George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton

His Grace
The Duke of Grafton
KG
His Grace The Duke of Grafton KG
	Portrait by Thomas Lawrence, c. 1814-31
Member of Parliament; for Cambridge University
	In office; 1784–1811
Preceded by	Sir James Mansfield
Succeeded by	The Viscount Palmerston
Member of Parliament; for Thetford
	In office; 1782–1784
Preceded by	Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore
Succeeded by	George Jennings
Personal details
Born	George Henry FitzRoy; 14 January 1760; London, England
Died	28 September 1844 (aged 84); Euston, Suffolk, England
Spouse	Lady Charlotte Waldegrave (m. 1784; died 1808)
Children	Lady Mary Oglander; Lady Georgiana FitzRoy; Lady Elizabeth Smyth; Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton; Lord Charles FitzRoy; Lady Isabella St. John; Lord William FitzRoy; Lord Hugh FitzRoy; Lord Richard FitzRoy; Lord Richard FitzRoy; Lord James FitzRoy;
Parent(s)	Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton; The Hon. Anne Liddell

George Henry FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton, KG (14 January 1760 – 28 September 1844), styled Earl of Euston until 1811, was a British peer and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1782 to 1811 when he succeeded to the Dukedom.

Early life

*Portrait of the Duke of Grafton*, 1762. His father, painted by Pompeo Batoni.

Euston was the son of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, and his wife, Anne Lidell.^[1] He was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge,^[2] where he became a close friend of the William Pitt the Younger. He married Lady Charlotte Maria Waldegrave (1761–1808), daughter of James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, on 16 November 1784 at Navestock, Essex.

Political career

From 1782 to 1784, Euston was Member of Parliament for Thetford, and in 1784, he and Pitt were elected as MPs for Cambridge University. Euston held that seat until he succeeded his father in the dukedom in 1811.^[3] Euston used his position in parliament to advocate for Britain having friendly relations with the newly created United States.^[4]

He succeeded his father as Colonel of the West Suffolk Militia on 2 June 1780 at the age of 20 and retained the command until 1808.^[5]^[6] He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire on 9 May 1803.^[7]^[8] He also succeeded his father as Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk on 3 July 1790.

He was appointed a Knight of the Garter (K.G.) in 1834.

Family

Grafton died on 28 September 1844 and was succeeded by his son Henry. He and his wife Charlotte had eleven children:

Lady Maria (Mary) Anne (1785–1855), married Sir William Oglander, 6th Baronet and had issue.
Lady Georgiana (1787–1855), unmarried
Lady Elizabeth Anne (1788–1867), married her first cousin John Henry Smyth and had issue.
Henry, styled Earl of Euston, later 5th Duke of Grafton (1790–1863)
Lord Charles FitzRoy (1791–1865), married Lady Anne Cavendish (daughter of George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington) and had issue.
Lady Isabella Frances (1792–1875), married Henry Joseph St. John (died 1857)
Lord William FitzRoy (1794–1804)
Lord Hugh George FitzRoy (1795–1797)^[9]
Lord Richard FitzRoy (1798–1798)
Lord Richard FitzRoy (1800–1801)
Lord James FitzRoy (1804–1834)

References

^ Matthew Kilburn, ‘Fitzpatrick , Anne, countess of Upper Ossory [other married name Anne FitzRoy, duchess of Grafton] (1737/8–1804)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Oct 2008 accessed 23 March 2017
^ "Fitzroy, George Henry, Lord Euston (FTSY776GH)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ "FITZROY, George Henry, Earl of Euston (1760-1844)". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 1 November 2017.
^ Building the American Nation by Jerome R. Reich.
^ War Office, A List of the Officers of the Militia, the Gentlemen & Yeomanry Cavalry, and Volunteer Infantry of the United Kingdom, 11th Edn, London: War Office, 14 October 1805/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84574-207-2.
^ London Gazette, 8 March 1808.
^ "No. 15666". The London Gazette. 14 January 1804. p. 63.
^ "FITZROY, George Henry, Earl of Euston (1760-1844)". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 1 November 2017.
^ Buried at St James's Church, Piccadilly, on 29 April 1797. Source: The Register Book for Burials. In the Parish of St James in Westminster in the County of Middlesex. 1754-1812. 29 April 1797.

External links

Reynolds, K. D. "FitzRoy, George". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9634. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of Grafton

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore Richard Hopkins	Member of Parliament for Thetford 1782–1784 With: Richard Hopkins	Succeeded by Sir Charles Kent George Jennings
Preceded by Lord John Townshend James Mansfield	Member of Parliament for Cambridge University 1784–1801 With: William Pitt the Younger 1784–1801	Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain	Member of Parliament for Cambridge University 1801–1811 With: William Pitt the Younger 1801–1806 Lord Henry Petty 1806–1807 Sir Vicary Gibbs 1807–1811	Succeeded by Sir Vicary Gibbs The Viscount Palmerston
Military offices
Preceded by 3rd Duke of Grafton	Colonel of the West Suffolk Militia 1780–1808	Succeeded by Sir William Parker, 7th Baronet
Honorary titles
Preceded by 3rd Duke of Grafton	Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk 1790–1844	Succeeded by The Earl of Stradbroke
Peerage of England
Preceded by Augustus FitzRoy	Duke of Grafton 1811–1844	Succeeded by Henry FitzRoy

[1] Matthew Kilburn, ‘Fitzpatrick , Anne, countess of Upper Ossory [other married name Anne FitzRoy, duchess of Grafton] (1737/8–1804)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Oct 2008 accessed 23 March 2017

[2] "Fitzroy, George Henry, Lord Euston (FTSY776GH)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[HOP-3] "FITZROY, George Henry, Earl of Euston (1760-1844)". History of Parliament Online (1754-1790). Retrieved 1 November 2017.

[4] Building the American Nation by Jerome R. Reich.

[5] War Office, A List of the Officers of the Militia, the Gentlemen & Yeomanry Cavalry, and Volunteer Infantry of the United Kingdom, 11th Edn, London: War Office, 14 October 1805/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84574-207-2.

[6] London Gazette, 8 March 1808.

[7] "No. 15666". The London Gazette. 14 January 1804. p. 63.

[HOP2-8] "FITZROY, George Henry, Earl of Euston (1760-1844)". History of Parliament Online (1790-1820). Retrieved 1 November 2017.

[9] Buried at St James's Church, Piccadilly, on 29 April 1797. Source: The Register Book for Burials. In the Parish of St James in Westminster in the County of Middlesex. 1754-1812. 29 April 1797.

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