   james brydges, 1st duke of chandos, pc dl frs (6 january 1673 in dewsall, herefordshire â 9 august 1744 in cannons) was the first of fourteen children of sir james brydges, 3rd baronet of wilton castle, sheriff of herefordshire, 8th baron chandos; and elizabeth barnard. three days after his father's death on 16 october 1714, when he became 9th baron chandos, he was created 1st viscount wilton and 1st earl of carnarvon; he became 1st duke of chandos and 1st marquess of carnarvon in 1719. he was a member of parliament for hereford from 1698 to 1714. ==marriages and children== ;first marriage on 2 february 1695, brydges married mary lake, daughter of sir thomas lake (of cannons, middlesex) and rebecca langham. they had two children who survived childhood. she died on 15 september 1712. # john brydges, marquess of carnarvon (15 january 1703 â 8 april 1727) # henry brydges, 2nd duke of chandos (1 february 1708 â 28 november 1771) ;second marriage after mary's death, he married cassandra willoughby on 4 august 1713. she was the daughter of  francis willoughby and emma barnard. they had no children. she died 18 july 1735. ;third marriage on 18 april 1736, the duke married lydia catherine van hatten, the daughter of john van hatten and lydia davall. they had no children. ==career== brydges was educated at westminster school and new college, oxford. in 1694 he was elected to the royal society. during the war of the spanish succession, brydges was paymaster-general of the forces abroad, and in this capacity he amassed great wealth. the ethics of his financial operations were called into question at the time, but it was generally accepted that people could profit from public office. he continued to engage in speculative investments after being made duke of chandos in 1719, but with less success â he lost money in the south sea bubble and the york buildings company. brydges built a magnificent house "at vast expense"colvin, p. 403, quoting soane mss at cannons, an estate near edgware in middlesex. there brydges ran through several architects prominent in the english baroque. he began in 1713 with william talman, whom he dismissed in favour of john james in 1714; james had p
1673_births 1744_deaths Alumni_of_New_College,_Oxford British_MPs_1707a08 British_MPs_1708a10 British_MPs_1710a13 Chancellors_of_the_University_of_St_Andrews Dukes_of_Chandos English_MPs_1698a1700 English_MPs_1701 English_MPs_1701a02 English_MPs_1702a05 English_MPs_1705a07 Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society George_Frideric_Handel Lord-Lieutenants_of_Herefordshire Lord-Lieutenants_of_Radnorshire Members_of_the_Parliament_of_Great_Britain_for_English_constituencies Members_of_the_Privy_Council_of_Great_Britain People_educated_at_Westminster_School,_London People_from_Edgware People_from_Stanmore