John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont

John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont

Arms of Perceval, Earls of Egmont: Quarterly 1st & 4th: Argent, on a chief indented gules three crosses patée of the field (Perceval); 2nd & 3rd: Barry nebulée of six or and gules (Lovel)

John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont PC, FRS (25 February 1711 – 4 December 1770) was a British politician, political pamphleteer, and genealogist who served as First Lord of the Admiralty.

Origins

He was the son and heir of John Perceval, 1st Earl of Egmont by his wife Catherine Parker, daughter of Sir Philip Parker, 2nd Baronet of Arwarton. He was baptised at the Palace of Westminster, London.

Career

Perceval sat in the Irish House of Commons for Dingle between 1731 and 1749. In April 1748, he was created Lord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales. He served as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1763 to 1766 and sat in the House of Commons for several constituencies.

Builds Enmore Castle

From 1751 to 1757, he designed and created Enmore Castle at Enmore in Somerset, which received 'the dismissive mockery of Horace Walpole'.

Marriages

He married twice:

• Firstly on 15 February 1737 to Lady Catherine Cecil (d. 16 Aug. 1752, aged 33), second daughter of James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury, by whom he had five sons:
  • John Perceval, 3rd Earl of Egmont, eldest son and heir.
  • Cecil Parker Perceval, born 19 Oct. 1739, who died at Eton College on 4 March 1753;
  • Philip Tufton Perceval, born on 10 March 1742, a captain in the Royal Navy;
  • Edward Perceval, (19 April 1744 - 1824), a captain in the Royal Dragoon Guards, who on 27 July 1775 married Sarah Howarth, daughter of John Howarth;
  • Frederick Augustus Perceval (11 Feb. 1749 - 21 Jan. 1757)
  • Catherine Perceval (d. June 1782), who on 13 Sept. 1766 was married to Thomas Wynn (1736–1807) (afterwards 1st Baron Newborough);
  • Margaret Perceval (d.23 Jan. 1750), who died an infant.
• Secondly he married Catherine Compton (d. 11 June 1784, aged 53), third daughter of the Hon. Charles Compton, who following his death was created on 23 May 1770 Baroness Arden of Lohort Castle in the county of Cork, with remainder to her heirs male. She survived her husband and died at Langley, Buckinghamshire, on 11 June 1784, aged 53. By Catherine Compton he had progeny 3 sons and 6 daughters as follows:
  • Charles George Perceval, born on 1 Oct. 1756, eldest son, who succeeded his mother as Baron Arden in the peerage of Ireland, and was created a peer of the United Kingdom, with the title of Baron Arden of Arden in the county of Warwick;
  • Spencer Perceval (1762-1812), 2nd son, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  • Henry Perceval, who died on 27 July 1772, aged 7
  • Mary Perceval (died on 18 Sept. 1839), who was married on 2 April 1781 to Andrew Berkeley Drummond of Cadlands, Hampshire, a grandson of William Drummond, 4th Viscount Strathallan (d.1746);
  • Anne Perceval (died on 1 Aug. 1772), died aged 12;
  • Charlotte Perceval (d.19 Feb. 1761), died an infant;
  • Elizabeth Perceval (d. 4 April 1846, aged 82), died unmarried;
  • Frances Perceval (d. 22 Aug. 1817), who was married on 6 June 1803 to John, 1st Baron Redesdale;
  • Margaret Perceval (died on 12 Dec. 1854), who was married on 1 Dec. 1803 to Thomas Walpole, sometime ambassador at Munich, a nephew of Horatio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (created 1806).

Death

Lord Perceval died 4 December 1770 at Pall Mall, London, aged 59.

Mount Egmont, New Zealand

Mount Egmont in New Zealand was named after him by James Cook in recognition of his encouragement of Cook's first voyage. Since the 1980s, the mountain has two official names, either Mount Taranaki or Mount Egmont, to give equal recognition to its Māori and English names.

See also

• Earl of Egmont

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

External links

• John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont Manuscripts of the Earl of Egmont. Diary of Viscount Percival 1920 access date 03 March 2015

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Thomas Crosbie John FitzGerald	Member of Parliament for Dingle 1731–1749 With: John FitzGerald 1731–1741 Robert FitzGerald 1741–1749	Succeeded by Sir William Fownes, Bt Robert FitzGerald
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Sir Charles Wager The Lord Sundon	Member of Parliament for Westminster 1741–1747 With: Charles Edwin	Succeeded by Viscount Trentham Sir Peter Warren
Preceded by Mansel Powell Savage Mostyn	Member of Parliament for Weobly 1747–1754 With: Savage Mostyn	Succeeded by John Craster Savage Mostyn
Preceded by George Bubb Dodington Robert Balch	Member of Parliament for Bridgwater 1754–1762 With: Robert Balch 1754–1761 Edward Southwell 1761–1762	Succeeded by Viscount Perceval Edward Southwell
Preceded by Thomas Lockyer Joseph Tolson Lockyer	Member of Parliament for Ilchester 1761 With: Joseph Tolson Lockyer	Succeeded by William Wilson Joseph Tolson Lockyer
Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Bessborough Robert Hampden-Trevor	Postmaster General 1762–1763 with Robert Hampden-Trevor	Succeeded by The Lord Hyde Robert Hampden-Trevor
Preceded by The Earl of Sandwich	First Lord of the Admiralty 1763–1766	Succeeded by Sir Charles Saunders
Honorary titles
Vacant Title last held by The Lord Melcombe	Vice-Admiral of Somerset 1766–1770	Vacant Title next held by The Duke of Somerset
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by John Perceval	Earl of Egmont 1748–1770	Succeeded by John Perceval
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation	Baron Lovel and Holland 1762–1770	Succeeded by John Perceval