27th Generation

984. 2nd Earl Fortescue Hugh FORTESCUE¹¹⁷ was born on 13 February 1783 in Pall Mall, St James, Westminster, London. He was baptized on 13 February 1783. Baptised same day as birth He died on 14 September 1861 in Exeter, Devon. Hugh, born 13th February 1783, succeeded his father Hugh, becoming Viscount Ebrington and the 2nd Earl Fortescue. He was educated at Eton and Brasenose College, Oxford. On 4th July 1817 he married his first wife, Lady Susan Ryder, daughter of the 1st Earl of Harrowby. They had issue, but she died on 30th July 1827. In 1841 he married again, Elizabeth, daughter of P Geale and widow of Sir W Somerville Bart.; they had no issue. Hugh died at Exeter on 14th September 1861, aged 78. He was generally held in high esteem.

In 1804 he was first returned to House of Commons as M.P. for Barnstaple. From 1820 to 1831 he sat for Tavistock and in 1831 he was chosen Knight of the Shire for North Devon. He served in this role until he became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, when he went to the House of Lords as Lord Fortescue. He was Lord Lieutenant until Sir Robert Peel's accession in 1841.

In 1809, by some jobbery obtained a military commission, he set out to join the staff of Sir Arthur Wellesey; for though not a soldier he seems to have longed to see active service. Arriving at Gibralter on the eve of the campaign of Talavera, he was at a loss to know how to join the British Army; when the Spanish General, Venegas, very politely offered to escort him to it with his own army. Unfortunately Venegas failed to obey his orders, which, if faithfully followed, might have changed the fortunes of the campaign. Wellesley after fighting the Battle of Talavera ( July 26, 1809 ) retreated into Portugal; and after much unprofitable pottering Venegas was on August 11th hopelessly beaten at the battle of Almoncid. Thus, to the regret of at least one of his grandsons ( Seymour ), Lord Ebrington never joined Sir Arthur Wellesley's army for the vacancy on the Staff was meanwhile filled up.

In 1823 he published a Memorandum of Two Conversations he had with the Emperor Napoleon at Porto Ferrajo on the 6th and 8th of December 1814.

Lord Ebrington first attracted notice in the Commons by his protest against the infliction of the sentence of the pillory upon the famous Lord Cochrane. Napoleon, as shall be seen, was aware of the incident or, as is more probable, had been informed of it for the occasion. Later Lord Ebrington became prominent in the Reform Movement of 1830 and was selected by McCauley himself as leader of the independent Reformers in the Commons in September 1831, when the Ministry threatened to resign in consequence of its defeat in the Lords. In another letter McCauley speaks of the effect which he had seen produced in the House "by very rude (unpolished) sentences stammered by such as Lord Althorp and Lord Ebrington".
But Lord Ebrington had no gift of speech and played his part in life in silence.
He could govern, however, and he and his father between them held the lieutenancy of Devon, when a lieutenancy was no sinecure, for some seventy years. Once, in the troublesome years which followed after Waterloo, he rode out alone with a single groom to face a mob of rioters, and in kindly and sympathetic language (for they knew their distress) exhorted them to disperse. While he was talking a ring-leader laid hold of his leg and tried to unhorse him. Lord Ebrington, without interrupting his address for a moment, laid his hand on his assailant's shoulder sent the man flying by quietly passaging his horse, and prevailed on the poor starving men peaceably to their homes.

These little incidents are related merely to show that Napoleon's interlocutor was a person of considerable force of character. He was a man, and Napoleon knew a man when met one. But Napoleon's extreme urbanity is probably to be accounted for by the fact that Lord Ebrington was son of a Grenville, and that his mother's brother William, Lord Grenville, was one of Napoleon's most resolute opponents, whom it would be a great advantage to him to conciliate. Be that as it may, the two men met and got on very well together. Lord Ebrington left with his family a verbal tradition of the extraordinary charm of the Napoleon's smile.

In May 1841 Hugh, the first Earl, died and Lord Ebrington became the 2nd Earl Fortescue. From 1846 to 50 he was Lord Steward of the Queen's Household. He was also a Knight of the Garter, Lord Lieutenant and Vice-Admiral of Devon, and Colonel of 1st Devon Militia.

2nd Earl Fortescue Hugh FORTESCUE and Susan RYDER obtained a marriage license on 3 July 1817. They were married on 4 July 1817 in Clwyd, Wales. Susan RYDER¹¹⁷ was born on 20 June 1796. She was christened on 20 July 1796 in St Martins in the Field, Westminster, London. She died on 30 July 1827. Susan was the first daughter and also was Hugh's first wife.

2nd Earl Fortescue Hugh FORTESCUE and Susan RYDER had the following children:

+1121
i.
3rd Earl Fortescue Hugh FORTESCUE.
1122
ii.
John William FORTESCUE MP Barnstable¹¹⁷ was born on 14 July 1819. He died on 25 September 1859 in Madeira.
+1123
iii.
Dudley James FORTESCUE MP Andover.
1124
iv.
Granville FORTESCUE of Castle Hill¹¹⁷ was born in 1827. He died in 1827.

2nd Earl Fortescue Hugh FORTESCUE and Elizabeth GEALE were married on 26 July 1841 in Viceregal Lodge, Dublin, Ireland. Elizabeth GEALE^10,137,138 was born about 1805 in Dublin, Ireland.¹¹⁰ She appeared in the census in 1881 in 68 Brook Street, Mayfair, London.¹¹⁰ Elizabeth Fortescue W 76 F Dublin She died on 4 May 1896 in 68 Brook Street, Mayfair, London.¹³⁹ Always wore Welligton Boots as precaution against snakes ( see *Looking Back" and "Carnival and Combat"). She made a marvellous second mother to the children.

1881 Census

Dwelling: 68 Brook St Census Place: St George Hanover Square, London, Middlesex
Elizabeth FORTESCUE W 76 F Dublin, Ireland
Marianne WILLIAMS W 67 F Dublin, Ireland Sister
Annabella GEALE U 63 F Dublin, Ireland Sister
Frances E. WILLIAMS U 38 F Dublin, Ireland Niece