Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset

English peer and politician

His Grace

The Duke of Dorset

KG PC

1719 portrait by Godfrey Kneller

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office
23 June 1730 – 9 April 1737
Monarch| George II
Preceded by| Earl Granville
Succeeded by| Duke of Devonshire
Lord President of the Council
In office
3 January 1745 – 17 June 1751
Monarch| George II
Preceded by| Earl of Harrington
Succeeded by| Earl Granville
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office
15 December 1750 – 2 April 1755
Monarch| George II
Preceded by| Earl of Harrington
Succeeded by| Marquess of Hartington
Personal details
Born| (1688-01-18)18 January 1688
Dorset, England
Died| 10 October 1765(1765-10-10) (aged 77)
Knole, Kent
Spouse|

Elizabeth Colyear

(m. 1709)​

Children|

* Charles
* John
* George
* Elizabeth
* Caroline

Parents|

* Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset
* Lady Mary Compton

Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset KG PC (18 January 1688 - 10 October 1765) was an English peer and politician who served as Lord President of the Council from 1745 to 1751. He also twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1730 to 1737 and again from 1750 to 1755.

## Life

[edit]

He was the son of the 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex, and the former Lady Mary Compton, younger daughter of the 3rd Earl of Northampton. Styled Lord Buckhurst from birth, he succeeded his father as 7th Earl of Dorset and 2nd Earl of Middlesex in 1706, and was created Duke of Dorset in 1720.

Perhaps because he had been on a previous diplomatic mission to Hanover, he was chosen to inform George I of his accession to the Crown in August 1714. George I initially favoured him and numerous offices and honours were given to him: Privy Councillor, Knight of the Garter, Groom of the Stole, Lord Steward, Governor of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports. At George I's coronation he carried the sceptre: at the coronation of George II he was Lord High Steward and carried St Edward's Crown. He quarrelled with the King in 1717 and was told his services were no longer required, but was made a duke three years later.

### Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

[edit]

The Boyne Obelisk, which Sackville laid the foundation stone for on 17 April 1736. It was destroyed in 1923.

Dorset served twice as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, from 1731 to 1737 and again from 1751 to 1755. In 1739, at the foundation of the Foundling Hospital, he was one of that charity's original governors. His first term as Lord Lieutenant was uneventful. His second took place at a time of acute political tension between the two main factions in the Irish Government, one led by Henry Boyle, the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, the other by George Stone, the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh. Dorset, now heavily influenced by his son George Sackville, made the mistake of openly backing the Archbishop. He was unable to oust Boyle from power, and was accused of being the Archbishop's tool. He became extremely unpopular, leading to his eventual recall.

The current O'Connell Street in Dublin was named in his honour Sackville Street until 1924.

### Last years

[edit]

His last years were uneventful, apart from a riot in 1757 caused by the passage of the Militia Act to raise an army for the Seven Years' War, in which he narrowly escaped injury. He died at Knole on 9 October 1765 and was buried at Withyham in Sussex.

## Character

[edit]

Horace Walpole gave this sketch of his character: "with the greatest dignity in his appearance, he was in private the greatest lover of buffoonery and low company.... he was never thought to have wanted a tendency to power, in whatever hands it was, or was likely to be". Jonathan Swift thought him one of the most agreeable and well-informed men, and best conversationalists, he had ever met. Even harsh critics admitted his dignity and perfect decorum, a last legacy of the manners of the Court of Queen Anne.

## Family

[edit]

He married Elizabeth Colyear, the daughter of Lieutenant-General Walter Colyear (brother of the David Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore), in January 1709. She later became a Lady of the Bedchamber (1714–1737) and Mistress of the Robes (1723–1731) to Caroline of Ansbach, wife of George II.

Lionel and Elizabeth's sons were:

* Charles, Earl of Middlesex (later 2nd Duke of Dorset)
* Lord John Sackville (father of John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset)
* Lord George Sackville (later Lord George Germain and 1st Viscount Sackville)

They also had two daughters:

* Elizabeth, who married Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth
* Caroline, who married Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester.

