Charles Loftus, 1st Marquess of Ely
Charles Tottenham Loftus, 1st Marquess of Ely, KP, PC (23 January 1738 – 22 March 1806) was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician.
Born Charles Tottenham, he assumed the additional surname of Loftus in 1783, after inheriting the estates of his uncle Henry Loftus, 1st Earl of Ely. He was the only son of Sir John Tottenham, 1st Baronet of Loftus Hall, County Wexford, (died 1786), by Henry Loftus' sister Elizabeth (died 1747).
He represented Fethard (County Wexford) in the Irish House of Commons from 1776 to 1783. In the latter year, he stood as Member of Parliament for Wexford Borough, a seat he held until 1785, when he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Loftus of Loftus Hall, County Wexford. From 14 January 1789 until 1806 Loftus was one of the joint Postmasters General of Ireland.[1] In 1789 he was furthered honoured with the title Viscount Loftus and in 1794 he was made Earl of Ely. He became Marquess of Ely on 29 December 1800 and was appointed a Knight of the Order of St Patrick on 12 December 1794.[2] In 1801 he was made Baron Loftus of Long Loftus, Yorkshire in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which entitled him and his successors to a seat in the House of Lords.
He married in 1766 Jane Myhill (died 1807), daughter of Robert Myhill, of Killarney, Co. Kilkenny,[3] and Mary Billingsley, and had two sons, John, his heir, and Robert, Bishop of Clogher.
References
- Ross, Charles (1859). Correspondence of Charles, First Marquis Cornwallis, Volume 2. London: John Murray. p. 449.
- Rayment, Leigh. "Knights of the Order of St Patrick". Retrieved 13 December 2008.
- Killarney, Co. Kilkenny (a townland), as per her Memorial at Bath Abbey
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Charles Loftus, 1st Marquess of Ely
| Parliament of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Tottenham Arthur Loftus |
Member of Parliament for Fethard 1776–1783 With: Robert Hellen 1776–1779 Ponsonby Tottenham 1779–1783 |
Succeeded by Ephraim Carroll Ponsonby Tottenham |
| Preceded by Richard Le Hunt Richard Nevill |
Member of Parliament for Wexford Borough 1783–1785 With: Richard Nevill |
Succeeded by Richard Nevill Francis Leigh |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| New creation | Marquess of Ely 1800–1806 |
Succeeded by John Loftus |
| Earl of Ely 1794–1806 | ||
| Viscount Loftus 1789–1806 | ||
| Baron Loftus 1785–1806 | ||
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baron Loftus 1801–1806 |
Succeeded by John Loftus |
| Baronetage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by John Tottenham |
Baronet (of Loftus Hall, Wexford) 1786–1806 |
Succeeded by John Loftus |