William Courtenay, 11th Earl of Devon

William Reginald Courtenay, 11th Earl of Devon, PC (April 14, 1807-November 18, 1888), known as Lord Courtenay from 1835 to 1859, was a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1866 to 1867 and as President of the Poor Law Board from 1867 to 1868.

Devon was the eldest son of William Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon and his first wife Harriet Leslie Pepys, daughter of Sir Lucas Pepys, Bt. He was educated at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford, and was called to the Bar, Lincoln's Inn, in 1832. In 1841 Devon was elected to Parliament for South Devon as a Tory. However, when the Tories split over the Corn Laws in 1846, he joined the Peelites. In 1849 Devon was appointed poor-law inspector and retired from the House of Commons. He then served as secretary to the Poor Law Board from 1850 to 1859. The latter year he succeeded his father and took his seat in the House of Lords. He had returned to the Conservative Party (the official name of the Tory Party since the 1850’s) before his succession, and when the party came to power in 1866 under the Earl of Derby, Devon was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (although without a seat in the cabinet) and admitted to the Privy Council. He remained in this post until May the following year, when he became President of the Poor Law Board. However, in contrast to his predecessor in the post, Gathorne Hardy, he was not included in the cabinet this time either. Devon continued as President of the Poor Law Board until the Conservatives lost power in December 1868. After this he stopped taking an active part in politics.

Apart from his participation in national politics, Devon was heavily involved in local affairs and charitable causes in his home county of Devon. Regarded as the most influential man in the county, he notably served as a director and later as chairman of the Bristol and Exeter Railway. Known as “the good earl”, a statue of him was erected in Exeter, paid for by public subscription.

Lord Devon married Lady Elizabeth Fortescue, daughter of Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Fortescue, in 1830. They had three sons and one daughter. Lord Devon died at his seat of Powderham Castle in November 1888, aged 81. He was succeeded in the earldom by his youngest but only surviving son Edward, Lord Courtenay.