(George Frederick) D'Arcy Lambton, 2nd Earl of Durham (5 September 1828 – 27 November 1879), styled Viscount Lambton from 1833 to 1840, was a

British peer The peerages in the United Kingdom are a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles, composed of various noble ranks, and forming a constituent part of the British honours system. The term '' peerage'' can be used both coll ...

Early life

Lambton was born on 5 September 1828 at Copse Hill, Wimbledon and was baptised at

St Mary's Church, Wimbledon St Mary's Church, Wimbledon, is a Church of England church and is part of the Parish of Wimbledon, south-west London, England. It has existed since the 12th century and may be the church recorded in the Domesday Book in the Mortlake Hundred. It ...

on 29 September that year. He was the second (and, later, eldest surviving) son of

John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, (12 April 1792 – 28 July 1840), also known as "Radical Jack" and commonly referred to in Canadian history texts simply as Lord Durham, was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor G ...

, and his second wife Lady Louisa Elizabeth. His mother was a daughter of

Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (13 March 1764 – 17 July 1845), known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was a British Whig politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834. He was a member of the no ...

. He was known by his third name of D'Arcy, the maiden name of an ancestor whose inheritance included land surrounding what would later become Lambton Castle. From his father's first marriage to Harriet Cholmondeley (the illegitimate daughter of

George Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley George James Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley, (; 11 May 1749 – 10 April 1827), styled Viscount Malpas between 1764 and 1770 and known as The Earl of Cholmondeley between 1770 and 1815, was a British peer and politician. Background ...

), his elder half-sister was Lady Frances Charlotte Lambton, who married

John Ponsonby, 5th Earl of Bessborough John George Brabazon Ponsonby, 5th Earl of Bessborough PC (14 October 1809 – 28 January 1880), styled Viscount Duncannon from 1844 until 1847, was a British cricketer, courtier and Liberal politician. Background Born in London, Ponsonby wa ...

. At age 11, Lambton inherited the earldom of Durham when his father, who served as British Ambassador to Russia and

Governor-General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...

, died in 1840. His mother died from a severe cold just over a year later. He attended

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

in 1846.

Public life

Lord Durham served as Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham from 1854 to 1879. On 19 July 1877, the Earl of Durham signed a document giving an acre of his land to be used for the construction of a church in the newly formed parish of Fatfiel
Fatfield, St George's church, Washington
was completed in 1879 and was built in the Early English Gothic style.

Personal life

On 23 May 1854, Lord Durham married Lady Beatrix Frances Hamilton (1835–1871) at St George's, Hanover Square. Lady Beatrix was the second daughter of

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, (21 January 1811 – 31 October 1885), styled Viscount Hamilton from 1814 to 1818 and The Marquess of Abercorn from 1818 to 1868, was a British Conservative statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ir ...

and Lady Louisa Jane Russell (a daughter of

John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, (6 July 1766 – 20 October 1839), known as Lord John Russell until 1802, was a British Whig politician who notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Ministry of All the Talents. He was the fathe ...

. Together, they had thirteen children: * John George Lambton, 3rd Earl of Durham (1855–1928), who married Ethel Elizabeth Louisa Milner, a daughter of Henry Beilby William Milner. He had a child out of wedlock with the dancer Letty Lind. * Frederick William Lambton, 4th Earl of Durham (1855–1929) who married Beatrix Bulteel, a daughter of John Bulteel. * Adm. Hon. Sir Hedworth Lambton (later Meux) (1856–1929), Admiral of the Fleet, who married Hon. Mildred Cecilia Harriet, Dowager Viscountess Chelsea, daughter of Henry Sturt, 1st Baron Alington, on 18 April 1910. They had no issue. * Hon. Charles Lambton (1857–1949), who married Lavinia Marion Garforth and had issue. * Lady Beatrix Louisa Lambton (1859–1944), who married

Sidney Herbert, 14th Earl of Pembroke Sidney Herbert, 14th Earl of Pembroke, 11th Earl of Montgomery, (20 February 1853 – 30 March 1913), styled The Honourable Sidney Herbert between 1861 and 1895, was a British politician and peer. Background and education Herbert was born at ...

and had issue. * Hon. George Lambton (1860–1945), who married Cicely Margaret Horner and had issue. * Lady Katherine Frances Lambton (1862–1952), who married George Osborne, 10th Duke of Leeds and had issue.v * Maj.-Gen. Hon. Sir

William Lambton Lieutenant-Colonel William Lambton, FRS (c. 1753 – 20 or 26 January 1823) was a British soldier, surveyor, and geographer who began a triangulation survey in 1800-1802 that was later called the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India. His init ...

(1863–1936), who married (as her second husband) Lady Katherine de Vere Somerset, née Beauclerk, daughter of

William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans William Amelius Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans, PC DL (15 April 1840 – 10 May 1898), styled Earl of Burford until 1849, was a British Liberal parliamentarian of the Victorian era. The Duke served in William Gladstone's ...

on 22 April 1921. They had no issue. * Hon. Claud Lambton (1865–1945), who married Lettice Wormald and had issue. * Captain The Hon. D'Arcy Lambton Royal Navy (1866–1954), married Florence Ethel Sproule and had issue. * Lady Eleanor Lambton (1868–1959), who married

Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, (14 September 1864 – 24 November 1958), known as Lord Robert Cecil from 1868 to 1923,As the younger son of a Marquess, Cecil held the courtesy title of "Lord". However, he ...

. * Lady Anne Lambton (1869–1922). * Hon. Francis Lambton (1871–1914), who was killed in action near Zandvoorde, Belgium, during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The Countess of Durham died on 21 January 1871, aged 35, and just three days after the birth of her youngest child. In 1876, Lord Durham had his right eye removed after he was shot by his son, Charles, while on a shooting party. Lord Durham died at 6:05pm on 27 November 1879 at his town house on Hill Street in Mayfair, aged 51, and was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest twin son

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

. The Earl and Countess and some of their children are buried in St Barnabas' Church, Bournmoor, which the Earl had built at his own expense when the parish was created in 1867.

References

External links

George Frederick D'Arcy Lambton, 2nd Earl of Durham
at the National Portrait Gallery, London. {{DEFAULTSORT:Durham, George Lambton, 2nd Earl Of 1828 births 1879 deaths Earls in the Peerage of the United Kingdom George Lambton, 2nd Earl of Durham Lord-Lieutenants of Durham