Lord Charles Spencer

Lord Charles Spencer PC (31 March 1740 – 16 June 1820) was a British courtier and politician from the Spencer family who sat in the House of Commons between 1761 and 1801.

The Right Honourable Lord Charles Spencer PC
Portrait of Lord Charles Spencer, by Joshua Reynolds
Joint Postmaster General
In office 1801–1806 Serving with The Lord Auckland (1801–1804) The Duke of Montrose (1804–1806)
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Henry Addington William Pitt the Younger
Preceded by	The Lord Auckland Earl Gower
Succeeded by	The Earl of Carysfort The Earl of Buckinghamshire
Master of the Mint
In office 1806–1806
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	William Pitt the Younger
Preceded by	The Earl Bathurst
Succeeded by	Charles Bathurst
Personal details
Born	(1740-03-31)31 March 1740
Died	16 June 1820(1820-06-16) (aged 80)
Nationality	British
Spouse	Mary Beauclerk ​ ​ (m. 1762; died 1812)​
Children	Robert Spencer John Spencer William Robert Spencer
Parent(s)	Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough Hon. Elizabeth Trevor

Early life

Spencer was born on 31 March 1740. He was the second son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, and the Hon. Elizabeth Trevor, daughter of Thomas Trevor, 2nd Baron Trevor. George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough, was his elder brother.^[1]

Career

Spencer sat as Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire from 1761 to 1790 and 1796 to 1801^[2] and was sworn of the Privy Council in 1763.^[3]

He served as Comptroller of the Household from 1763 to 1765, as a Junior Lord of the Admiralty from 1768 to 1779 and as Treasurer of the Chamber from 1779 to 1782, when that sinecure post was abolished. He was later Postmaster General from 1801 to 1806 and Master of the Mint in 1806. From 1806 until his death, he was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to George III.^[4]

Personal life

Portrait of Lady Charles Spencer by Sir Joshua Reynolds

On 2 October 1762, Spencer was married to Lady Mary Beauclerk (1743–1812), a daughter of Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere and the sister of Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans.^[5] Together, they had three sons:^[6]

• Robert Spencer (1764–1831), who married Henrietta (née Fawkener) Bouverie, a daughter of Sir Everard Fawkener,^[7] and widow of Hon. Edward Bouverie, in 1811.^[8]
• John Spencer (1767–1831), MP for Wilton who married his cousin, Lady Elizabeth Spencer, a daughter of the 4th Duke of Marlborough.^[9]
• William Robert Spencer (1769–1834), who married Countess Susan von Jenison-Walworth.^[10]

Lady Charles died in January 1812 aged 68. Charles survived her by eight years and died in June 1820, aged 80.^[1]