Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley 1804-1884

Paternal Family Tree: Colley

Maternal Family Tree: Maria Skerritt 1702-1738

On 20th September 1803 [his father] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 30] and [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Charles Sloane Cadogan 1st Earl Cadogan [aged 74] and [his grandmother] Mary Churchill Countess Cadogan [aged 45]. He the son of Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 61].

On 17th June 1804 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley was born to Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 31] and Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 22] at Hertford Street.

In 1810 [his father] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 36] and [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 28] were divorced by an Act of Parliament following her elopement with [his step-father] Henry Paget [aged 41]. Following the divorce, Wellesley was awarded £20,000 plus costs in damages against Paget.

On 29th November 1810 [his step-father] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 42] and Caroline Elizabeth Villiers Duchess Argyll [aged 35] were divorced by an act of Parliament as a result of his having had an affair with [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 29] whose husband [his father] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 37] also sought a divorce.

After 29th November 1810 [his step-father] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 42] and [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 29] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Charles Sloane Cadogan 1st Earl Cadogan and [his grandmother] Mary Churchill Countess Cadogan [aged 52]. He the son of Henry Bayly-Paget 1st Earl Uxbridge [aged 66] and Jane Champagné Countess Uxbridge [aged 68].

On 4th July 1815 [his step-father] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 47] was created 1st Marquess Anglesey. [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 33] by marriage Marchioness Anglesey.

Around 1817 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 12] educated at Eton College [Map].

Before 1821 [his father] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 47] and [his step-mother] Georgiana Charlotte Augusta Cecil Baroness Cowley were married. She the daughter of James Cecil 1st Marquess Salisbury [aged 72] and Mary Amelia Hill Marchioness Salisbury [aged 70]. He the son of [his grandfather] Garrett Wellesley 1st Earl Mornington and [his grandmother] Anne Hill Countess Mornington [aged 78]. They were second cousin once removed.

In January 1822 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 17] was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford University.

Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet

Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.

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In January 1828 [his father] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 54] was created 1st Baron Cowley. [his step-mother] Georgiana Charlotte Augusta Cecil Baroness Cowley by marriage Baroness Cowley.

In 1831 [his brother-in-law] Robert Grosvenor 1st Baron Ebury [aged 29] and [his sister] Charlotte Arbuthnot Wellesley Baroness Ebury [aged 23] were married. She the daughter of [his father] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 57] and [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 49]. He the son of Robert Grosvenor 1st Marquess Westminster [aged 63] and Eleanor Egerton Marchioness Westminster [aged 60].

On 4th August 1832 [his brother-in-law] John Robert Townshend 1st Earl Sydney [aged 26] and [his illegitimate half-sister] Emily Paget Countess Sydney [aged 22] were married. She the illegitmate daughter of [his step-father] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 64] and [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 51].

On 25th August 1834 [his son] William Henry Wellesley 2nd Earl Cowley was born to Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 30]. He married 8th August 1863 Emily Gwendoline Williams Countess Cowley and had issue.

In 1838 [his daughter] Feodorowna Cecilia Wellesley Viscountess Bertie Thame was born to Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 33]. She married 1874 Francis Bertie 1st Viscount Bertie Thame, son of Montagu Bertie 6th Earl of Abingdon and Elizabeth Lavinia Harcourt Countess Abingdon, and had issue.

On 6th September 1838 [his brother-in-law] John William Montagu 7th Earl Sandwich [aged 26] and [his half-sister] Mary Paget Countess Sandwich [aged 26] were married. She by marriage Countess Sandwich. She the daughter of [his step-father] Henry William Paget 1st Marquess Anglesey [aged 70] and [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 57]. He the son of George Montagu 6th Earl Sandwich and Louisa Lowry-Corry Countess of Sandwich [aged 57].

On 3rd March 1840 [his daughter] Sophia Georgiana Robertina Wellesley Countess Hardwicke was born to Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 35]. She married 1863 Charles Philip "Champagne Charlie" Yorke 5th Earl of Hardwicke, son of Charles Yorke 4th Earl of Hardwicke and Susan Liddell Countess Hardwicke, and had issue.

In 1842 [his son] Cecil Charles Foley Wellesley was born to Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 37].

On 24th May 1844 [his son] Frederick Arthur Wellesley was born to Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 39]. He married 1. 1873 Emma Loftus 2. 1884 Kate Vaughan 3. 1904 Evelyn Katrine Gwenfra Williams Duchess Wellington.

