The Duke of Dorset | |
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 1719 portrait byGodfrey Kneller | |
| Lord Lieutenant of Ireland | |
| In office 23 June 1730 – 9 April 1737 | |
| Monarch | George II |
| Preceded by | Earl Granville |
| Succeeded by | Duke of Devonshire |
| Lord President of the Council | |
| In office 3 January 1745 – 17 June 1751 | |
| Monarch | George II |
| Preceded by | Earl of Harrington |
| Succeeded by | Earl Granville |
| Lord Lieutenant of Ireland | |
| In office 15 December 1750 – 2 April 1755 | |
| Monarch | George II |
| Preceded by | Earl of Harrington |
| Succeeded by | Marquess of Hartington |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1688-01-18)18 January 1688 Dorset, England |
| Died | 10 October 1765(1765-10-10) (aged 77) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
| Parents | |
Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of DorsetKG PC (18 January 1688 – 10 October 1765) was a British politician who served asLord President of the Council from 1745 to 1751. He also twice served asLord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1730 to 1737 and again from 1750 to 1755.
He was the son of the6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex, and the former LadyMary Compton, younger daughter of the3rd Earl of Northampton. StyledLord Buckhurst from birth, he succeeded his father as7th Earl of Dorset and2nd Earl of Middlesex in 1706, and was createdDuke of Dorset in 1720.
Perhaps because he had been on a previous diplomatic mission toHanover, he was chosen to informGeorge I of his accession to the Crown in August 1714. George I initially favoured him and numerous offices and honours were given to him:Privy Councillor,Knight of the Garter,Groom of the Stole,Lord Steward, Governor ofDover Castle andWarden of the Cinque Ports. At George I's coronation he carried thesceptre: at the coronation ofGeorge II he wasLord High Steward and carriedSt Edward's Crown. He quarrelled with the King in 1717 and was told his services were no longer required, but was made a duke three years later.
Dorset served twice asLord Lieutenant of Ireland, from 1731 to 1737 and again from 1751 to 1755. In 1739, at the foundation of theFoundling Hospital, he was one of that charity's original governors. His first term as Lord Lieutenant was uneventful. His second took place at a time of acute political tension between the two main factions in the Irish Government, one led byHenry Boyle, the Speaker of theIrish House of Commons, the other byGeorge Stone, the AnglicanArchbishop of Armagh. Dorset, now heavily influenced by his son George Sackville, made the mistake of openly backing the Archbishop. He was unable to oust Boyle from power, and was accused of being the Archbishop's tool. He became extremely unpopular, leading to his eventual recall.
The currentO'Connell Street in Dublin was named in his honourSackville Street until 1924.
His last years were uneventful, apart from a riot in 1757 caused by the passage of the Militia Act to raise an army for theSeven Years' War, in which he narrowly escaped injury. He died atKnole on 9 October 1765 and was buried atWithyham inSussex.
Horace Walpole gave this sketch of his character: "with the greatest dignity in his appearance, he was in private the greatest lover of buffoonery and low company.... he was never thought to have wanted a tendency to power, in whatever hands it was, or was likely to be".Jonathan Swift thought him one of the most agreeable and well-informed men, and best conversationalists, he had ever met. Even harsh critics admitted his dignity and perfect decorum, a last legacy of the manners of the Court ofQueen Anne.
He marriedElizabeth Colyear, the daughter of Lieutenant-General Walter Colyear (brother of theDavid Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore), in January 1709. She later became aLady of the Bedchamber (1714–1737) andMistress of the Robes (1723–1731) toCaroline of Ansbach, wife ofGeorge II.
Lionel and Elizabeth's sons were:
They also had two daughters:
Media related toLionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset at Wikimedia Commons| Honorary titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1708–1712 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Custos Rotulorum of Kent 1724–1765 | Succeeded by |
| Vice-Admiral of Kent 1725–1765 | Vacant Title next held by The Earl Camden | |
| Preceded by | Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1727–1765 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Kent 1746–1765 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Senior Privy Counsellor 1757–1765 | Succeeded by |
| Court offices | ||
| Preceded by | Groom of the Stole 1714–1719 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lord Steward 1725–1730 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord High Steward 1727 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1730–1737 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Steward 1737–1744 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord President of the Council 1745–1751 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1750–1755 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Master of the Horse 1755–1757 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Duke of Dorset 1720–1765 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by | Earl of Dorset Earl of Middlesex 1706–1765 | Succeeded by |
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| Northern Secretary |
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| Lord Chancellor |
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| Lord President of the Council |
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| Lord Privy Seal |
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| First Lord of the Admiralty |
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| Master-General of the Ordnance |
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| Paymaster of the Forces |
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| Lord Steward |
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| Lord Chamberlain |
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