The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-11-06 00:00:00

Parliamentarians under Lord Foul ox. and antlered severely
in purse and property for his loyalty to bis Sovereign. Ills
grandson and successor in the title, Sir Thomas Grosvenor,
proved himself one of the firmest supporters of the Royal
CAII3M, and was one of the thirteen gentlemen of Cl:iodate,
who, at the Restoration, were ruminated Knights of the
Royal Oak—an Order designed by Charles If.. but never
established, lie also was Mayor of Chester, and represented
his native county in several Parliaments in the reigns of
Charles 11., James It, and William 111.
.. . . . .

•
The Drosvenors had all along been fortunate in their mar-
riages, selecting their wives from the well-born and wealthy
h ousel of the lesser nobility and the landed c mmonaity of
the northern counties; but this Sir Thomas Grosvenor added
largely to the fortunes of hi, family by his marriage, home
200 years back, with Miss Mary Davis, the heiress of the
manor of Ehury, in the county of Middlesex, who brought
tit the Groavenors all that great estate in the west of London,
and tit what 13 now Belgravia and Pimlico, which has
rat-Ott them to the culuttnating point of their wealth
and influence, and given them a claim to the
Marto-hate of Westminster. Ills son anti sue.
censor acted as cup-bearer at the coronation of
Gee, go 11. ; and his grandson, Sir Richard, twentieth in
direct male descent from Gilbert he Grosvenor, the com-
panion-in arms of the Conqueror, was raised to the peerage
In 1761 as Baron Grotvenor if Eaton, in the county palatine
of Chester, and further advanced by Mr Pitt, itt i 704, to
the Vilicowitcy of Belgrave anti the Earldom of Grosvenor.
By his marriage with Henrietta, daughter of Mr. Henry Ver-
non, of Hilton-park, Staffordshire, he had an only son, Robert,
who. in 1802, succeeded him as second Earl Grosvenor,
and who was advanced to the Marquisate of Westminster
at the coronation of William IV., in the autumn
of 1831. This nobleman married the only daughter,
and heir of Thomas, Lord Grey de Wilton, Who in 1801 ols-
tained the Earldom of XV ilton by creation, with a special re-
mainder to Ills dattghter's secant and younger sons. Under
the terms of this patent the first Marquis's second son,
Thomas, succeeded his maternal grandfather in the Earldom
of Wilton, while his eldest son, the nobleman no recently de-
ceased, succeeded to the Marquisate of Westminster, the
Earldom of Grosvenor, and the inferior titles, on his father's
decease in Eelituary, 1815.
His Lordiship, whose descent we have thus traced, was
born on the 27th of January, 17ifi, and received his early
education at Westminster School, which half a century ago
was the chief place of education for the sons and scions of
the great Whig houses- such as the Russells, the Pagets, and
the Grosvenor. litre he was a schoolfellow, of Lord Russell,
and of the late Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Longlet whit
were both a little his seniors, and who maintained the
frit ndship of old echo tides a with him to the laat. He afire-
warts kept his terms at Christ Chinch, Oxford, where he took
lii, Bachelor's degree in ISIS, and proceeded .M.A. three years
later.
While bearing the courtesy title of Lord Belgrare, he en-
tered Parliament at the general election of IolB—now more
than ho years since—as one of the members tor Chester, a
city in which at that time the Grosvenor influence was even
more absolute thunt it is now He was chosen on this occasion
without opposition, RIO, though opposed at the election o
lit-20 by one of the Ezertons, he shored the representation of
thester with his cousin, the late General Grosvenor, for 12 or
13 year!, indeed. so paramount is and has been the influence
of the house of Eaton thatsChestee has seldom failed since the
Restoration to send one Grosvenor, if not two, tont. Stephen's.
At the dissolution consequent on the first Ref item Bill, in De-
centber, 1832, Cheshire was cut up into two divialons—North
and South, and his Lordship—who by his father's ad-
vancement to the Marquisate became Earl Gros-
venor—was elected for South Cheshire together with the late
Mr. George Wilbraham, of Delamere, after a sharp contest
with sir Philip Grey Egerton. His Lordship, however, did
rot offer himself again to the constituency at the subsequent
general election of December, 1834. As a member of the
Lower House of Parliament Lord Grosvenor voted steadily
with the Littoral party, supporting such measures as the
Reveal of the Test and Corporation Acts and the concession
of Roman Catholic Emancipation 7 but he does not appear to
have taken any Wailing part in the debates, or to have held
any of those lesser posts, either about the Court or in the
Administration, which at that time were, and still are
generally, reserved for the younger members of the leading
families who support the Prime Mtnister of the day.
In the early part of the year 1845 Earl Grosvenor suc-
ceeded to his father's marquisate and to the princely estates
in Middlesex, Cheshire, anti elsewhere which belong to the
title. In the Upper House hitt Lordship seldom or never
spoke, d we except the few formal occasions on which it was
necessary for him to open his lips while holding the post of
Lord Steward of the Household, under Lord J. Russell's
Administration, in 1850-52. The Marquis was sworn a meat-
her of the lirivy Council on taking office in 1850 ; he was
nominated a Knight of the Garter in 1857, anti held the Lord-
Lieutenancy of the county palatine of Cheshire from 1815 to
1167, when he resigned.
