Peerage Record – 10510

     Margaret Georgiana Poyntz was born on 27 April 1737.¹ She was the daughter of Rt. Hon. Stephen Poyntz and Anne Maria Mordaunt.¹ She married John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer, son of Hon. John Spencer and Lady Georgiana Caroline Carteret, on 20 December 1755 at Althorp, Brington, Northamptonshire, England^G.^1,3 She died on 18 March 1814 at age 76 at St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England^G.⁴ She was buried on 30 March 1814 at Brington, Northamptonshire, England^G.⁴ Her will was proven (by probate) in 1814.⁴
     From 20 December 1755, her married name became Spencer. After her marriage, Margaret Georgiana Poyntz was styled as Viscountess Spencer of Althorp on 3 April 1761. After her marriage, Margaret Georgiana Poyntz was styled as Countess Spencer on 1 November 1765. On 30 November 1801 Lady Stafford writes to her son Granville ‘I do not wonder at your liking Lady Spencer; all Men formerly liked her, and she was most captivating and pleasing … She, somehow or another, has the Art of leading, drawing, or seducing People into right Ways.⁴‘

     Rt. Hon. Stephen Poyntz was born on 12 November 1685.² He was the son of William Poyntz and Jane Monteage.³ He married Anne Maria Mordaunt, daughter of Brig.-Gen. Hon. Lewis Mordaunt and Mary Collyer, in February 1732/33.⁴ He died in 1750.²
     He graduated from King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England^G, in 1706 with a Master of Arts (M.A.)² He was Joint Treasurer of Excise in 1722.² He held the office of Commissioner of Excise in 1723.² He held the office of Ambassador to Sweden in 1724.² He was Ambassador to the Congress at Soissons in 1727/28.² He was Governor to HRH the Duke of Cumberland in 1730.² He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) in 1734/35.² He lived at Midgham, Berkshire, England^G.²

     Anne Maria Mordaunt was the daughter of Brig.-Gen. Hon. Lewis Mordaunt and Mary Collyer.³ She married Rt. Hon. Stephen Poyntz, son of William Poyntz and Jane Monteage, in February 1732/33.¹ She died on 14 November 1771.⁴
     She was a celebrated beauty of her day, praised by the poet Samuel Croxall in ‘The Fair Circassian.¹‘ From February 1732/33, her married name became Poyntz.⁴

     Brig.-Gen. Hon. Lewis Mordaunt was the son of John Mordaunt, 1st Viscount Mordaunt of Avalon and Elizabeth Carey.² He married, secondly, Mary Collyer, daughter of Lt.-Col. unknown Collyer.³ He died on 2 February 1712/13.³

     Lady Anne Churchill was born on 27 February 1682/83.^3,4 She was the daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sarah Jenyns.^5,3 She married Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, son of Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland and Lady Anne Digby, on 2 January 1699/0.^1,5 She died on 15 April 1716 at age 33.³ She was buried on 24 April 1716 at Brington, Northamptonshire, England^G.³
     From 2 January 1700, her married name became Lady Spencer. She held the office of Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Anne from 1702 to 1712.³ After her marriage, Lady Anne Churchill was styled as Countess of Sunderland on 28 September 1702.

     Margaret Smith was the daughter of Sir James Smith and Grace Dyke.^1,2 She married Charles Bingham, 1st Earl of Lucan, son of Sir John Bingham, 5th Bt. and Anne Vesey, on 25 August 1760 at Bath, Somerset, England^G.² She died on 27 February 1814 at London, England^G.
     From 25 August 1760, her married name became Bingham. After her marriage, Margaret Smith was styled as Baroness Lucan of Castlebar on 24 July 1766. After her marriage, Margaret Smith was styled as Countess of Lucan on 1 October 1795. She has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.³
     

     Sir James Smith was the son of James Smith.² He married Grace Dyke, daughter of Edward Dyke and Elizabeth Blackford.
     He lived at Canons Leigh, Devon, England^G.³ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Taunton between 1716 and 1732.² He lived at St. Audries, Somerset, England^G.³

