Biography

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Henry Welbore Agar-Ellis, 2nd Viscount Clifden (1761-1836)

Henry Welbore Agar-Ellis, 2nd Viscount Clifden, Lord Clifden, Baron of Gowran in county Kilkenny, and a Peer of Great Britain by the title of Lord Mendip, Baron Mendip in the county of Somerset, Clerk of the Privy Council in Ireland, F.S.A., was born on 22 January 1761.

He was the son of James Agar and Lucia Martin. James Agar, first viscount and baron Clifden, was a privy counsellor in Ireland, one of his majesty's commissioners of the customs, and postmaster-general in Ireland. Prior to his elevation to the peerage, he represented for many years the county of Kilkenny in parliament. On 20 March 1760, James Agar married Lucia, eldest daughter of John Martin, esq., and widow of the hon. Henry-Boyle Walsingham, the second son of Henry, earl of Shannon. She died on 26 July 1802. The couple had several children: Henry, John Ellis; Charles Bagnall; Emily Anne. The first viscount died on 1 January, 1789, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry Welbore, the second viscount, who until his father's death represented the county of Kilkenny in the Irish parliament; and subsequently, until the death of his uncle, lord Mendip the borough of Heytesbury, in the English parliament. He succeeded his great-uncle Welbore, Lord Mendip, in the English Barony, on 5 February 1802. The second Lord Clifden was, perhaps, the only person to sit consecutively in four different Houses of Parliament - the two in Ireland and the two in England.

On 10 March 1792 Clifden married Caroline Spencer, eldest daughter of George, third Duke of Marlborough, K. G., and his wife Caroline Russell, only daughter of John, 4th Duke of Bedford. The Clifdens had two children: Caroline-Anne (26 October 1794 — 12 May 1814) and George James Welbore (14 January 1797 — 1833). He was MP for Heytesbury, F.R.S., F.S. A.

Caroline, Lady Clifden died on 13 November 1813 and her husband died on 13 July 1836 at age 75 at Hanover Square, Mayfair, London, England. He was buried on 31 July 1836 at Twickenham, Middlesex, England. His will was probated in September 1836.