## References

[edit]

* "Sackville, Lionel Cranfield" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset at Wikimedia Commons

Honorary titles

Preceded by

The Duke of Cumberland

|  Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
1708–1712  | Succeeded by

The Duke of Ormonde

Preceded by

The 1st Earl of Rockingham

|  Custos Rotulorum of Kent
1724–1765  | Succeeded by

The Duke of Dorset

Vice-Admiral of Kent
1725–1765  | Vacant

Title next held by

The Earl Camden
Preceded by

The Earl of Leicester

|  Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
1727–1765  | Succeeded by

The Earl of Holdernesse

Preceded by

The 3rd Earl of Rockingham

|  Lord Lieutenant of Kent
1746–1765  | Succeeded by

The Duke of Dorset

Preceded by

Sir Paul Methuen

|  Senior Privy Counsellor
1757–1765  | Succeeded by

The Duke of Newcastle

Court offices
Preceded by

The Duchess of Somerset

|  Groom of the Stole
1714–1719  | Succeeded by

The Earl of Sunderland

Political offices
Preceded by

The Duke of Argyll

|  Lord Steward
1725–1730  | Succeeded by

The Earl of Chesterfield

Preceded by

The Lord King

|  Lord High Steward
1727  | Succeeded by

The Lord Hardwicke

Preceded by

The Lord Carteret

|  Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
1730–1737  | Succeeded by

The Duke of Devonshire

Preceded by

The Duke of Devonshire

|  Lord Steward
1737–1744  | Succeeded by

The Duke of Devonshire

Preceded by

The Earl of Harrington

|  Lord President of the Council
1745–1751  | Succeeded by

The Earl Granville

Preceded by

The Earl of Harrington

|  Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
1750–1755  | Succeeded by

Marquess of Hartington

Preceded by

Marquess of Hartington

|  Master of the Horse
1755–1757  | Succeeded by

The Earl Gower

Peerage of Great Britain
New creation |  Duke of Dorset
1720–1765  | Succeeded by

Charles Sackville

Peerage of England
Preceded by

Charles Sackville

|  Earl of Dorset
Earl of Middlesex
1706–1765  | Succeeded by

Charles Sackville

* v
* t
* e

Cabinet of Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole (1730–1742)

Southern Secretary|

* The Duke of Newcastle (1730–1742)

Northern Secretary|

* The Lord Harrington (1730–1742)

Lord Chancellor|

* The Lord King (1730–1733)
* The Lord Talbot (1733–1737)
* The Lord Hardwicke (1737–1742)

Lord President of the Council|

* The Lord Trevor (1730)
* The Earl of Wilmington (1730–1742)

Lord Privy Seal|

* The Earl of Wilmington (1730–1731)
* The Duke of Devonshire (1731–1733)
* The Viscount Lonsdale (1733–1735)
* The Earl of Godolphin (1735–1740)
* The Lord Hervey of Ickworth (1740–1742)

First Lord of the Admiralty|

* The Viscount Torrington (1730–1733)
* Sir Charles Wager (1733–1742)

Master-General of the Ordnance|

* The Duke of Argyll (1730–1740)
* The Duke of Montagu (1740–1742)

Paymaster of the Forces|

* Henry Pelham (1730–1742)

Lord Steward|

* The Earl of Chesterfield (1730–1733)
* The Duke of Devonshire (1733–1737)
* The Duke of Dorset (1737–1742)

Lord Chamberlain|

* The Duke of Grafton (1730–1742)

* v
* t
* e

Cabinet of Sir Robert Walpole and The Viscount Townshend (1721–1730)

First Lord of the Treasury
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Leader of the House of Commons|

* Sir Robert Walpole (1721–1730)

Northern Secretary|

* The Viscount Townshend (1721–1730)

Southern Secretary|

* The Earl Granville (1721–1724)
* The Duke of Newcastle (1724–1730)

Lord Chancellor|

* The Earl of Macclesfield (1721–1725)
* The Lord King (1725–1730)

Lord President of the Council|

* The Duke of Kingston (1721–1726)
* The Lord Trevor (1726–1730)

Lord Privy Seal|

* The Viscount Townshend (1721)
* The Lord Carleton (1721–1725)
* The Duke of Devonshire (1725–1730)
* The Lord Trevor (1730)

First Lord of the Admiralty|

* The Earl of Berkeley (1721–1727)
* The Viscount Torrington (1727–1730)

Master-General of the Ordnance|

* The Duke of Marlborough (1721–1722)
* The Earl Cadogan (1722–1725)
* The Duke of Argyll (1725–1730)

Paymaster of the Forces|

* The Lord Cornwallis (1721–1722)
* The Earl of Wilmington (1722–1730)

Lord Steward|

* The Duke of Argyll (1721–1725)
* The Duke of Dorset (1725–1730)

Lord Chamberlain|

* The Duke of Newcastle (1721–1724)
* The Duke of Grafton (1724–1730)

Master of the Horse|

* The Earl of Scarbrough (1727–1730)

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