Plymouth, the Earls of Morley

PLYMOUTH
DATA

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

THE EARLS OF MORLEY

FIRST EARL OF MORLEY (Earl from 1815-1840)

John Parker was born on May 3rd 1772, the son of John Parker, 1st Lord Boringdon, and his wife Theresa (nee Robinson). He married twice, the first to Lady Augusta Fane on June 20th 1804, from whom he got divorced on February 14th 1809, and the second time to Frances Talbot on August 23rd 1809. He was created Viscount Boringdon of North Molton and the first Earl of Morley on November 29th 1815. The 1st Earl died on March 14th 1840. Frances died on December 7th 1857.

SECOND EARL OF MORLEY (Earl from 1840-1864)

The second Earl of Morley was Edmund Parker, the only child of John and Frances Parker. He married Harriet Sophia Parker, the only daughter of Montagu Edmund Parker of Whiteway, Devon, on March 1st 1842. Edmund died on April 28th 1864 and Harriet on February 15th 1897.

THIRD EARL OF MORLEY (Earl from 1864-1905)

Their eldest son, Albert Edmund Parker, born on June 11th 1843, succeed to the peerage as the third Earl of Morley and third Viscount Boringdon, of North Molton, and fourth Baron Boringdon, of Boringdon, on August 28th 1864. He married Miss Margaret Holford, the eldest daughter of Mr Robert Stayner Holford, of Weston Birt House, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, on June 17th 1876. Her father was Deputy-Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Gloucestershire.

Their home was Saltram House, Plympton, but they also had premises at 31 Princes Gardens, London SW.

He was educated at Eton and had a Bachelor of Arts degree from Balliol College, Oxford University. He was a Privy Councillor, a Justice of the Peace, and Deputy-Lieutenant for the County of Devon. He served Her Majesty Queen Victoria as a Lord in Waiting from 1868 to 1874, was Under-Secretary for War from 1880 until 1885 and became the First Commissioner of Public Works in 1886. In 1889 he was appointed Deputy-Speaker of the House of Lords and Chairman of Committees. He also held the post of Chairman of Devon County Council.

FOURTH EARL OF MORLEY onwards

The 3rd Earl had four children both the eldest males inherited the title, Edmund Robert Parker becoming the 4th Earl following the death of his father on February 26th 1905, and his brother Montagu Brownlow Parker, the 5th Earl.

Their younger brother, John Holford Parker, who was born on June 22nd 1886, married the Hon. Marjory Katherine Elizabeth Alexandra St Aubyn and their eldest son, John St Aubyn Parker, became the 6th Earl of Morley. John died on February 27th 1955.