As a proof of the political influence of the noble hence of
Grosvenor, it may he mentioned that the Into NIATIIUIi and
Ida two hrothers—the Earl of Wilton anti Lord Eitury—all
eat together as Peers in the House of Lords, a fact un-
paralleled during the present century, with the single ex-
ception of the Duke of Wellington and his three brothers—
the Marquis Wellesley, Lord Cowley, and Lord Maryhorough
—while at the same time three of their sons held seats in the
House of Commons.
• -

The late Marquis was for some years a patron of the turf,
and won the St. Leger with his horse Touchstone in 1834.
The late Marquis was also well known as a patron of art, as
is shown in his noble galleries at Eaton and at Grosvenor-
house. Possessed of a rent-roll larger than that of many a
German prince, he was able to give largely out of his abund-
ance; and he did give largely anti even munificently to our
public hospitals and the charities in which his Beigrasien
property gave him so large an interett.
The late !ilarquis married, in 1810, the Lady Elizabeth
Mary Laveson-Gower, aecoud daughter of George Dranville.
Martinis of Stafford, afterwards first Duke of Sutherland,
by whom be had a large family lour scum and nine
denelv ers Of the latter, one is tinchees bowager of Nor-
thumberland, author is Countess of Macclesfield, an-
other is Lley Wenlock, and another is Lady Leigh. wife
of Lord Leigh, of Stonelelgh ; another is the wife of St
Michael Shaw Stewart, another the widow of Sir Archibald
Islay Campbell, and another the widow of Lord Muticaster
(since rhmarried); while one, Lady Knelt n, is dead, and the
other, Lady Theodora, is unmarried. Of his Lordship's sons,
one died an infant, and one while a Bent tient in the Royal
Navy: the youngest son is Lord tichard Grosvenor, M. I'. for
Flintshire; and the e' der snrvivlng son, who now sweet- ds as
third Marquis, is Hugh Lupus, Earl Grosvenor, who wasborn
in October, n?.5. Ms Lordship. who was educated at Eton
and at Balliol College, oxford, and has vat as M.P. for Ches-
ter in the I.l,erel interest since 1847, married in 1852 his
cousin, Lady Constance LevereavGawer, fifth daughter of
George Granville, second Duke of Sutherland, K (thy whom
he has, with other issue, • son and heir, Victor Alexander,
Viscount Belgrave, who was born in 1863, and at whose bap-
tism ller 3lajesty and the lath Prince Consort stood as upon-
mars.

The Daily Telegraph also has the following leader on
the death of the Marquis:—
the Marquis of Westminster has followed the Earl of Derby
to the grave. There has been but the interval of a few days
beta eon the deaths of these two great and powerf ol nnide-
men. 'they were almost contemporaries throughout, as the
Niro-rots of Westminster was born in 1795, the E tel of Derby
in 1790. Ihe Earl followed the Marquis closely at Christ-
church, and, in one Iv my or another, their lots in life were
cast very much together mita the end. They were members
of the House of Commons to.:ether, they were brother peers,
rivals In polities, and now has come the end to both. They
were both men of enormous wealth, and, In truth, it is as
wealthy peers that any firm parallel will hold between
them. MTH) him of his great position and his fabulous wealth,
and it would be idle to speak of the late Marquis of West.
minster as the intellectual rival of the late Earl of Derby.
The gilts of oratory—may we say of statesmanship I—and,
certtatly, the qualities of the graceful scholar, Were not
toned in the powerful Marquis as we found them in the
brilliant Earl. What comparison can there he between the
iimet peer w ho was at one time Lord Steward other Majesty's
Household, Lord-Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of
Chester, and that Debt who was more than once First
Minister of the three kingdoms, and for along while the chief
of one of the two great parties lathe State? The late Marquis
of Westminster had, for all that, a marked influence in public
affairs. He was the head of one of those great families
which, by their united power, governed this country for
years in the Intervals of political earthquakes. Thera WRS
but little to attract public attention In their method of action,
and yet the action was sufficient. When the houses of
Sutherland and Grosvenor tinted their strength, he was a
very great and a very powerful man himself who could resist
them. Now the Marquis lust dead married in the year 1819
the Lady Elizabeth Leveson Gower, daughter of the first Duke
of Sutherland. The present Martinis, who has reigned but a
few hours In his father's stead, married. in the year 1852, the
Lady Constance Leveson Gower, the daughter of another Duke
of Sutherland. It has proved a atrong combination for ruling
the country in a regular and legal way. Whig et:vest-nen were
the mouth-pieces of the quiet Peers who could sit blandly
writing notes whilst as able men as could he found in Eng-
land were doing their work. Why should the Peer who could
raise up or destroy a First Minister trouble himself either
with the routine work or the mad etc Isional excitement
of the Premiership? Why should the king-maker take
upon himself the weary burden of a crown: It is only by a
strong effort •f imagination that atiy man who must witch, fry
day or try night, for threescore and ten years can realise
to his mind such a position. To have at his feet
without any effort all that the world Can give, to find his
fellow-creatures mere puppets ready to the hand, seems at
the first glance either a splendid or a dreadful rate. After
all, the spoilt child of fortune probably feels pretty much as
his neighbours do. Habit and custom have dulled his mind.
