Edward William Pakenham

Pakenham was the eldest son of Emily (née Stapleton) Pakenham and Sir Hercules Robert Pakenham (1781–1850),[2] a lieutenant-general of the British Army who served as aide-de-camp to King William IV.[3] From his father, he inherited Langford Lodge in County Antrim, which later became RAF Langford Lodge.[4]

His mother was the fourth daughter of Sir Thomas Stapleton, 6th Baronet, 12th Baron le Despencer.[5] His paternal grandfather was Edward Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford and, the former, Hon. Catherine Rowley (a daughter of Elizabeth Rowley, 1st Viscountess Langford and Hercules Langford Rowley, MP.[2] His aunt, Catherine was the wife of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.[6] His uncle Thomas Pakenham, 2nd Earl of Longford married Lady Georgiana Lygon (a daughter of William Lygon, 1st Earl Beauchamp). Another uncle, Maj.-Gen. Hon. Sir Edward Pakenham, served as MP for Longford Borough and was killed in action at the Battle of New Orleans.[5] His uncle, Very Rev. Hon. Henry Pakenham was the Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, and his aunt, Hon. Caroline Penelope Pakenham, married Henry Hamilton (eldest son of Sackville Hamilton).[5]

Pakenham joined the British Army, becoming an officer in the Grenadier Guards in 1838,[7] and later rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.[4]

At the 1852 general election, Pakenham was elected unopposed as one of the two MPs for Antrim.[8][9]

Pakenham was killed in Inkerman, Turkey at the Battle of Inkerman during the Crimean War in 1854.[10] His brother, Robert, at the relief of Lucknow in 1857.

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Edward William Pakenham