     John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer was born on 30 May 1782 at Spencer House, St. James’s Place, St. James’s, London, England^G.¹ He was the son of George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer and Lady Lavinia Bingham.¹ He was baptised on 7 July 1782 at Wimbledon, London, England^G.¹ He married Esther Acklom, daughter of Richard Acklom and Elizabeth Bernard, on 13 April 1814 at Upper Brook Street, Mayfair, London, England^G. Cockayne quotes from the Farington Diaries, “in marrying He complied with the wishes of Lord and Lady Spencer, it was not of His own seeking” and from Letter Bag of Lady Elizabeth Spencer Stanhope, “since Jack Althorp would not propose to her, she proposed to him; and such an unusual proceeding was fraught with happy consequences … his devotion after marriage amply compensated for his lack of ardour before.”² He died on 1 October 1845 at age 63 at Wiseton Hall, Nottinghamshire, England^G, dsp.¹ He was buried on 9 October 1845 at Brington, Northamptonshire, England^G.² His will was proven (by probate) in 1845, at under £160,000.
     He was styled as Viscount Spencer of Althorp between 1783 and 1834.¹ He was educated from 1790 to 1798 at Harrow School, Harrow, London, England^G.¹ He was educated from 1800 to 1802 at Trinity College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England^G.¹ He graduated from Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England^G, in 1802 with a Master of Arts (M.A.)¹ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for Oakhampton from 1804 to 1806.¹ He held the office of Lord of the Treasury from 1806 to 1807.¹ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for Northamptonshire from 1806 to 1832.³ He was appointed Fellow, Royal Society (F.R.S.) on 16 November 1820.¹ He held the office of a Lord of Trade between 1830 and 1834.¹ He held the office of a Commissioner for Indian Affairs between 1830 and 1834.¹ He held the office of Lord of the Treasury from 1830 to 1834.¹ He held the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1830 to 1834.¹ He was appointed Privy Counsellor (P.C.) on 22 November 1830.¹ He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for South Northamptonshire from 1832 to 1834.³ He succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Althorp [G.B., 1765] on 10 November 1834.⁴ He succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Spencer of Althorp [G.B., 1761] on 10 November 1834.⁴ He succeeded as the 3rd Earl Spencer [G.B., 1765] on 10 November 1834.¹ He succeeded as the 3rd Baron Spencer of Althorp [G.B., 1761] on 10 November 1834.⁴ He held the office of President of the Royal Agricultural Society from 1838 to 1839, the first.² His last will was dated 1840. He held the office of President of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1844.²
     Cockayne quotes from Greville’s Memoirs, “No man ever died with a fairer character, or more generally regretted … He was the very model and type of an English gentleman … Modest without diffidence, confident without vanity, ardently desiring the good of his country, without the slighest personal ambition … high-minded, unaffected, sensible, well-educated … In his political principles he was consistent, liberal and enlightened … Without one showy accomplishment, without wit to amuse or eloquence to persuade, with a voice unmelodious and a manner ungraceful, and barely able to speak plain sense in still plainer language, he exercised in the House of Commons an influence and a dominion greater than any leader [e.g. Pitt the father, Pitt the son, Canning or Castlereagh] either after or before him … His friends followed this plain and simple man with enthusiastic devotion, and he possessed the faculty of disarming his political antagonists of all bitterness and animosity towards him.”² “He had a tolerably sound judgment, which made him generally take the common-sense view of a subject … It was impossible for anyone, however much he might differ from him in sentiment, not to respect him. Nothing could make him lose his temper. In the most violent altercations, and greatest scenes of uproar and confusion … there he stood, motionless as a statue – his face shadowing forth the most perfect placidness of mind.”² Cockayne and Gibbs state that “he resolutely declined high office such as the government of Ireland and canada, both of which were offered to him by Melbourne in 1838.”⁵

     Esther Acklom was born in September 1788.¹ She was the daughter of Richard Acklom and Elizabeth Bernard.¹ She married John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer, son of George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer and Lady Lavinia Bingham, on 13 April 1814 at Upper Brook Street, Mayfair, London, England^G. Cockayne quotes from the Farington Diaries, “in marrying He complied with the wishes of Lord and Lady Spencer, it was not of His own seeking” and from Letter Bag of Lady Elizabeth Spencer Stanhope, “since Jack Althorp would not propose to her, she proposed to him; and such an unusual proceeding was fraught with happy consequences … his devotion after marriage amply compensated for his lack of ardour before.”¹ She died on 11 June 1818 at age 29 at Halkin Street, Belgravia, London, England^G, from childbirth (it is said from shock at the Princess Charlotte’s death).¹ She was buried on 18 June 1818 at Brington, Northamptonshire, England^G.¹ Her will was proven (by probate) in 1819.
     After her marriage, Esther Acklom was styled as Viscountess Althorp on 13 April 1814. From 13 April 1814, her married name became Spencer.
     Cockayne quotes again from the Farington Diaries, “although stout and somewhat plain in appearance, [Esther] was a decided flirt, and extremely fond of amusement … Clever, well-read, lively in a manner and witty in conversation, she was invariably agreeable, despite the fact that her speech was apt to be too frank and her determination too unswerving.”¹

     Richard Acklom is the son of Jonathan Acklom.² He married Elizabeth Bernard, daughter of James Bernard and Esther Smith, in 1785.²
     He lived at Wiseton Hall, Nottinghamshire, England^G.