Biography of Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford 1701-1751

Paternal Family Tree: Walpole

In 1700 [his father] Robert Walpole 1st Earl Orford (age 23) and [his mother] Catherine Shorter (age 18) were married. She brought dowry of £20,000.

In 1701 Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford was born to Robert Walpole 1st Earl Orford (age 24) and Catherine Shorter (age 19).

On 26 Mar 1724 Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford (age 23) and Margaret Rolle Countess Orford (age 15) were married. He the son of Robert Walpole 1st Earl Orford (age 47) and Catherine Shorter (age 42).

On 02 Apr 1730 [his son] George Walpole 3rd Earl Orford was born to Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford (age 29) and [his wife] Margaret Rolle Countess Orford (age 21).

On 20 Aug 1737 [his mother] Catherine Shorter (age 55) died.

On 03 Mar 1738 [his father] Robert Walpole 1st Earl Orford (age 61) and [his step-mother] Maria Skerritt (age 36) were married. They had been companions for many years before they married. She bringing £30,000 to the marriage. She appears to have died three months later as a consequence of a miscarriage. The difference in their ages was 25 years.

On 06 Feb 1742 [his father] Robert Walpole 1st Earl Orford (age 65) was created 1st Earl Orford.

On 18 Mar 1745 [his father] Robert Walpole 1st Earl Orford (age 68) died. His son Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford (age 44) succeeded 2nd Earl Orford. [his wife] Margaret Rolle Countess Orford (age 36) by marriage Countess Orford.

In 1751 Sewallis Shirley (age 42) and [his wife] Margaret Rolle Countess Orford (age 41) were married. He the son of Robert Shirley 1st Earl Ferrers and Selina Finch Countess Ferrers (age 69).

In 1751 Hugh Fortescue 1st Earl Clinton (age 55) died unmarried. Earl Clinton extinct. His half brother Matthew Fortescue 2nd Baron Fortescue (age 32) succeeded 2nd Baron Fortescue of Castle Hill. Baron Clinton abeyant between his sister Margaret Fortescue and his second cousin [his wife] Margaret Rolle Countess Orford (age 41).

On 31 May 1751 Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford (age 50) died. On 31 May 1751 His son [his son] George Walpole 3rd Earl Orford (age 21) succeeded 3rd Earl Orford.

Letters of Horace Walpole. 27 Jul 1752. There are great civil wars in the neighbourhood of Strawberry Hill: Princess Emily (age 41), who succeeded my brother in the rangership of Richmond Park, has imitated her brother William's (age 31) unpopularity, and disobliged the whole country, by refusal of tickets and liberties, that had always been allowed. They are at law with her, and have printed in the Evening Post a strong Memorial, which she had refused to receive-.322 The High Sheriff of Surrey, to whom she had denied a ticket, but on better thought had sent one, refused it, and said he had taken his part. Lord Brooke (age 32)323 who had applied for one, was told he could not have one-and to add to the affront, it was signified. that the Princess had refused one to my Lord Chancellor-your old nobility don't understand such comparisons! But the most remarkable event happened to her about three weeks ago. One Mr. Bird, a rich gentleman near the park, was applied to by the late Queen for a piece of ground that lay convenient for a walk she was making: he replied, it was not proper for him to pretend to make a Queen a present; but if she would do what she pleased with the ground, he would be content with the acknowledgment of a key and two bucks a-year. This was religiously observed till the era of her Royal Highness's reign; the bucks were denied, and he himself once shut out, on pretence it was fence-month (the breeding-time, when tickets used to be excluded, keys never.) The Princess soon after was going through his grounds to town; she found a padlock on his gate; she ordered it to be broke open: Mr. Shaw, her deputy, begged a respite, till he could go for the key. He found Mr. Bird at home-"Lord, Sir! here is a strange mistake; the Princess is at the gate, and it is padlocked!" "Mistake! no mistake at all - I made the road: the ground is my own property: her Royal Highness has thought fit to break the agreement which her Royal Mother made with me: nobody goes through my grounds but those I choose should. Translate this to your Florentinese; try if you can make them conceive how pleasant it is to treat blood royal thus!

There are dissensions of more consequence in the same neighbourhood. The tutorhood at Kew is split into factions: the Bishop of Norwich (age 50) and Lord Harcourt (age 38) openly at war with Stone (age 49) and Scott, who are supported by Cresset (age 38), and countenanced by the Princess and Murray-so my Lord Bolinbroke dead, will govern, which he never could living! It is believed that the Bishop will be banished into the rich bishopric of Durham, which is just vacant-how pleasant to be punished, after teaching the boys a year, with as much as he could have got if he had taught them twenty! Will they ever expect a peaceable prelate, if untractableness is thus punished?

