Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham

Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham PC (October 24, 1675–September 14, 1749) was a British soldier and politician.

Temple was born to a Whig family in the family estate of Stowe, located in Buckinghamshire. After attending Eton College and Cambridge University, Temple entered the military; however, at the age of 21, he inherited his father's baronetcy. By the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel, and he became a lieutenant general at 34, which was an extremely young age. He had especially distinguished himself, like many other famous officers, during the Duke of Marlborough's campaigns in the War of the Spanish Succession, especially during the Siege at Lille. He married heiress Anne Halsey, whose wealthy ancestry allowed him to extensively work on the estate of Stowe, while buying off two cousins to keep them from inheriting the estate. When King George I ascended to the throne, he awarded Temple various peerages, first Baron Cobham in 1714, then the Viscounty of Cobham and Baron Cobham (with special remainder) in 1718.

Temple's socioeconomic position moved high with the receipt of these styles and monies. In 1711, he made drastic changes to the estate of Stowe. As he made extensive renovations to the estate, he called upon the royal gardener, Charles Bridgeman, and his friend, John Vanbrugh, a skilled architect. When Vanbrugh died in 1726, though, he was replaced by another skilled architect, James Gibbs. Meanwhile, Cobham had become the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. However, when he began disagreeing with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, he moved to the opposition party, probably causing his replacement by the Duke of Marlborough. Nevertheless, he was ultimately given the rank of field marshal on March 28, 1742.

Cobham was admired by Alexander Pope, and Cobham's gardens were praised by Pope in his "Epistle to Burlington" as a wonder. Pope wrote a "moral epistle" to Cobham in 1733 and published it in 1734 as "The Epistle to Cobham". By 1734, Cobham had gone from government to opposition and had formed a faction in the Whig Party to oppose the Excise Bill of Robert Walpole. Pope praises Cobham as a practical man of the world whose "ruling passion" was service to his country, whatever the cost.

Cobham was also involved in the 1739 creation of the nation's first childcare charity, the Foundling Hospital, for which he was a founding governor.

References

* [http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/lieutenancy/permanent_lieutenants/richard_temple.htm Permanent Lieutenants of Buckinghamshire]