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Robert Lee
Earl of Lichfield
Tenure1772–1776
PredecessorGeorge Lee, 3rd Earl of Lichfield
Born3 July 1706
Died4 November 1776 (aged 70)
Spouse(s)Catherine Stonhouse
FatherEdward Henry Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield
MotherCharlotte FitzRoy

Robert Lee, 4th Earl of Lichfield (1706–1776) was an English politician and peer, the last of the Earls of Lichfield.

Birth and origins

Robert was born on 3 July 1706 in St. James Street, Westminster, London.[1] He was one of the ten children and the youngest of the sons of Edward Henry Lee and his wife Charlotte FitzRoy. His father was created the 1st Earl of Lichfield just before his marriage. Robert's mother was a natural daughter of Charles II and Barbara Villiers.[2]

Family tree
Robert Lee with wife, parents, and other selected relatives.[a]
Charles II
1630–1685		Barbara
Villiers
1640–1709
Edward
1st Earl
1663–1716		Charlotte
FitzRoy
1664–1718
George
2nd Earl
1690–1742		Frances
Hales
d. 1769		Robert
4th Earl
1706–1776		Catherine
Stonhouse
1708–1784
George
3rd Earl
1718–1772		Diana
Frankland
c. 1719–1779		Henry
11th
Viscount
1705–1787		Charlotte
Lee
d. 1794
Henrietta-
Maria
Phipps
1757–1782		Charles
12th
Viscount
1745–1813		Marie
Rogier
d. 1833
Legend
XXXSubject of
the article		XXXEarls of
Lichfield		XXXViscounts
Dillon
Robert listed among his brothers
He appears at the bottom of the list of brothers as the youngest:
  1. Edward Henry (died 1713), became the colonel of the Royal Regiment of Guards and never married[3]
  2. James (died 1711), became a captain in the Royal Navy and married Sarah, daughter of John Bagshaw, but the marriage stayed childless[4]
  3. Charles (died 1708), never married[5]
  4. George Henry (died 1742), became the 2nd Earl[6]
  5. Fitzroy Henry Lee (1699–1750), became a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy[7]
  6. Robert Lee (1706–1776)
Robert's sisters
  1. Charlotte (1678–1721), married Benedict Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore[8]
  2. Anne, died young[9]
  3. Elizabeth, married first Colonel Lee and secondly the Reverend Dr. Edward Young[10]
  4. Barbara, married Sir Charles, 2nd Baronet Browne of Kiddington[11][12]
Hunting scene by John Wootton (1744), with Robert Lee on the left holding the gun, George Lee, 3rd Earl of Lichfield, his nephew, mounted in the centre

Early life

Lee was MP for Oxford from 1754 to 1768, and considered a Tory.[13] Lee held the sinecure position of Custos Brevium of the Court of Common Pleas, in the royal gift.

Marriage

On 29 May 1745, at St Paul's Cathedral, London, Lee married Catherine Stonhouse (1708–1784), daughter of Sir John Stonhouse, 3rd Baronet, of Radley, Berkshire.[14][15] The marriage was childless.[16]

4th Earl

On 17 September 1772, at the age of 66, Lee became the 4th Earl of Lichfield when the 3rd Earl, his nephew, died childless.[17]

Death, succession, and timeline

Lord Lichfield, as he now was, died childless on 4 November 1776,[18] falling off his horse while hunting near Ditchley.[19] He was buried in the All Saints church in Spelsbury in an elaborate marble monument by William Tyler (architect). He was the last Earl of this, the second, creation of the title. The earldom became extinct, but the estate went to his niece Lady Charlotte Lee, eldest surviving daughter of his brother, George Lee, 2nd Earl of Lichfield. In 1744 Charlotte had married Viscount Dillon. Their son Charles Dillon, 12th Viscount Dillon inherited the estate at his mother's death in 1794. This included the house at Ditchley, which remained the home of the Viscounts Dillon until 1934.

Timeline
Age Date Event
0 1706, 3 Jul Born, in London[1]
8 1714, 1 Aug Accession of King George I, succeeding Queen Anne[20]
20 1727, 11 Jun Accession of King George II, succeeding King George I[21]
38 1745, 29 May Married Catherine Stonhouse at St. Paul's Cathedral in London[15]
54 1760, 25 Oct Accession of King George III, succeeding King George II[22]
66 1772, 17 Sep Succeeded his nephew as 4th Earl of Lichfield[17]
70 1776, 4 Nov Died at Ditchley[18]

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ Also see the lists of siblings and children in the text.

