$30 
Thomas Rosville, of Little Motte, Binsford, 
in Kent. and grand-daughter of Sir Francis 
Wryatt, of Boxley-abbey, he left three sons 
and four danghters, Sir Robert Marsham, 
bart. his eldest male issue, and the first Lord 
Romney, served, like his'father, during three 
parliaments, for the borough’ of Maidstone; 
this occurred in the reign of Anne; and, in 
the first year of George I. he’ was once more 
re-clected, Having been considered as a great 
estickler for the Protestant succession, and 
having attained such eminence as tobe cho-+ 
sen one of the managers for inquiring-into 
the conduct of the Bolingbroke and Oxford 
administration, the first prince of the housé 
of Brunswick determined to ennoble him: 
he was accordingly created a peer of the realm, 
by the title of Lord Romney in Kent, by 
letters patent, bearing date June 25, 1716; 
and, in 1717, he was nominated governor of 
Dover-castle. This nobleman married Eliza- 
beth, daughter and co-heir of the celebrated 
admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovel, originally ap- 
prehtice to a shoemaker, afterwards a cabin 
boy, and finally a gallant sea officer, who re- 
presented Rochester in parliament, and resided 
for many years at May-place, near Bexley- 
heath, in Kent, being owner of that man- 
sion, as well as of several other possessions in 
that neighbourhood. On Lerd Romney’s 
death*, in 1724, he was succeeded by his son 
Robert, in both honors and estates. That 
nobleman, born in 1712, possessed considera- 
ble learning, great taste, anda correct judg- 
ment. While at the uhiversity, he obtained 
the degree of LL.D. and alterwards distin- 
guished himself by his zeal, as president of 
the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, 
Manufactures, and Commerce; the members 
of which, in return, have placed his picture 
in a conspicuous situation in their great room. 
After a life generally dedicated to rural pleas 
sures, and the independence of a country life, 
he was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, by 
MissPym, of St.Christopher’s, with whom the 
family obtained the West-India plantations. 
Charles Marsham, third Lord and first Earl of 
Romney, of whom we now treat, was born 
- September 28, 1744. Having an elder bro- 
thert thenalive, he was destined eitherfor the 
navy or army; but, on his demise, after re- 
ceiving a liberal education, he was sent 
abroad on his travels. Soon after his return, 
he was elected for the borough of Maidstone, 
within a short distance of the family mansion, 
3n,1774, Mr. M. became a candidate for the 
gounty, and succeeded; on which occasion 
he served along with Mr, Knight. In 1780, 
and 1784, Filmer Honeywood was his col- 
league; and he might have been chosen again 
in 1790, had not the state of his fatler’s 
health exhibited the most unequivocal marks 
of an approaching dissolution. Anterior to 
this period, and when he was thirty-two 
* The Hon. Robert Pym Marsham. —_ 
+ Lord Romney was sent first to Eton, and 
then to Oxford. 
Adcotint of the late Earl of Romney. 
ee Ee 
(May, 
years of age, (August 30, 1776,) he married 
Lady Franges Wyndham, daughter of the late 
and sister to the preaent Earl of Egremont: 
Withrthis amiable and accomplished woman 
he lived happily for many years; and, having 
settled at Wanham, near Reigate, in Surrey, 
and rebuilt the house, her ladyship, who 
possessed’ a fine taste for ornamental garden. 
ing; laid/out the grounds with great ability. 
The same employment afterwards occupied 
her leisure hours ‘at the Mote, which was 
planned on a greater scale; and it has been 
said, that her death was occasioned by long 
and continued exertions on the latter occa- 
sion. Mr. Marsham’s conduct, as knight of 
the shire, was at once manly and merito- 
rious, having opposed the American war, and 
protested loudly against all Lord North’s 
measures on that occasion. He: also loudly 
condemned, as “ unconstitutional,” the mea+ 
sure of garrisoning Gibraltar and Port Mahow 
with ‘ foreign troops.” He, however, ope 
posed Mr, Fox’s India bilh with equal zeal, 
although he afterwards laboured for a coalis 
tion between him and Mr. Pitt. He also 
Opposed the extravagant fortification scheme, 
Proposed by the late Duke of Richmond, 
while master-general of the ordnance; and 
acted a noble and independent part relative to 
the militia, which he wished to be embodis 
ed, employed, and called forth every year; as 
constituting the’sole legitimate“and constitu- 
tional defence of the country. In 1786, he 
introduced a bill for securing the freedom of 
election, by excluding persons holding places 
in the navy and ordnance from voting for 
members of Parliament; but the question 
was lost, ona division, by a majority of 76s 
Having succeeded his father as a peer, in 
1793, Lord Romney appears to have taken 
the alarm at the then situation of this coun- 
try, and, 1797, we find him proposing a 
voluntary patriotic donation, in aid of the 
public taxes, to which he himself offered 
to subscribe five thousand pounds. But al~ 
though he supported the war with France, 
yet Lord R. in 1800, censured the ministers 
freely, for their reluctance to negotiate with 
the First Consul. In private life, this ‘no+~ 
bleman was attached to agricultural pursuits, 
and kept a large farm in his own hands, upe 
wards of forty: acres of which consisted of 
hop grounds, He also pulled down the old 
family mansion, known by the appellation of 
the Mote, and erected a new one in its place, 
within a quarter of a mile of the ancient sites 
On the ‘ist of August, 1799, his lordship 
eatertained a bady of near* 6000 voluntcerss 
- all 
* The exact number of guests amounted to. 
5839. On this occasion, Lieutenant-Gencral — 
Earl Grey acted’as commander-in-chief, Licu= 
tenant-General Sir Robert Lawrie, bart, coms 
manded the cavalry, and the Hon. Lieu.’ 
tenant-General Fox the infantry, with Major 
General Pigot, and his Rx H. Majer-General’ _ 
; Prince 
