The Marquess of Hertford | |
|---|---|
 Portraitc. 1860 | |
| Member of Parliament forAntrim | |
| In office 1822–1826 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh Seymour |
| Succeeded by | Edward Macnaghten |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1800-02-22)22 February 1800 England |
| Died | 25 August 1870(1870-08-25) (aged 70) Paris, France |
| Children | Sir Richard Wallace, 1st Baronet |
| Parent(s) | Francis Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of Hertford Maria Emilia Fagnani |
CaptainRichard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford (22 February 1800 – 25 August 1870) was an English aristocrat, with extensive land holdings in the south ofEngland and the north ofIreland, and sometime politician who spent his life in France devoted to collecting art. From birth to 1822 he was styledViscount Beauchamp and from 1822 to 1843Earl of Yarmouth.
Lord Hertford was the son ofFrancis Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of Hertford andMaria Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford. He had two siblings, Lord Henry Seymour-Conway, who also died unmarried, and Lady Frances Maria Seymour-Conway (the wife of the Marquis de Chevigne). His paternal grandparents wereFrancis Ingram-Seymour-Conway, 2nd Marquess of Hertford and, his second wife,Hon. Isabella Anne Ingram (eldest daughter and co-heiress ofCharles Ingram, 9th Viscount of Irvine), who was the mistress of thePrince of Wales, later KingGeorge IV.[1]
Although Lord Hertford was born in England, he was brought up in Paris by his mother, who had become estranged from his father.[2]
While Earl of Yarmouth he served as a British MP forCounty Antrim from 1822 to 1826, but is not recorded in Hansard as having made any contributions to debate.[3] He spent most of his life in Paris, in a large apartment in the city and, from 1848, on its outskirts at theChâteau de Bagatelle, a small country house in theBois de Boulogne formerly in the possession of the Count of Artois, the brother of theLouis XVI.[4] His English residences were Hertford House inManchester Square, London, now home to theWallace Collection, andRagley Hall, which still belongs to the family.
In 1842, as the 4th Marquess of Hertford, he inherited a 10 by 14 mile Irish estate in Lagan Valley, including the town ofLisburn, on which some 4,000 tenants (and many more sub-tenants) provided an income of £60,000 (or £5 million in today's money).[5] He was to visit it but once, and then with the wish that, "pray God!", he should never have to do so again.[6][7] When the edge of theGreat Irish Famine reached the valley in 1847 and 1848, the Marquess declined to join the local mill owners in subscribing to the relief efforts.[8][9]
According to theGoncourt brothers, Lord Hertford was "a complete, absolute, unashamed monster" who once proudly declared that "when I die I shall at least have the consolation of knowing that I have never rendered anyone a service."[10]
Lord Hertford died in 1870, aged 70 in Paris, unmarried and without legitimate issue, and his titles passed to his second cousinFrancis Seymour (their parents were first cousins). Lord Hertford's illegitimate son and secretary,Sir Richard Wallace, 1st Baronet (1818–1890), inherited his art collection.
Hertford was an important art collector. Manchester House (as Hertford House was originally known) was let until 1850 as the French embassy, but from 1852 was used principally to house items from Hertford's art collection. He had left it and the property that was notentailed to his illegitimate sonSir Richard Wallace.[11] Wallace's widow bequeathed the collection of paintings and objects to the nation and they form the nucleus of theWallace Collection.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forAntrim 1822–1826 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by | Marquess of Hertford 1842–1870 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
