Charles Douglas-Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton

Charles Douglas-Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton, DL (26 May 1816 – 3 March 1877),^[1] styled Earl Compton from birth until 1851, was a British peer.

Early life

Born Charles Compton at Parliament Street, London, he was the son of Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton and his wife Margaret, eldest daughter of William Douglas-Maclean-Clephane.^[2] In 1831, a year after the death of his mother, he assumed the additional surname Douglas by sign manual.^[3] Douglas-Compton succeeded his father as marquess in 1851.^[4]

He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Master of Arts in 1837.^[5] In 1850, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from the University of Oxford.^[4]

Career

Douglas-Compton was appointed a deputy lieutenant for Argyllshire in 1841.^[2] He was a trustee of the National Gallery (London).^[4] Douglas-Compton inherited Compton Wynyates in Warwickshire and in 1867 he assigned Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt to restore it.^[6]

Personal life

In 1859, he married Theodosia, daughter of Henry Vyner and granddaughter of Robert Vyner, MP for Lincolnshire.^[4] Their marriage was childless and Douglas-Compton was succeeded in his titles by his younger brother William.^[1]

He married secondly Hon. Mary Noel (d. 1719), daughter of Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden (1611 – 29 October 1682) and his third wife Hester Wotton, a daughter of Thomas Wotton, 2nd Baron Wotton

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of Charles Douglas-Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton

Coronet A coronet of an Marquess Crest 1st, on a mount a beacon fired proper, behind it a ribbon inscribed with the words, Nisi Dominus (Compton); 2nd, a sanglier, sticking betwixt two clefts of an oak tree, with a chain and lock holding them, all proper, in a scroll above, Lock sicker (Douglas). Escutcheon Quarterly, 1st and 4th sable, a lion passant guardant or, between three esquires' helmets argent (Compton); 2nd and 3rd quarterly, 1st and 4th argent, a man's heart gules, ensigned with an Imperial crown proper, and on a chief azure, three stars of the first; 2nd and 3rd argent, three piles issuing from a chief gules, on the last two stars of the first, all within a bordure azure, charged with eight buckles or (Douglas). Supporters Dexter, a dragon ermine, ducally gorged and chained or; Sinister, an unicorn argent, horned, maned, hoofed, and tufted sable. Motto Je ne serche qu'un. I seek but one.[7]