William Ormsby-Gore, 2nd Baron Harlech

William Richard Ormsby-Gore, 2nd Baron Harlech (3 March 1819 – 26 June 1904), was an Anglo-Irish peer and Member of Parliament.

Biography

Lord Harlech was the younger son of William Ormsby-Gore and Mary Jane Ormsby. He was educated at Eton College and later purchased an Ensigncy in the 53rd Foot. He purchased a Lieutenancy in 1839 and exchanged into the 13th Light Dragoons in 1841, purchasing a Captaincy in 1846 and a Majority in 1852.

In the 1841 general election Ormsby-Gore was elected unopposed as a Conservative Party MP for County Sligo. In 1852 general election there was a contest for the seat and he was defeated by a nationalist-inclined Liberal candidate. He returned to Parliament in a by-election on 17 May 1858 as MP for Leitrim, a seat he held until 1876.

Ormsby-Gore bought an estate at Derrycarne near Dromod in County Leitrim and went on to rise to high office in the county: he became High Sheriff there for 1857, and was appointed as Lord Lieutenant of County Leitrim in 1878,[1] which he remained until his death.

On 14 January 1876, Ormsby-Gore's elder brother John was created Baron Harlech. As he had no sons,[2] the peerage was created with a special remainder to his younger brother, meaning that he was made heir presumptive of the peerage should the first Baron die without legitimate male heirs. This was an unusual procedure and it was determined at the time that the last such case had been 45 years before. As it happened, the first Baron died on 15 June 1876 and Ormsby-Gore became the second Baron Harlech.

Harlech was appointed by the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire to be a Deputy Lieutenant of the county on 22 February 1882.[3]

Marriage and children

Lord Harlech married Lady Emily Charlotte Seymour, daughter of Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour and sister of Francis Hugh George Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford, in 1850. They had six children:[4]

Lord Harlech died on 26 June 1904, aged 85, and was succeeded in the barony by his eldest surviving son George.

Coat of arms of William Ormsby-Gore, 2nd Baron Harlech
Notes
Coat of arms of the Ormsby-Gore family
Coronet
A coronet of a Baron
Crest
1st: an Heraldic Tiger rampant Argent; 2nd: a Dexter Arm embowed in armour proper holding in the hand a Man's Leg also in armour couped at the thigh
Escutcheon
Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Gules a Fess between three Cross Crosslets fitchy Or (Gore); 2nd and 3rd, Gules a Bend between six Cross Crosslets Or (Ormsby)
Supporters
Dexter: an Heraldic Tiger Argent maned and tufted Sable ducally gorged Or; Sinister: a Lion Or
Motto
In Hoc Signo Vinces (Under this sign thou shalt conquer)

References
  1. "No. 8909". The Edinburgh Gazette. 2 July 1878. p. 501.
  2. BULKELEY-OWEN, FANNY MARY KATHERINE (1845 - 1927)Dictionary of Welsh Biography
  3. "No. 25096". The London Gazette. 18 April 1882. p. 1741.
  4. The Peerage, entry for 2nd Lord Harlech
  5. The Peerage, entry for Hon Mary Ormsby-Gore
  6. The Peerage, entry for Hon Emily Ormsby-Gore
  7. The Peerage, entry for Seymour Ormsby-Gore
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Edward Joshua Cooper
Alexander Perceval		 Member of Parliament for County Sligo
1841–1852
With: Alexander Perceval 1841
John Ffolliott 1841–1850
Sir Robert Gore-Booth, Bt 1850–1852		 Succeeded by
Sir Robert Gore-Booth, Bt
Richard Swift
Preceded by
Hugh Lyons-Montgomery
John Brady		 Member of Parliament for Leitrim
1858–1876
With: John Brady		 Succeeded by
John Brady
Francis O'Beirne
Honorary titles
Preceded by
The Viscount Southwell		 Lord Lieutenant of Leitrim
1878–1904		 Succeeded by
The Lord Harlech
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Ormsby-Gore		 Baron Harlech
1876–1904		 Succeeded by
George Ormsby-Gore
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.