- Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG (
13 October 1825 –22 December 1899 ) was the son ofRichard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster andLady Elizabeth Mary Leveson-Gower .He married, firstly,
Lady Constance Gertrude Leveson-Gower , daughter ofGeorge Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland and Lady Harriet Elizabeth Georgiana Howard, on28 April 1852 . He married, secondly, Hon.Katherine Caroline Cavendish , daughter ofWilliam George Cavendish, 2nd Baron Chesham andHenrietta Frances Lascelles , on29 June 1882 .He was created
Duke of Westminster on27 February 1874 , the most recent person neither born into nor related by marriage to theBritish Royal Family to be advanced to the highest degree of the peerage. He had succeeded as 3rdMarquess of Westminster and 4thEarl Grosvenor in 1869. By the time of his elevation the family's London property inMayfair ,Belgravia andPimlico had made it the richest family in the United Kingdom. He had his main country seat, Eaton Hall in Cheshire, reconstructed at enormous expense. He was one of the most successful British race horse owners of all time.He spent 22 years in the House of Commons before he inherited the Marquessate, elected as a member of the Liberal Party. He later served as
Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and of London.He was appointed honorary colonel of the
Cheshire Yeomanry onFebruary 21 ,1891 .Thoroughbred horse racing
Hugh Grosvenor inherited
Eaton Stud and was highly successful as aThoroughbred breeder as well as on the track. A major name in racing, among his most famous horses was theEpsom Derby winnerBend Or , the undefeated Triple Crown champion, Ormonde and a second Triple Crown champion, Flying Fox.It is believed that the character "Colonel Ross" in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story
Silver Blaze is modeled on Hugh Grosvenor.Family
He was the father of sixteen children by two wives, and the second to fifth dukes were all grandsons of his through three different sons.
Children by Lady Constance Gertrude Leveson-Gower:
*Lady Elizabeth Harriet Grosvenor (d.
25 March 1928 )
*Lady Beatrice Constance Grosvenor (d.12 January 1911 ), marriedCharles Cavendish, 3rd Baron Chesham in 1877.
*Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor (28 April 1853 –22 January 1884 )
*Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Arthur Hugh Grosvenor (31 May 1860 –29 April 1929 )
*Lord Henry George Grosvenor (23 June 1861 –27 December 1914 )
*Lord Robert Edward Grosvenor (19 March 1869 –16 June 1888 )
*Lady Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor (9 April 1873 –27 March 1929 )
*Captain Lord Gerald Richard Grosvenor (14 July 1874 –10 October 1940 )Children by Hon. Katherine Caroline Cavendish:
*Lady Mary Cavendish Grosvenor (
12 May 1883 –14 January 1959 )
*Captain Lord Hugh William Grosvenor (6 April 1884 –30 October 1914 )
*Lady Helen Frances Grosvenor (5 February 1888 – 1970)
*Lord Edward Arthur Grosvenor (27 October 1892 –26 August 1929 )References
* [http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/images/Hill_Richest_Man_in_Horseracing.pdf Article on the 1st Duke of Westminster titled "Richest Man in Horseracing"]
External links
* [http://www.ukdukes.co.uk/the_dukes/the_duke_of_westminster/1st_duke_of_westminster/ 1st Duke of Westminster]
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