Jump to content

John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other people named John Manners, see John Manners (disambiguation).

His Grace
The Duke of Rutland
KG
The Duke of Rutland
Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire
In office
1799–1857
Preceded byThe Duke of Beaufort
Succeeded byThe Duke of Rutland
Personal details
Born4 January 1778 (1778-01-04)
Knightsbridge, London, England
Died20 January 1857 (1857-01-21) (aged 79)
Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, England
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1799; died 1825)​
Children10, including Emmeline, Charles, John, and George
Parent(s)Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland
Lady Mary Isabella Somerset

John Henry Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland KG (4 January 1778 – 20 January 1857), styled Lord Roos from 1778–79 and Marquess of Granby from 1779–87, was a British aristocrat and landowner, as well as an owner and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. He succeeded to his father's titles at age 9 and consequently held his dukedom for nearly 70 years.[1]

Background

[edit]

Styled Lord Roos the first year of his life, Rutland was born at Knightsbridge, London, the eldest son of Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland, by Lady Mary Isabella Somerset, daughter of Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort. He was the grandson of John Manners, Marquess of Granby, and the brother of Lord Charles Manners and Lord Robert Manners. He was styled as the Marquess of Granby when his father succeeded to the dukedom in 1779. In 1787, he inherited the dukedom at only 9 years of age upon the unexpected death of his father at age 37.[1]

He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, leaving with an M.A. degree in 1797.[1]

Public life

[edit]

A peer from age 9, Rutland was unable to serve in the House of Commons, taking his seat in the House of Lords instead in 1799 after leaving Cambridge. He was strongly supportive of the Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger and subsequent Tory ministries. He held a conservative opinion on matters of church and state, and opposed the relaxation of the Test and Corporation Acts that restricted public office holders to members of the Church of England. He also opposed the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1813, which extended additional rights to Irish Roman Catholics. He was Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire between 1799 and 1857.[1]

He was also a prominent owner and breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses. His most successful horse was Cadland, which won The Derby in 1828.[2]

Rutland was fictionalized as "the duke" in Benjamin Disraeli's novel Coningsby. His two sons also figured as "the marquis of Beaumanoir" and "Lord Henry Sidney".[3]

There is a bronze statue of him in Market Place, Leicester which was erected on this site in 1852 after having been previously exhibited at the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace, London in 1851. It was the first public statue to be erected in Leicester, and was unveiled by Sir Frederick Gustavus Fowke, Provincial Grand Master of Freemasons for the Province of Leicestershire, on 28 April 1852. It was sculpted by Edward Davis. It is marked " EDW DAVIS Simonet & Fils / Fondeurs Paris 1851". It stands on a high stone plinth on which is carved an inscription as follows:

JOHN HENRY

DUKE OF RUTLAND, KG LORD LIEUTENANT OF LEICESTERSHIRE. THE INHABITANTS OF THE COUNTY & TOWN OF LEICESTER DURING THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS HIGH OFFICE WITH UNIVERSAL CONSENT CAUSED THIS STATUE TO BE ERECTED M.DCCC.Lii.

PRAESENTI TIBI MATUROS LARCIMUR HONORES.

Marriage and issue

[edit]

Rutland married Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, on 22 April 1799.[4]

They had ten children:

The Humours of Belvoir Castle -- or the Morning After, a 1799 caricature of his "coming of age" (21st birthday) celebration.

The Duchess oversaw landscaping works at Belvoir Castle grounds and took an active interest in managing the estate, including designing a model farm. She also made improvements to Cheveley Park and oversaw the building works at York House on the Mall for the Duke of York. She was also credited with designing a new palace for George IV.

The Duchess of Rutland died in November 1825, aged 45. Rutland remained a widower until his death from bronchitis at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, in January 1857, aged 79.[1]

Coat of arms

[edit]
Coat of arms of John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland
Coronet
A Coronet of a Duke
Crest
On a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Peacock in its pride proper
Escutcheon
Or two Bars Azure a Chief quarterly of the last and Gules, in the first and fourth, two Fleur-de-lis, and in the second and third, a Lion passant guardant, all Or
Supporters
On either side a Unicorn Argent armed, maned, tufted and unguled Or
Motto
Pour Y Parvenir ("So as to accomplish it")
Orders
The Garter circlet;
motto: Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame be to him who thinks evil of it).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Obituary: The Late Duke of Rutland K.G.". The Times. 21 January 1857. p. 9.
  2. ^ Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1999). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  3. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Rutland, Earls and Dukes of" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 943.
  4. ^ Burke, Bernard; Burke, Ashworth Peter (1910). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage and Companionage. Harrison & Sons. pp. 1584–1585. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  5. ^ Burke, Bernard (1871). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland. Harrison. p. 995. Retrieved 29 September 2024.

Media related to John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland at Wikimedia Commons

Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire
1799–1857 		Succeeded by
Peerage of England
Preceded by Duke of Rutland
1787–1857 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Manners,_5th_Duke_of_Rutland&oldid=1255884886"