Things 00 on in a routine way. Columns of figures have lost
their charm, and, it anything, the great arithmetician envies
the ordinary man who is compelled to Use his faculties and
ability, and by us itig to improve them. it is difficult to
avoid moralising altogether when Crmsua lire dead in his
purple.
One of the notable points in the position of the late Mar-
quis was that his was a town fortune. The fortune grew as
the delta at the month of a great river—say the liti.shiPPld
or the Nile—grows, simply by the addition of particles
drbted down. Of the late Marquis, and of those who went
before him, it may fairly he said that they toiled not, neither
slid they spin ; yet the king with all his wealth was not so
rich as one of these. Neither In the senate, nor at the bar, nor
on the battle-field, nor in scien., nor in trade did they work,
hut they simply made all the workers tributary to them. They
bought up the land on which the foture London must be built:
and, as London grew from a town 0( one million to a town of
three million Inhabitants, their wealth grew in proportion.
Not a Bridals Mel ploughed the farthest seas, not a British
pickaxe struck the rock at Ballarat, but the Grosvenors had
some share in the gain. They simply waited for the for-
tunate adventurers whe must ultimately settle in London.
The Grosvenors had a London ready for them ; or, to speak
store accurately, prepared a London for them as it was wanted
and are doing so still. Whilst the late Marquis was passing
away, the imildere and artificers were not yet out of the
stately maoslona which he had caused to be built in Gros-
Inner-place and the neighbourhood. Not so many years ago
there was a swamp near the ilneeres Palace. Snipe have been
killed there within the memory of persons not no very old. A
princely square was wanted, and Belgrave-square took the
place of the swamp. We have as yet reached but the thresh-
old of the improvements on the Westminster Estate, and
each of these improvements will bring toils of gold into the
Grosvenor treasury. A great capitalist whose millions are
ihvolved in the fluctuations of foreign loans and
stocks, must he ever at work with his brain. A
rapid turn In the politics of Europe may at an
moment give him much and reasonable ensue for anxiety.
Why shouiti the roan tear who is building and re-
building London hit by bit J, All he hns to do is to feel his
way, and not he iii too great a hurry. Tenants and purchasers
will surely come. Na doubt, with all tits Diet e niust go a
good deal of prudence and a good deal of arrangement; but
the special ability of agents is a marketable comot dity, and
the Grosvenors have had the command of the market. Land
agents, surveys., conveyancers, architects, builders, con-
tractors have all helped to build up the stately fabric of the
Grosvenor fortune, and have found their can account in no
doing. There is Lttle risk in the speculation of building up
a new London on this gigantic scale. The Westminster E,ttste
ensures itself.
The special features of the Westminster or Grosvenor for-
tune are, no &mitt, those of S time fortune. It is, however,
no secret that the Grosvenors have large estates in half-a-
ch.zen counties as well. W ha- ever turn the political fortunes
of the country may take, the Starlit. of Westminster must
exercise an enorne us influence for evil or for good. It Is not
to he supposed that a nobleman of the high character of the
present Marquis would exercise this influence in an unfair or
illegitimate asp ; but he must continee to exercise it. It
go. with his proMtion ; and vertain,t , FO far as his country
es' eies are convey..., i.e c .ntiot event the use of it if he
would. Such is, the turn which the !meal and political for-
tunes of England are taking. The peers are fur from being in
that disconsolate position in which they present themselves
to fore the imaginations of our more fervent politicians.
They earnest, it is true, stand in the way of those vreat
pollS
tncai chimera which the good settee and independent thought
of the community demand, and will have, be the cost what
it may Go the other band. whether in the lli Frig:end or
iti a New England, such a nobleman as the Marquis of West-
minster will ever (weepy a foremost place. lany of the
great fatuities are svithering away. It was only yesterday
that we were disclaiming in these columns the new and im-
proved method for bringing the Peers under the operation of
the bankrupt lass. The Pake of Newcastle is sucked
into the whirlpool, the Mai-gale of Westminster sur-
vives more rich and more powerful than ever. Let
a great traditionary family perish, a Lord Over-
stone is ready to occupy the vacant place. The richest man
In the country will be drawn into the British House of Peers
At a period of the Woll,l',‘ history when the permit if wealth
seems to be tr.-. great objcet of retnkind. there is little fear
bat they will h4,1t1 their time. It is fortunate that in other
places, htid under other conditions, tht . influence of political
venlig and ability can make it sgf felt, or we si un been, to
think that here is too much of gold. It is turbinate also that
we can recognise hi each a man as the present Marquis of
Westminster one who is likely to turn his great opportimities
to good ',must Ile is await In middle Ide—he was born in