On 27th April 1847 [his father] Henry Wellesley 1st Baron Cowley [aged 74] died. His son Henry [aged 42] succeeded 2nd Baron Cowley.

On 2nd February 1852 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 47] was appointed Privy Council.

Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall

The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.

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On 8th July 1853 [his mother] Charlotte Cadogan Marchioness Anglesey [aged 71] died.

1856 Treaty of Paris

30th March 1856. Édouard Dubufe [aged 36]. The Congress of Paris. Those portayed include Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour, Henry Wellesley [aged 51], Earl Cowley, Karl Ferdinand von Buol-Schauenstein, Aleksej Fëdorovič, Orlov François-Adolphe de Bourqueney, Alexander von Hübner, Otto Theodor von Manteuffel, Alexandre Colonna Walewski, George Villiers [aged 56], Earl of Clarendon, Mehmed Alì Pascià, Philipp von Brunnow, Salvatore Pes, VIII marchese di Villamarina, Max von Hatzfeldt, Mehemmed Djemil Bey, Vincent Benedetti, Napoleone III di Francia [aged 47], Napoleone Bonaparte.

On 11th April 1857 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 52] was created 1st Earl Cowley, 1st Viscount Dangan of Meath.

In September 1857 [his brother-in-law] Robert Grosvenor 1st Baron Ebury [aged 56] was created 1st Baron Ebury. [his sister] Charlotte Arbuthnot Wellesley Baroness Ebury [aged 49] by marriage Baroness Ebury.

On 20th February 1859 [his half-sister] Mary Paget Countess Sandwich [aged 46] died. Her remains were moved to All Saints Church, Barnwell [Map] on 16th June 1884.

In 1863 [his son-in-law] Charles Philip "Champagne Charlie" Yorke 5th Earl of Hardwicke [aged 26] and Sophia Georgiana Robertina Wellesley Countess Hardwicke [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 58]. He the son of Charles Yorke 4th Earl of Hardwicke [aged 63] and Susan Liddell Countess Hardwicke [aged 52].

On 8th August 1863 William Henry Wellesley 2nd Earl Cowley [aged 28] and Emily Gwendoline Williams Countess Cowley [aged 24] were married. He the son of Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 59].

The Times. 3rd February 1866. Her Majesty [aged 46] drove out yesterday morning and afternoon. Mr. Engleheart arrived at Osborne on Thursday, and had the honour of dining with Her Majesty and the Royal family yesterday. The Queen held a Council today, which was attended by Earl Russell [aged 73], Earl de Grey and Ripon [aged 38], and Mr. Guschen.

Mr. Helps was Clerk of the Council.

Earl Cowley [aged 61], [his brother-in-law] Viscount Sydney [aged 60], and Sir Charles Young [aged 70], Garter King of Arms, arrived from London this morning. Lord Cowley was introduced by Lord Sydney, Lord Chamberlain (Sir Charles Young attending with the insignia of the Order of the Garter), and Her Majesty invested Lord Cowley with the Riband and Badge of the Garter.

Earl Russell and Earl de Grey had audiences of Her Majesty.

Note. On 3rd February 1866 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley was appointed 747th Knight of the Garter by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

In 1873 Frederick Arthur Wellesley [aged 28] and Emma Loftus were married. He the son of Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 68].

In 1874 [his son-in-law] Francis Bertie 1st Viscount Bertie Thame [aged 29] and Feodorowna Cecilia Wellesley Viscountess Bertie Thame [aged 36] were married. She the daughter of Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 69]. He the son of Montagu Bertie 6th Earl of Abingdon [aged 65] and Elizabeth Lavinia Harcourt Countess Abingdon.

In 1882 [his son] Frederick Arthur Wellesley [aged 37] and [his daughter-in-law] Emma Loftus were divorced.

In 1884 Frederick Arthur Wellesley [aged 39] and Kate Vaughan [aged 32] were married. He the son of Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 79].

Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'

This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.

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On 15th July 1884 Henry Richard Charles Wellesley 1st Earl Cowley [aged 80] died at 20 Albermarle Street. He was buried at Draycott, Wiltshire. His son William [aged 49] succeeded 2nd Earl Cowley, 2nd Viscount Dangan of Meath, 3rd Baron Cowley. Emily Gwendoline Williams Countess Cowley [aged 45] by marriage Countess Cowley.