Wadham Wyndham (1793-1849)

Wadham Wyndham (1793-1849) DL JP was the eldest son of Colonel Wadham Wyndham and a politically influential figure in the county of Buckinghamshire in the first half of the 19th century. [Wyndham, the Hon H A, "A Family History, The Wyndhams of Somerset, Sussex and Wilstshire", 1950.]

Background

Inheriting a considerable fortune from his father in 1813 [ [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/search-results.asp?CatID=6&searchType=quicksearch&pagenumber=1&query=wadham+wyndham&first_date=&last_date=&queryType=1&sortSpec=Score+desc&pagetitle= The National Archives/will of Wadham Wyndham of Bloomsbury proved on 9 January 1813] . ] , including Buckinghamshire property originally owned by George Dodington, 1st Baron Melcombe of Hellfire Club fame, Wadham acquired Beech Lodge near Great Marlow to concentrate on supporting the political ambitions and career of his friend and cousin Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, known from 1822-1839 by the courtesy title of Marquess of Chandos. Chandos became MP for Buckinghamshire in 1818 and remained MP until succeeding to the dukedom in 1839.

Political activities

He was a constant and vigorous supporter of the Marquess of Chandos throughout his time as MP and later Lord Privy Seal until Chandos retired from government in 1842. He is particularly remembered for organising a series of large and successful political dinners [ [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dutillieul/ZWindsorEtonExpress/W.html Windsor and Eton Express Master Index by Surname] ] , a familiar feature of early 19th century politics, during Chandos's long and not entirely popular opposition to the repeal of the Corn Laws [ [http://www.dukesofbuckingham.org The Dukes of Buckingham & Chandos - reference to the 2nd Duke of Bickingham] ]

Wadham's rewards for unwavering political loyalty were in customary currency of the time; for example he was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire during the time Chandos was Lord Lieutenant of the county, and made Captain of the 2nd Bucks Regiment of Yeomanry when Chandos, as 2nd Duke of Buckingham, became its Colonel in 1839 [ [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dutillieul/ZWindsorEtonExpress/W.html Windsor and Eton Express Master Index by Surname] ] .

Family life

He married Anne Stanley [ [http://holmesacourt.org/d8/i0003066.htm#i3066 Holmes à Court Family History/Wadham Wyndham] ] , daughter of the Rev Edward Stanley of Dublin, and had eight children including Colonel Arthur Wyndham of the fifth regiment of Native Infantry of the Honourable East India Company [ [http://holmesacourt.org/d9/i0003054.htm Holmes à Court Family History/Lt Col Arthur Wyndham] ] and Florance Wyndham inventor of Esprit des Oeufs, or Egg Spirit as he often referred to it [Letters from Wadham Wyndham to his brother Alexander Wyndham in Australia, Private Collection] , a commercial bottling of a kind of eggnog which achieved great popularity and a global distribution in the second half of the 19th century.

The Duke of Buckingham stood Godfather to Wadham's second son Chandos [Parish Records of All Saints Church, Marlow] , born in 1828, though the child did not survive into adulthood. Wadham Wyndham died from bronchitis with asthma in 1849 [The National Archives/Death Certificate] .

References