William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington

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William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington GCH PC (1763–1845), known between 1821 and 1842 as The Lord Maryborough, was a British politician and an elder brother of the Duke of Wellington.

[edit] Family

William Wesley was born in 1763 at Dangan Castle the second son of 1st Earl of Mornington and Hon. Annie Hill, daughter of Viscount Dungannon. Due to the debts of his father the family was forced into financial stringency which was partially alleviated when a cousin, William Pole, left Wesley his cousin's estates in 1781. In 1789 he legally changed his name to Wellesley-Pole. Wesley married Mary Forbes, granddaughter of the 3rd Earl of Granard and 3rd Earl of Essex in 1784. They had three daughters and one son, the last of whom inherited his titles on his death in 1845.

[edit] Career

He was educated at Eton (1774–1776) before entering the Royal Navy, where he served between 1778 and 1782; aboard the frigate Incidental. A Tory, he was Member of Parliament for Trim (1783–1790), East Looe (1790–1795) and Queen's County (1801–1821). He was Chief Secretary for Ireland between 1809 and 1812. He served in Lord Liverpool's government from 1814 to 1823 as Master of the Mint. In 1821 he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Maryborough. From 1834 to 1835 he was Postmaster-General. On the death of his elder brother, the Marquess Wellesley, in 1842 he succeeded to the earldom of Mornington.

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by: Viscount Belgrave The Earl of Carysfort	Member for East Looe 1790–1795	Succeeded by: Robert Wood Charles Arbuthnot
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by: Sir John Parnell Charles Henry Coote	Member for Queen's County 1801–1821	Succeeded by: Sir Henry Parnell Sir Charles Henry Coote
Political Offices
Preceded by: Robert Dundas	Chief Secretary for Ireland 1809–1812	Succeeded by: Robert Peel
Preceded by: The Earl of Clancarty	Master of the Mint 1814–1823	Succeeded by: George Tierney
Preceded by: The Marquess Cornwallis	Master of the Buckhounds 1823–1830	Succeeded by: The Viscount Anson
Preceded by: The Marquess Conyngham	Postmaster General 1834–1835	Succeeded by: The Marquess Conyngham
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by: Richard Wellesley	Earl of Mornington 1842–1845	Succeeded by: William Wellesley
Preceded by: New Creation	Baron Maryborough 1821–1845