Note 322. The memorial will be found in the Gentleman's Magazine for this year. In December the park was opened by the King's order.-E.

Note 323. Francis Greville, Earl Brooke.

On 14 Mar 1760 Margaret Fortescue died unmarried. Her second cousin [his former wife] Margaret Rolle Countess Orford (age 51) abeyance terminated 15th Baroness Clinton.

On 13 Jan 1781 [his former wife] Margaret Rolle Countess Orford (age 71) died. Her son [his son] George Walpole 3rd Earl Orford (age 50) succeeded 16th Baron Clinton.

Letters of Horace Walpole. I now entirely credit all that my Lord Leicester and his family have said against Lady Mary Coke and her family1; and am convinced that it is impossible to marry any thing of the blood of Campbell, without having all her relations in arms to procure a separation immediately. Pray, what have I done? have I come home drunk to my wife within these four first days? or have I sat up gaming all night, and not come home at all to her, after her lady-mother had been persuaded that I was the soberest young nobleman in England, and had the greatest aversion to play'! Have I kept my bride awake all night with railing at her father, when all the world had allowed him to be one of the bravest officers in Europe? In short, in short, I have a mind to take COUNSEL, even of the wisest lawyer now living in matrimonial cases, my Lord Coke * * * If, like other Norfolk husbands, I must entertain the town with a formal parting, at least it shall be in my own way: my wife shall neither 'run to Italy after lovers and books306, nor keep a dormitory in her dressing-room at Whitehall for Westminster schoolboys, your Frederick Campbells, and such like.307 nor 'yet shall she reside at her mother's house, but shall absolutely set out for Strawberry Hill in two or three days, as soon as her room can be well aired; for, to give her her due, I don't think her to blame, but flatter myself she is quite contented with the easy footing we live upon; separate beds, dining in her dressing-room when she is out of humour, and a little toad-eater that I had got for her, and whose pockets and bosom I have never examined, to see if' she brought any billets-doux from Tommy Lyttelton or any of her fellows. I shall follow her myself in less than a fortnight; and if her family don't give me any more trouble,-why, who knows but at your return you may find your daughter with qualms and in a sack? If you should happen to want to know any more particulars, she is quite well, has walked in the park every morning, or has the chariot, as she chooses; and, in short, one would think that I or she were much older than we really are, for I grow excessively fond of her.308

Note 305. Now first published.

Note 306. Alluding to the wife of his eldest brother, Lord Walpole, Margaret Rolle, who had separated Herself from her husband, and resided in Italy.-E.

Note 307. Lady Townshend.-E.

Note 308. All this letter refers to Ann Seymour Conway, then three years old, who had been left with her nurse at Mr. Walpole's, during an absence of her father and mother in Ireland.-E.

Note 1. Mary Campbell had married Edward Coke son of Thomas William Coke 1st Earl of Leicester.

Royal Ancestors of Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford 1701-1751

Kings Wessex: Great x 21 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Gwynedd: Great x 18 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd

Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 24 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth

Kings Powys: Great x 19 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys

Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Kings Scotland: Great x 20 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 17 Grand Son of Louis VII King Franks

Kings France: Great x 14 Grand Son of Philip IV King France

Ancestors of Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford 1701-1751

Great x 3 Grandfather: Calybut Walpole of Houghton

Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Walpole

Great x 1 Grandfather: Edward Walpole of Houghton

Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Barkham

Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Barkham

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Rolfe

Great x 2 Grandmother: Susan Barkham

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Crouch

Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Crouch

GrandFather: Colonel Robert Walpole

Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Crane 1st Baronet

Great x 1 Grandmother: Susan Crane

Great x 4 Grandfather: William Alington

Great x 3 Grandfather: Giles Alington

Great x 2 Grandmother: Susan Alinton

Father: Robert Walpole 1st Earl Orford

Robert Walpole 2nd Earl Orford 12 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: John Shorter

GrandFather: John Short of Bybrook

Mother: Catherine Shorter 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Morgan Philipps

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Philipps 1st Baronet

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fletcher

Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Philipps 2nd Baronet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Perrot 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Anne Elizabeth Perrot Lady Philips 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Jane Prust

Great x 1 Grandfather: Erasmus Philipps 3rd Baronet 9 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

GrandMother: Elizabeth Philipps 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Edward Darcy 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Darcy 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Edward Darcy 8 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 1 Grandmother: Catherine Darcy Lady Philips 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England