Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset

The Duke of Dorset
His Grace; The Duke of Dorset; KG PC
	Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset (1719)
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
	In office; 15 December 1750 – 2 April 1755
Monarch	George II
Preceded by	The Earl of Harrington
Succeeded by	Marquess of Hartington
	In office; 23 June 1730 – 9 April 1737
Monarch	George II
Preceded by	The Lord Carteret
Succeeded by	The Duke of Devonshire
Lord President of the Council
	In office; 3 January 1745 – 17 June 1751
Monarch	George II
Prime Minister	Henry Pelham
Preceded by	The Earl of Harrington
Succeeded by	The Earl Granville
Personal details
Born	18 January 1688; Dorset, United Kingdom
Died	10 October 1765 (aged 77); Knole, United Kingdom

Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset KG PC (18 January 1688 – 10 October 1765) was an English political leader and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Coat of arms of Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, KG, PC

Life

He was the son of the 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex, and the former Lady Mary Compton, younger daughter of the 3rd Earl of Northampton. Styled Lord Buckhurst from birth, he succeeded his father as 7th Earl of Dorset and 2nd Earl of Middlesex in 1706, and was created Duke of Dorset in 1720.

Perhaps because he had been on a previous diplomatic mission to Hanover, he was chosen to inform George I of his accession to the Crown in August 1714. George I initially favoured him and numerous offices and honours were given to him: Privy Councillor, Knight of the Garter, Groom of the Stole, Lord Steward, Governor of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports. At George I's coronation he carried the sceptre: at the coronation of George II he was Lord High Steward and carried St Edward's Crown. He quarreled with the King in 1717 and was told his services were no longer required, but he was made a Duke three years later.

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

Dorset served twice as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, from 1731 to 1737 and again from 1751 to 1755. In 1739, at the foundation of the Foundling Hospital, he was one of that charity's original governors. His first term as Lord Lieutenant was uneventful. His second took place at a time of acute political tension between the two main factions in the Irish Government, one led by Henry Boyle, the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, the other by George Stone, the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh. Dorset, now heavily influenced by his son George Sackville, made the mistake of openly backing the Archbishop. He was unable to oust Boyle from power, and was accused of being the Archbishop's tool. He became extremely unpopular, leading to his eventual recall.

Last Years

His last years were uneventful, apart from a riot in 1757 caused by the passage of the Militia Act to raise an army for the Seven Years' War, in which he narrowly escaped injury. He died at Knole on 9 October 1765 and was buried at Withyham in Sussex.

Character

Horace Walpole gave this sketch of his character : "with the greatest dignity in his appearance, he was in private the greatest lover of buffoonery and low company.. he was never thought to have wanted a tendency to power, in whosever hands it was". Jonathan Swift thought him one of the most agreeable and well- informed men, and best conversationalists, he had ever met. Even harsh critics admitted his dignity and perfect decorum, a last legacy of the manners of the Court of Queen Anne.

Family

He married Elizabeth Colyear, the daughter of Lieutenant-General Walter Colyear (brother of the David Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore), in January 1709. She later became a Lady of the Bedchamber (1714–1737) and Mistress of the Robes (1723–1731) to Caroline of Ansbach, wife of George II.

Lionel and Elizabeth's sons were:

Charles, Earl of Middlesex (later 2nd Duke of Dorset)
Lord John Sackville (father of John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset)
Lord George Sackville (later Lord George Germain and 1st Viscount Sackville)

They also had two daughters:

Elizabeth, who married Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth
Carolline, who married Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester.

