My wife's ancestors - Fitzwilliam - Contents

7th Viscount Fitzwilliam

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • F.R. Earp
    • A Descriptive Catalogue of the Pictures in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 1902.
    • The Principal Pictures in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 1912.
    • The Principal Pictures in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 1929.
  • J.W. Goodison
    • Catalogue of Cambridge Portraits I The University Collection, Cambridge University Press, 1955.
    • Catalogue of Paintings in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1977.
  • Horst Gerson, Catalogue of Paintings in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 1960.

Richard Fitzwilliam, 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam,
bapt 22nd Aug 1745,
educ Trinity Hall, Cambridge (MA 1764),
fell in love with local barmaid, father packed him off on Grand Tour to forget her, on his return found the girl married off (aided by his father), vowed never to marry, and didn't [ironic that the father thereby ensured the complete extinction of his entire line and title],
succ 1776, he let Mount Merrion again after his father's death 1776 (see again [Ball, vol.2, 1903] for the tenants),
he lived mainly in the Decker villa (his mother's family house) in Richmond Green, Richmond, Surrey, although he made frequent visits to Mount Merrion,
MP for Wilton for a number of years,
Fellow of Royal Society 1789,
continued the development of Georgian SE Dublin,
Act for enclosing centre of Merrion Square 1791,
Fitzwilliam Square designed from 1789, laid out 1792,
built the new Catholic church at Booterstown 1812,
Act for enclosing centre of Fitzwilliam Square 1813,

he left his vast estates in Ireland to his 1st cousin's son, the 11th Earl of Pembroke, 1816,
although he had two brothers, they were ageing, with no sons (they were also said to have been feeble-minded), and it was clear that the Viscounts Fitzwilliam were dying out, so he decided to dispose of the estate before his death,
apparently he considered leaving his estates to the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam, who, although his family had been involved with Ireland for centuries, and had regarded the 7th Viscount's family as kinsmen, was no proven relation at all [actually, they were obscurely related through Shelley, but he may not have even known this], the Earl also had a seat in Co.Wicklow and was former Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland,
the story goes that the 7th Viscount was appalled by the Earl Fitzwilliam's manners in drinking tea, and resolved in favour of Pembroke [maybe it was the future 5th Earl Fitzwilliam (then age late 20s) that he had for tea],
he founded the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge 1816,
hence the museum's collection traces back to a private collection once started in the house in Mount Merrion,
died 4th Feb 1816, age 70 yrs.

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Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
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Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Photo by Andrew Dunn, 2004.
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Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Photo by Robert Swinney, 2005.
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.

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• During the 7th Viscount's lifetime, Mount Merrion House was occupied by Richard Verschoyle and his wife Barbara Fagan, who acted as agent for the estate.
  [Ball, vol.2, 1903] says: "the seat is still shown in Mount Merrion where that lady used to sit and watch for her husband coming up the straight drive".
  A Catholic, she organised the building of the new Catholic church at Booterstown by the 7th Viscount 1812.
  A plaque inside the church on LHS commemorates her and the 7th Viscount.
  After her husband's death she was agent of the Pembroke estate [Pearson, 1998].
  Shortly before her death in 1837 she persuaded Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea to support the establishment of a convent and school at Booterstown.

• Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge (and images and images and public domain images)
  • Fitzwilliam Museum Society
  • The street opposite the museum is "Fitzwilliam St".

• Fitzwilliam Museum site
  • Search
  • Browse
  • Founders Collection objects with images.
  • Shop

• The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

• Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (and here)
  • History - Fitzwilliam College is thus called purely because it started in a building (18th cent "Halstead House" on Trumpington Street) opposite Fitzwilliam Museum. Halstead House was re-named "Fitzwilliam Hall" in 1892.
  • The Viscounty was extinct by this time, so they asked the Earl Fitzwilliam for permission to use his arms, even though Fitzwilliam Museum and Fitzwilliam St are not linked to his family.