John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer

For other people named John Spencer, see John Spencer (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable The Earl Spencer
The Earl Spencer, by Thomas Gainsborough
Personal details
Born	John Spencer (1734-12-19)19 December 1734 Althorp, Northamptonshire, England
Died	Bath, Somerset, England
Resting place	Great Brington, Northamptonshire, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig

John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer (19 December 1734 – 31 October 1783) was a British peer and politician.

Spencer was born in 1734, at his family home, Althorp. He was the son of Hon. John Spencer and Georgiana Caroline Carteret (1716–1780), and a grandson of the 3rd Earl of Sunderland.

Spencer was MP (Whig) for Warwick from 1756 to 1761. He was also High Steward of St Albans in 1772 and Mayor of St Albans in 1779. On 3 April 1761, he was created Baron Spencer of Althorp and Viscount Spencer by George III, and on 1 November 1765, he was created Viscount Althorp and Earl Spencer.

On 20 December 1755, Spencer privately married Georgiana Poyntz (1737–1814), daughter of Stephen Poyntz, in his mother's dressing room at Althorp. They had five children:

• Lady Georgiana Spencer (1757–1806), married William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, and had issue.
• George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758–1834)
• Lady Henrietta Frances Spencer (1761–1821), married Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough, and had issue.
• Lady Charlotte Spencer (1765–1766), died in infancy.
• Lady Louisa Spencer (b. & d. 1769), died in infancy.

He was the great-great-great-great-grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Spencer died in 1783, aged 48 in Bath, and was buried in the family vault at St Mary's Church, Great Brington, Northamptonshire.

Arms

Arms of John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer

Coronet A Coronet of an Earl Crest Out of a Ducal Coronet Or a Griffin's Head Azure gorged with a Bar Gemelle Gules between two Wings expanded of the second Escutcheon Quarterly Argent and Gules in the 2nd and 3rd quarters a Fret Or over all on a Bend Sable three Escallops of the first Supporters Dexter: A Griffin per fess Ermine and Erminois gorged with a Collar Sable the edges flory-counterflory and chained of the last and on the Collar three Escallops Argent; Sinister: A Wyvern Erect on his tail Ermine similarly collared and chained Motto Dieu Defend Le Droit (God defend the right)

Bibliography

• Spencer, Charles (1999). Althorp: The Story of an English House. London: Viking. ISBN 978-0-312-20833-2.
• Battiscombe, Georgina (1984). The Spencers of Althorp. London: Constable. ISBN 978-0-09-465700-7.

References

• (subscription or UK public library membership required)

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Henry Archer Wills Hill	Member of Parliament for Warwick 1756–1761 With: Henry Archer	Succeeded by Henry Archer Viscount Dungarvan
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation	Earl Spencer, Viscount Althorp 1765–1783	Succeeded by George Spencer
New creation	Viscount Spencer, Baron Spencer of Althorp 1761–1783