William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth

William Legge 2nd Earl of Dartmouth PC, FRS (June 20 1731 – July 7 1801) was a British statesman who is most remembered for his part in the government before and during the American Revolution. For King George III, Dartmouth was the 2nd Secretary of State for the Colonies, serving from 1772 to 1775. He was a large donor to and the leading trustee for the English trust that would finance the establishment of Dartmouth College, formed to educate the children of the natives and of 'English youth' in the New Hampshire wilderness. It is named in his honor.

In London, the Earl of Dartmouth was a supporter of the new Foundling Hospital, a charitable institution for the care and maintenance of London's abandoned children. He served as a vice president of the organization from 1755 until his death. The famous painter Sir Joshua Reynolds painted the Earl's portrait and donated it to the hospital. The portrait is still in the Foundling Hospital Collection and can be seen at the Foundling Museum in London. He was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society on 7 November 1754. [cite web | url=http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=1727 | title=Lists of Royal Society Fellows | accessdate=2006-12-15]

It was Lord Dartmouth who, in 1764, at the suggestion of Thomas Haweis, recommended John Newton, the former slave trader, to the Bishop of Chester, and was instrumental in his being accepted for the Anglican ministry.

The Dartmouth family lived at Sandwell Hall (since demolished) in the Sandwell Valley.

Bibliography

*R.H. Nichols and F A. Wray, "The History of the Foundling Hospital" (London: Oxford University Press, 1935).
*His role in Black Country Methodism is mentioned in David Hallam's book "Eliza Asbury", the mother of Bishop Francis Asbury.

References