Lady Harriet Villiers (1680 – 21 October 1736) was an Anglo-Irish noblewoman who was the mother and grandmother of two British prime ministers, William Pitt the elder and William Pitt the younger.[1]
Harriet Villiers | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1680 Blandford Forum, Dorset, England |
| Died | 21 October 1736 England |
| Buried | Layston, Buntingford, Hertfordshire |
| Spouse(s) | Robert Pitt |
| Issue Detail | Thomas Pitt William Pitt Harriot Villiers Catherine Pitt |
| Father | Edward FitzGerald-Villiers |
| Mother | Katherine FitzGerald |
Family
editVilliers was born into Anglo-Irish nobility as the daughter of Edward FitzGerald-Villiers and the Irish heiress Katherine FitzGerald.[2]
Life
editIn 1704, she married Robert Pitt, who was elected to the House of Commons in the 1705 general election.[3] Together Harriet and Robert had four children:
- Thomas Pitt, who was an MP[4]
- William Pitt, who was an MP and prime minister (1756–57, 1757–1762 and 1766–1768)[5]
- Harriot Pitt married William Corbet MP.[6]
- Catherine Pitt married Robert Nedham MP.[7]
Death
editVilliers died in 1736 and was buried at Layston Church in Buntingford, Hertfordshire.[8] Her mother and her son are buried at Westminster Abbey.
References
edit- ^ "Pitt, Harriet, (c1675-1736)". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ "William Pitt, the Elder | Prime Minister of UK & Father of Modern Conservatism | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ "Lady Harriet Villiers (I3347)". University of Stanford.
- ^ "PITT, Thomas (c.1705-61), of Boconnoc, Cornw. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ pixeltocode.uk, PixelToCode. "William Pitt and family". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ "CORBET, William (1702-48), of Stoke, Salop. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ "NEDHAM, Robert (?1703-62), of Howbery Park, Oxon. and Mourne Park, co Down. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ "Harriet VILLIERS". www.laystonchurch.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-07.