British politician

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.

Contents

• 1 Background
• 2 Political career
• 3 Family
• 4 References

Background

Spencer 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.

Political career

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

Family

Portrait of Lady Charles Spencer by Sir Joshua Reynolds

Spencer married Lady Mary Beauclerk (4 December 1743 – 13 January 1812), daughter of Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere and sister of Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans, on 2 October 1762. They had three sons.

• Robert Spencer (circa 1764 – 1831)
• John Spencer (21 December 1767 – 17 December 1831)
• William Robert Spencer (9 January 1769 – 23 October 1834)

Lady Charles Spencer died in January 1812 aged 68. Spencer survived her by eight years and died in June 1820, aged 80.

References

• Cannon, John (2010) . "Spencer, Charles". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online:ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26118. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)