James Grimston, 2nd Earl of Verulam
James Walter Grimston, 2nd Earl of Verulam (20 February 1809 – 27 July 1895), known as Viscount Grimston from 1815 to 1845, was a British peer and Conservative politician. He was the eldest son of James Walter Grimston, 1st Earl of Verulam, and Lady Charlotte Jenkinson. He succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Verulam in November 1845.
In 1860, The Times noted that Grimston was one of only three to hold peerages in all three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland.[1]
Family
Lord Verulam married Elizabeth Joanna Weyland, daughter of Richard Weyland, in 1844. They had six children:
- Lady Harriot Elizabeth Grimston (c.1845 – 15 August 1888), married Maj.-Gen. Francis Harwood Poore on 6 March 1885
- Lady Jane Grimston (12 December 1848 – 2 November 1920), married Sir Alfred Jodrell, 4th Baronet on 25 February 1897
- James Walter Grimston, 3rd Earl of Verulam (1852–1924)
- Cmdr. Hon. William Grimston (7 January 1855 – 10 May 1900)
- Lady Maud Grimston (c.1857 – 3 September 1929), married Maj. Paulyn Rawdon-Hastings, son of the 1st Baron Donington and the 10th Countess of Loudoun, and had issue
- Canon Hon. Robert Grimston (18 April 1860 – 8 July 1928), married Gertrude Villiers and had issue, including the Conservative politician Robert Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury.
Lord Verulam died in July 1895, aged 86, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son James.
Politics and business
Verulam was elected to the House of Commons for St Albans in 1830, a seat he held until 1831, and then represented Newport, Cornwall from 1831 to 1832 and Hertfordshire from 1832 to 1845. The latter year Verulam succeeded his father in the earldom and entered the House of Lords. He later served in the first two administrations of the Earl of Derby as a Lord-in-Waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) in 1852 and from 1858 to 1859. Between 1845 and 1892 he also held the honorary post of Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, in succession to his father.
Grimston owned property in Jamaica, and following the abolition of the slave trade, between 1836 and 1837 he was associated with claims of £7,359 18s 4d in compensation for the loss of 376 slaves.[2]
Cricket
Verulam played first-class cricket as a right-handed batsman (RHB). He was mainly associated with Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), making 21 appearances from 1830 to 1849. In contemporary scorecards to 1845, he was given as Lord Grimston.[3]
Several members of his family were first-class cricketers too: three of his brothers Edward, Robert and Francis all played, as did his nephews Walter Grimston and Lord Hyde.
Notes
- ↑ The Times, 9 February 1860; Peers of the Three Kingdoms.
- ↑ http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/46379
- ↑ Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volumes 2–4 (1827–1854), Lillywhite, 1862
References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Verulam
- CricketArchive record
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
- Lundy, Darryl. "p. 3161 § 31602". The Peerage.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Christopher Smith John Easthope |
Member of Parliament for St Albans 1830–1831 With: Charles Tennant |
Succeeded by Sir Francis Vincent Richard Godson |
| Preceded by Jonathan Raine Sir Henry Hardinge |
Member of Parliament for Newport, Cornwall 1831 – 1832 With: Sir Henry Hardinge |
Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by Sir John Saunders Sebright Nicolson Calvert |
Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire 1832–1845 With: Sir John Saunders Sebright 1832–35 Nicolson Calvert 1832–35 Abel Smith 1835–45 Rowland Alston 1835–41 Granville Dudley Ryder 1841–45 |
Succeeded by Abel Smith Granville Dudley Ryder Thomas Plumer Halsey |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by ? |
Lord-in-Waiting 1852 |
Succeeded by The Lord Camoys |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Verulam |
Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire 1846–1892 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Clarendon |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by James Walter Grimston |
Earl of Verulam 1845–1895 |
Succeeded by James Walter Grimston |