Thomas Egerton, 2nd Earl of Wilton GCH PC (30 December 1799–7 March 1882), born Thomas Grosvenor, was a British nobleman and Tory politician. He served as Lord Steward of the Household in 1835 in Sir Robert Peel's first Tory administration. Wilton was the second son of Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster and his wife Lady Eleanor Egerton, daughter of Thomas Egerton, 1st Earl of Wilton. Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury, was his younger brother. In 1814, at the age of 14, he succeeded to the earldom of Wilton according to a special remainder on the death of his maternal grandfather. He assumed by sign manual the surname of Egerton in lieu of Grosvenor in 1821. Lord Wilton took his seat in the House of Lords on his twenty-first birthday in 1820. In January 1835 he was appointed Lord Steward of the Household in the Tory administration of Sir Robert Peel and the following February he was admitted to the Privy Council. However, the government fell already in April 1835 and Lord Wilton was never to return to office. Lord Wilton was Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron from 1849-1881. In this capacity, he was most notable for inviting members of the New York Yacht Club to race in the Royal Yacht Squadron regatta open to all nations around the Isle of Wight on August 22, 1851. The NYYC yacht America won the event and its silver trophy was subsequently renamed the America's Cup. Lord Wilton married firstly Lady Mary Stanley, daughter of the Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, in 1821. After his first wife's death in 1858 he married secondly Isabella Smith. He had eleven children by his first marriage, of whom only five reached adulthood: 1: Lady Eleanor Egerton (1823-1824)
2: Thomas Egerton, Viscount Grey de Wilton (1825-1830)
3: Lady Mary Egerton (1827-1838)
4: Lady Margaret Egerton (1830-1831)
5: Arthur Egerton, Viscount Grey de Wilton (1831-1831)
6: Lady Elizabeth Egerton (1832-1892)
7: Arthur Egerton, 3rd Earl of Wilton (1833-1885)
8: Lady Katherine Egerton (1835-1920)
9: Lady Emily Egerton (1837-1839)
10: Seymour Egerton, 4th Earl of Wilton (1839-1898)
11: Lady Alice Egerton (1842-1925)
Lord Wilton died in March 1883, aged 82, and was succeeded in the earldom by his third but eldest surviving son Arthur.
See also
References
- This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page.
- thePeerage.com
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Duke of Argyll |
Lord Steward of the Household 1834–1835 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Argyll |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Thomas Egerton |
Earl of Wilton 1814–1882 |
Succeeded by Arthur Egerton |
