John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spencer,_3rd_Earl_Spencer

John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer was born on 30 May 1782 at Spencer House, St. James's Place, St. James's, London, England.1 He was the son of George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer and Lady Lavinia Bingham.1 He was baptised on 7 July 1782 at Wimbledon, London, England.1 He was also reported to have been born on 30 May 1792 at Spencer House, St. James's Place, St. James's, London, England. He married Esther Acklom, daughter of Richard Acklom and Elizabeth Bernard, on 13 April 1814 at Upper Brook Street, Mayfair, London, England. Cockayne quotes from the Farington Diaries, "in marrying He complied with the wishes of Lord and Lady Spencer, it was not of His own seeking" and from Letter Bag of Lady Elizabeth Spencer Stanhope, "since Jack Althorp would not propose to her, she proposed to him; and such an unusual proceeding was fraught with happy consequences ... his devotion after marriage amply compensated for his lack of ardour before."2 He died on 1 October 1845 at age 63 at Wiseton Hall, Nottinghamshire, England, dsp.1 He was buried on 9 October 1845 at Brington, Northamptonshire, England.2 His will (dated 1840) was probated in 1845, at under £160,000.

    John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer was styled as Viscount Spencer of Althorp between 1783 and 1834.1 He was educated from 1790 to 1798 at Harrow School, Harrow on the Hill, London, England.1 He was educated from 1800 to 1802 at Trinity College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.1 He graduated from Cambridge University in 1802 with the degree of M.A.1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for Oakhampton from 1804 to 1806.1 He held the office of Lord of the Treasury from 1806 to 1807.1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for Northamptonshire from 1806 to 1832.3 He was invested as a Fellow, Royal Society (F.R.S.) on 16 November 1820.1 He held the office of a Lord of Trade between 1830 and 1834.1 He held the office of a Commissioner for Indian Affairs between 1830 and 1834.1 He held the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1830 to 1834.1 He held the office of Lord of the Treasury from 1830 to 1834.1 He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) on 22 November 1830.1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for South Northamptonshire from 1832 to 1834.3 He succeeded to the title of 3rd Viscount Spencer of Althorp [G.B., 1761] on 10 November 1834. He succeeded to the title of 3rd Baron Spencer of Althorp [G.B., 1761] on 10 November 1834. He succeeded to the title of 3rd Viscount Althorp [G.B., 1765] on 10 November 1834. He succeeded to the title of 3rd Earl Spencer [G.B., 1765] on 10 November 1834.1 He held the office of President of the Royal Agricultural Society from 1838 to 1839, the first.2 He held the office of President of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1844.2 

Cockayne quotes from Greville's Memoirs, "No man ever died with a fairer character, or more generally regretted ... He was the very model and type of an English gentleman ... Modest without diffidence, confident without vanity, ardently desiring the good of his country, without the slighest personal ambition ... high-minded, unaffected, sensible, well-educated ... In his political principles he was consistent, liberal and enlightened ... Without one showy accomplishment, without wit to amuse or eloquence to persuade, with a voice unmelodious and a manner ungraceful, and barely able to speak plain sense in still plainer language, he exercised in the House of Commons an influence and a dominion greater than any leader [e.g. Pitt the father, Pitt the son, Canning or Castlereagh] either after or before him ... His friends followed this plain and simple man with enthusiastic devotion, and he possessed the faculty of disarming his political antagonists of all bitterness and animosity towards him."2 "He had a tolerably sound judgment, which made him generally take the common-sense view of a subject ... It was impossible for anyone, however much he might differ from him in sentiment, not to respect him. Nothing could make him lose his temper. In the most violent altercations, and greatest scenes of uproar and confusion ... there he stood, motionless as a statue - his face shadowing forth the most perfect placidness of mind."2 Cockayne and Gibbs state that "he resolutely declined high office such as the government of Ireland and canada, both of which were offered to him by Melbourne in 1838."4
Citations

[S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume XII/1, page 155. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume XII/1, page 156.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume XII/1, page 155.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume XII/1, page 156.