Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
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Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (1801 – 1885), styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was an English politician and philanthropist, one of the best-known of the Victorian era.
Born in London, he was educated at Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford. He became a Tory MP (Member of Parliament) in 1826, and almost immediately became a leader of the movement for factory reform. He was largely responsible for the Factory Acts of 1847 and 1853, as well as the Coal Mines Act of 1842 and the Lunacy Act of 1845. One of his chief interests was the welfare of children, and he was chairman of the Ragged Schools Union and a keen supporter of Florence Nightingale.
The Shaftesbury Memorial in Piccadilly Circus, London, erected in 1893, was designed to commemorate his philanthropic works. The Memorial is crowned by Alfred Gilbert's aluminium statue of Anteros as a nude, butterfly-winged archer. This is officially titled The Angel of Christian Charity, but has become popularly, if mistakenly, known as Eros. The use of a nude figure on a public monument was controversial at the time, but the statue has become a London icon and appears on the masthead of the Evening Standard.
Lord Shaftesbury married Lady Emily Caroline Catherine Frances Cowper (d. October 15, 1872), daughter of Peter Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper, on 10 June 1830. They had three children:
- Lady Victoria Ashley (d. 15 February 1927), married Harry Chichester, 2nd Baron Templemore and had issue.
- Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury (27 June 1831 – 13 April 1886)
- Rt. Hon. Evelyn Melbourne Ashley (24 July 1836–15 November 1907), married Sybella Charlotte Farquhar and had issue.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: James Langston |
Member of Parliament for Woodstock 1826–1830 |
Succeeded by: The Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill |
| Preceded by: Henry Sturt |
Member of Parliament for Dorchester 1830–1831 |
Succeeded by: Anthony Henry Ashley-Cooper |
| Preceded by: John Calcraft |
Member of Parliament for Dorset 1831–1846 |
Succeeded by: John Floyer |
| Preceded by: John Arthur Roebuck |
Member of Parliament for Bath 1847–1851 |
Succeeded by: George Scobell |
| Honorary Titles | ||
| Preceded by: The Earl Digby |
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset 1856–1885 |
Succeeded by: The Earl of Ilchester |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by: Cropley Ashley-Cooper |
Earl of Shaftesbury 1851–1885 |
Succeeded by: Anthony Ashley-Cooper |
