Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis

The Right Honourable
The Earl Cornwallis
PC
The Right Honourable The Earl Cornwallis PC
Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets and Constable of the Tower of London
	In office; 1740–1762
Monarchs	George II ; George III
Preceded by	Vacant
Succeeded by	The Lord Berkeley of Stratton
Personal details
Born	29 March 1700
Died	23 June 1762 (aged 62)
Nationality	British
Spouse	Hon. Elizabeth Townshend (d. 1785)

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis PC (29 March 1700 – 23 June 1762), styled The Honourable Charles Cornwallis until 1722 and known as The Lord Cornwallis between 1722 and 1753, was a British peer.

Background

Cornwallis was the son of Charles Cornwallis, 4th Baron Cornwallis, by Lady Charlotte, daughter of Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Arran. Edward Cornwallis and Frederick Cornwallis were his younger brothers.^{[citation needed]} He was admitted to Clare College, Cambridge in 1717.^[1]

Career

Cornwallis succeeded his father in the barony in 1722. In 1740 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets and Constable of the Tower of London,^[2] posts he held until 1762.^{[citation needed]} In 1753 he was created Viscount Brome, in the County of Suffolk, and Earl Cornwallis.^[3]

Family

Lord Cornwallis married the Honourable Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, in 1722. They had seven children:

Lady Mary Cornwallis (6 June 1736 - 28 December 1770), married on 13 August 1769 Samuel Whitbread and had issue.
Gen. Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Capt. Hon. Henry Cornwallis (10 September 1740 – 1761)
Bishop James Cornwallis, 4th Earl Cornwallis
Adm. Sir William Cornwallis, RN (1744–1819)
Lady Elizabeth Cornwallis (d. 20 March 1796), married Bowen Southwell in July 1753
Lady Charlotte Cornwallis (d. 11 March 1794), married 8 April 1756 Bishop Spencer Madan and had issue.

He died in June 1762, aged 62, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Charles, who became a prominent military commander and was created Marquess Cornwallis in 1792. The Countess Cornwallis died on 17 December 1785. ^{[citation needed]}

He was the grandson of Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis; the great-grandson of Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis; and the great-great-grandson of Frederick Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis.

He was the grandfather of Charles Cornwallis; the great-grandfather of James Mann; the 2nd great-grandfather of Fiennes Cornwallis; the 3rd great-grandfather of Fiennes Cornwallis, 1st Baron Cornwallis; the 4th great-grandfather of Wykeham Cornwallis, 2nd Baron Cornwallis; and the 5th great-grandfather of Fiennes Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis.

References

^ "Cornwallis, Charles (CNWS717C)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ "No. 7909". The London Gazette. 10 May 1740. p. 2.
^ "No. 9279". The London Gazette. 23 June 1753. p. 2.

Legal offices
Preceded by The Earl of Tankerville	Justice in Eyre South of the Trent 1722–1740	Succeeded by The Earl of Jersey
Honorary titles
Vacant Title last held by The Earl of Leicester	Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets 1740 – 1762	Succeeded by The Lord Berkeley of Stratton
Vacant Title last held by The Earl of Leicester	Constable of the Tower of London 1740 – 1762	Succeeded by The Lord Berkeley of Stratton
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation	Earl Cornwallis 1753–1762	Succeeded by Charles Cornwallis
Peerage of England
Preceded by Charles Cornwallis	Baron Cornwallis 1722–1762	Succeeded by Charles Cornwallis

[1] "Cornwallis, Charles (CNWS717C)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[2] "No. 7909". The London Gazette. 10 May 1740. p. 2.

[3] "No. 9279". The London Gazette. 23 June 1753. p. 2.

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