11 June ...

and Bishop of Ely * Lady Margaret Compton, married Frederick Leveson-Gower

References

;Attribution *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Northampton, Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of 1790 births 1851 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Spencer Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellows of the Geological Society of London Presidents of the Royal Society of Literature Presidents of the Geological Society of London Compton, Spencer Compton, Earl Fellows of the Royal Society Presidents of the Royal Society Compton, Spencer Compton, Earl Compton, Spencer Compton, Earl UK MPs who inherited peerages Paintings by Henry Raeburn Marquesses of Northampton (1812 creation) Presidents of the Royal Archaeological Institute