References

"Sackville, Lionel Cranfield" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Honorary titles
Preceded by The Duke of Cumberland	Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1708–1712	Succeeded by The Duke of Ormonde
Preceded by The 1st Earl of Rockingham	Custos Rotulorum of Kent 1724–1765	Succeeded by The Duke of Dorset
Preceded by The 1st Earl of Rockingham	Vice-Admiral of Kent 1725–1765	Vacant Title next held by The Earl Camden
Preceded by The Earl of Leicester	Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1727–1765	Succeeded by The Earl of Holdernesse
Preceded by The 3rd Earl of Rockingham	Lord Lieutenant of Kent 1746–1765	Succeeded by The Duke of Dorset
Preceded by Sir Paul Methuen	Senior Privy Counsellor 1757–1765	Succeeded by The Duke of Newcastle
Court offices
Preceded by The Duchess of Somerset	Groom of the Stole 1714–1719	Succeeded by The Earl of Sunderland
Political offices
Preceded by The Duke of Argyll	Lord Steward 1725–1730	Succeeded by The Earl of Chesterfield
Preceded by The Lord King	Lord High Steward 1727	Succeeded by The Lord Hardwicke
Preceded by The Lord Carteret	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1730–1737	Succeeded by The Duke of Devonshire
Preceded by The Duke of Devonshire	Lord Steward 1737–1744	Succeeded by The Duke of Devonshire
Preceded by The Earl of Harrington	Lord President of the Council 1745–1751	Succeeded by The Earl Granville
Preceded by The Earl of Harrington	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1750–1755	Succeeded by Marquess of Hartington
Preceded by Marquess of Hartington	Master of the Horse 1755–1757	Succeeded by The Earl Gower
Peerage of England
New creation	Duke of Dorset 1720–1765	Succeeded by Charles Sackville
Preceded by Charles Sackville	Earl of Dorset 1706–1765	Succeeded by Charles Sackville

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Cabinet of Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole (1730–1742)
Southern Secretary	The Duke of Newcastle (1730–1742)
Northern Secretary	The Lord Harrington (1730–1742)
Lord Chancellor	The Lord King (1730–1733) The Lord Talbot (1733–1737) The Lord Hardwicke (1737–1742)
Lord President of the Council	The Lord Trevor (1730) The Earl of Wilmington (1730–1742)
Lord Privy Seal	The Earl of Wilmington (1730–1731) The Duke of Devonshire (1731–1733) The Viscount Lonsdale (1733–1735) The Earl of Godolphin (1735–1740) The Lord Hervey of Ickworth (1740–1742)
First Lord of the Admiralty	The Viscount Torrington (1730–1733) Sir Charles Wager (1733–1742)
Master-General of the Ordnance	The Duke of Argyll (1730–1740) The Duke of Montagu (1740–1742)
Paymaster of the Forces	Henry Pelham (1730–1742)
Lord Steward	The Earl of Chesterfield (1730–1733) The Duke of Devonshire (1733–1737) The Duke of Dorset (1737–1742)
Lord Chamberlain	The Duke of Grafton (1730–1742)

Cabinet of Sir Robert Walpole and The Viscount Townshend (1721–1730)
First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer Leader of the House of Commons	Sir Robert Walpole (1721–1730)
Northern Secretary	The Viscount Townshend (1721–1730)
Southern Secretary	The Earl Granville (1721–1724) The Duke of Newcastle (1724–1730)
Lord Chancellor	The Earl of Macclesfield (1721–1725) The Lord King (1725–1730)
Lord President of the Council	The Duke of Kingston (1721–1726) The Lord Trevor (1726–1730)
Lord Privy Seal	The Viscount Townshend (1721) The Lord Carleton (1721–1725) The Duke of Devonshire (1725–1730) The Lord Trevor (1730)
First Lord of the Admiralty	The Earl of Berkeley (1721–1727) The Viscount Torrington (1727–1730)
Master-General of the Ordnance	The Duke of Marlborough (1721–1722) The Earl Cadogan (1722–1725) The Duke of Argyll (1725–1730)
Paymaster of the Forces	The Lord Cornwallis (1721–1722) The Earl of Wilmington (1722–1730)
Lord Steward	The Duke of Argyll (1721–1725) The Duke of Dorset (1725–1730)
Lord Chamberlain	The Duke of Newcastle (1721–1724) The Duke of Grafton (1724–1730)
Master of the Horse	The Earl of Scarbrough (1727–1730)