Citations

  1. ^ a b Cokayne 1893, p. 76, line 3. "He [Robert Lee] was b. [born] 3 July 1706, in St. James' Street Westm.;"
  2. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 29. "His lordship [Edward Lee, 1st Earl] m. [married] Lady Charlotte Fits-Roy, natural dau. [daughter] of King Charles II., by Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland ..."
  3. ^ Cokayne 1893, p. 75, line 19. "Edward Henry Lee, styled Viscount Quarendon, 2d but 1st surv. s. [surviving son] and H. ap. [heir apparent], b. [born] at Windsor 6 June 1681, Col. of the Royal Reg. of Guards. He d.v.p. [predeceased his father] and unm. [unmarried] 1713."
  4. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 35. "James, capt. R.N., m. [married] Sarah, dau. [daughter] of John Bagshaw, and d. [died] in 1711, s.p. [without issue]"
  5. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 37. "Charles, d. unm. [died unmarried] 1708."
  6. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 67. "The [2nd] earl d. [died] 13 February 1742, and was s. by his eldest son George Henry Lee, 3rd earl."
  7. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 39. "Fitzroy Henry, vice-admiral R.N., d.s.p. [died without issue] 1720."
  8. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 41. "Charlotte, m. to Benedict Calvert, Lord Baltimore."
  9. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 42. "Anne, d. young."
  10. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 43. "Elizabeth, m. [married] 1st to Col. Lee 2ndly to Rev. Dr. Edward Young."
  11. ^ Burke & Burke 1838, p. 89, right column, line 4. "The gentleman [George Browne] m. [married] first, in 1725, Lady Barbara Lee, youngest daughter of Edward, first Earl of Lichfield and widow of Colonel Lee ..."
  12. ^ Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 44. "Barbara, m. [married] to Sir Charles Browne, Bart. of Kiddington."
  13. ^ "Lee, Hon. Robert (1706–76), of Charlbury, Oxon". History of Parliament Online: British Political, Social & Local History. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  14. ^ Betham 1801, p. 318, line 35. "Catherine [Stonhouse] was married in May 1745, to the hon. Robert Lee, afterwards Earl of Lichfield: she died his widow, March 8, 1784."
  15. ^ a b Cokayne 1893, p. 76, line 6. "He m. [married] 29 May 1745, at St. Paul's Cathedral London, Catherine, da. [daughter] of Sir John Stonehouse, Bart., of Radley ..."
  16. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, p. 1892, right column, line 25. "4. Catherine, b. [born] 25 May, 1708, m. [married] 29 May, 1745, Robert Lee, Earl of Lichfield. He d.s.p. [died without issue] 4 Nov. 1776. She d. [died] 8 March 1784. "
  17. ^ a b Burke 1866, p. 317, right column, line 72. "... but as he d.s.p. [died without issue] in 1772, the honours reverted to his uncle, Robert Lee as 4th earl ..."
  18. ^ a b Cokayne 1893, p. 76, line 8. "He d. s.p. [died without issue] at Ditchley, 4 Nov. 1776, aged 71 ..."
  19. ^ "The Scots Magazine". Edinburgh: Sands, Brymer, Murray and Cochran. 1776. p. 622. His death was occasioned by a fall he received from his horse the Friday preceding, as he was hunting near Ditchley.
  20. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 45, line 38. "George I … acc. 1 Aug. 1714;"
  21. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 46, line 11. "George II … acc. 11 Jun. 1727;"
  22. ^ Fryde et al. 1986, p. 46, line 35. "George III … acc. 25 Oct. 1760;"

Sources

Parliament of Great Britain Preceded byThe Viscount WenmanThomas Rowney Member of Parliament for Oxford 1754–1768 With: Thomas Rowney to 1759Sir Thomas Stapleton, Bt 1759–1768 Succeeded byGeorge NaresHon. William Harcourt Peerage of England Preceded byGeorge Lee Earl of Lichfield 1772–1776 Extinct
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