George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers
Encyclopedia
George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers (1 May 1721 – 7 May 1803) was a British
diplomat and politician.
, the eldest son of George Pitt of Stratfieldsaye
, Hampshire
and his wife Mary Louise Bernier from Strasbourg
. General Sir William Augustus Pitt
was his younger brother. He was educated at Winchester
and Magdalen College, Oxford
, from which he graduated with MA in 1739 and DCL in 1745. He then travelled on the continent
from 1740 to 1742.
at a by-election for Shaftesbury
and sat as a Tory. At the General Election
in 1747, he was returned both for Shaftesbury and for Dorset
and to sit for the County, which he represented continuously until 1774, becoming an independent, supporting the government from the accession of George III.
at Turin
. In 1770 he was appointed Ambassador to Spain
, but was superseded the following year.
. In 1780, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
, but was replaced in 1782, when he became a Lord of the Bedchamber
. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
in 1793. In 1802, be obtained a new patent as Lord Rivers
with special remainder in default of male issue to the husband of his daughter Louisa, William Beckford. Beckford took the surname Pitt-Rivers in 1828, on succeeding to the title and estates of his brother-in-law George Pitt, 2nd Baron Rivers
.
, Surrey
. They had four children:
Their marriage was unhappy and they separated in 1771, living mostly in France and Italy until her death in 1795.
, a fjord
on the Central Coast of British Columbia
, was named by Captain George Vancouver
for George Pitt.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
diplomat and politician.
Background and education
He born in GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, the eldest son of George Pitt of Stratfieldsaye
Stratfield Saye House
Stratfield Saye House is a large stately home at Stratfield Saye in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. It has been the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817.-Early history:...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and his wife Mary Louise Bernier from Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. General Sir William Augustus Pitt
William Augustus Pitt
General Sir William Augustus Pitt KB, PC was a long-serving if undistinguished senior officer of the British Army whose sixty years of service covered several major wars and numerous postings as garrison or regiment commander. He served as MP between 1754 and 1761...
was his younger brother. He was educated at Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, from which he graduated with MA in 1739 and DCL in 1745. He then travelled on the continent
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from 1740 to 1742.
Politics
In 1742, he was elected as a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
at a by-election for Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Shaftesbury was a parliamentary constituency in Dorset. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1295 until 1832 and one member until the constituency was abolished in 1885....
and sat as a Tory. At the General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
in 1747, he was returned both for Shaftesbury and for Dorset
Dorset (UK Parliament constituency)
Dorset was a county constituency covering Dorset in southern England, which elected two Members of Parliament , traditionally known as knights of the shire, to the House of Commons of England from 1290 until 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and to the House of...
and to sit for the County, which he represented continuously until 1774, becoming an independent, supporting the government from the accession of George III.
Diplomacy
From 1761 to 1768, he served as Envoy-extraordinary and Minister-plenitpotentiary to the Kingdom of SardiniaKingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
at Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. In 1770 he was appointed Ambassador to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, but was superseded the following year.
Peerage
In 1776, he was raised to the peerage as Lord RiversBaron Rivers
Baron Rivers was a title that was created four times in British history, twice in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in 1299 when John Rivers was summoned to Parliament as Baron Rivers. The title became...
. In 1780, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. Since 1688, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Hampshire.*William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester 1551–?*William Paulet, 3rd Marquess of Winchester bef...
, but was replaced in 1782, when he became a Lord of the Bedchamber
Lord of the Bedchamber
A Lord of the Bedchamber, previously known as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Household of the King of the United Kingdom and the Prince of Wales. A Lord of the Bedchamber's duties consisted of assisting the King with his dressing, waiting on him when he ate in private,...
. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII, taking over the military duties of the Sheriff and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment of Deputies, and in 1662 the Lord-Lieutenant was given entire control of...
in 1793. In 1802, be obtained a new patent as Lord Rivers
Baron Rivers
Baron Rivers was a title that was created four times in British history, twice in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in 1299 when John Rivers was summoned to Parliament as Baron Rivers. The title became...
with special remainder in default of male issue to the husband of his daughter Louisa, William Beckford. Beckford took the surname Pitt-Rivers in 1828, on succeeding to the title and estates of his brother-in-law George Pitt, 2nd Baron Rivers
George Pitt, 2nd Baron Rivers
George Pitt, 2nd Baron Rivers was a British politician.He was the only son of George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers and his wife Penelope, daughter of Sir Henry Atkins, 4th baronet of Clapham, Surrey. He succeeded his father as Member of Parliament for Dorset in 1774, retaining the seat until 1790. In...
.
Family
In 1746, he married Penelope, daughter of Sir Henry Atkins, 4th Baronet of ClaphamClapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. They had four children:
- George Pitt, 2nd Baron RiversGeorge Pitt, 2nd Baron RiversGeorge Pitt, 2nd Baron Rivers was a British politician.He was the only son of George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers and his wife Penelope, daughter of Sir Henry Atkins, 4th baronet of Clapham, Surrey. He succeeded his father as Member of Parliament for Dorset in 1774, retaining the seat until 1790. In...
(1751–1828) - Hon. Penelope Pitt, married Edward Ligonier, 1st Earl LigonierEdward Ligonier, 1st Earl LigonierLieutenant General Edward Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier KB was a British soldier and courtier. He was the illegitimate son of Col. Francis Augustus Ligonier, the brother of John Ligonier, 1st Earl Ligonier....
in 1766; divorced in 1771 and married Capt. Smith in 1784 - Hon. Louisa Pitt (1754–1791), married Sir Peter BeckfordPeter Beckford (hunter)Sir Peter Beckford , was one of 18th-century English peerage; he was a huntsman, a writer and the patron of the well-known Classical composer, pianist Muzio Clementi...
(1740–1811) on 22 March, 1773 - Hon. Marcia Lucy Pitt (1756–1822), married James Fox-Lane in 1789
Their marriage was unhappy and they separated in 1771, living mostly in France and Italy until her death in 1795.
Legacy
Rivers InletRivers Inlet
Rivers Inlet is a fjord in the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, its entrance from the Dean Channel near that fjord's mouth, about southwest of the community of Bella Coola and about north of the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the western entrance of the...
, a fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
on the Central Coast of British Columbia
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
, was named by Captain George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
for George Pitt.