William Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford

(Redirected from William Lygon Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford) Anglo-Irish soldier and politician (1819–1887)

William Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford
Born	31 January 1819 (1819-01-31) County Westmeath, Ireland
Died	19 April 1887(1887-04-19) (aged 68) London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Rank	General
Battles / wars	Crimean War Indian Rebellion
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

General William Lygon Pakenham, 4th Earl of Longford GCB DL JP (31 January 1819 – 19 April 1887), styled The Honourable William Pakenham before 1860, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Conservative politician.

Early life and education

Pakenham was the second son of Thomas Pakenham, 2nd Earl of Longford, by Lady Georgiana Emma Charlotte Lygon, daughter of William Lygon, 1st Earl Beauchamp. He was educated at Winchester College and entered the army in 1837. A year prior to his entry into the army, Pakenham played a single first-class cricket match for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture of 1836 at Lord's. He, however, had no success in the match, twice being dismissed without scoring.

Military career

After service in both the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion, Pakenham became Adjutant-General in India in November 1858. He was also colonel of the Northumberland Fusiliers from 1878 to his death.

Public life

He succeeded in the earldom in 1860 on the death of his elder brother, the third Earl and was created KCB in 1861. He sat on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords and served as Under-Secretary of State for War from 1866 to 1868 under first the Earl of Derby and later Benjamin Disraeli. In February 1870 he was voted chairman of the Central Protestant Defence Association which was established in response to the Irish Church Act 1869. He also served as Lord Lieutenant of Longford from 1874 to 1887. In Dublin, he was a member of the Kildare Street Club.

He was created CB in 1855, KCB in the 1861 Birthday Honours and GCB in the 1881 Birthday Honours.

Family

Lord Longford married the Honourable Selina Rice-Trevor, daughter of George Rice-Trevor, 4th Baron Dynevor, in 1862. They had four surviving children: Thomas, Lord Pakenham, the Hon. Edward Michael, Lady Georgiana Frances Henrietta (wife of Hugh Gough, 3rd Viscount Gough) and Lady Catherine Louisa (mother of William Fletcher-Vane, 1st Baron Inglewood). Lord Longford died in April 1887, aged 68, and was succeeded in the earldom by his second but eldest surviving son. His grandson Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, became a prominent Labour politician. The Countess of Longford survived her husband by over thirty years and died in January 1918, aged 81.

References

^ "Obituary". The Times. 20 April 1887. p. 13.
Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage. Kelly's Directories. 1884. p. 434.
"First-Class Matches played by William Pakenham". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
"Gentlemen v Players, 1836". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
"No. 22202". The London Gazette. 19 November 1858. p. 4909.
"No. 24628". The London Gazette. 27 September 1878. p. 5332.
Ireland:From Our Own Correspondent; The Times; 4 February 1870; pg8 col A
Thomas Hay Sweet Escott, Club Makers and Club Members (1913), pp. 329–333
"No. 24976". The London Gazette. 24 May 1881. p. 2673.

Military offices
Preceded byEdward Lugard	Adjutant-General, India 1858–1860	Succeeded byEdmund Haythorne
Preceded byEdward Rowley Hill	Colonel of the Northumberland Fusiliers 1878–1887	Succeeded byJoseph Henry Laye
Political offices
Preceded byThe Lord Dufferin and Clanboye	Under-Secretary of State for War 1866–1868	Succeeded byThe Lord Northbrook
Honorary titles
Preceded byThe Lord Annaly	Lord Lieutenant of Longford 1874–1887	Succeeded byThe Earl of Longford
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded byEdward Michael Pakenham	Earl of Longford 1860–1887	Succeeded byThomas Pakenham

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