Fitzwilliam

Fitzwilliam, WILLIAM, Earl Fitzwilliam, was born in 1748, and, succeeding his father in 1756, took his seat in the House of Lords in 1769. He at first opposed Pitt, to whom he afterwards went over, with a considerable portion of the Whig party, owing to the excesses of the French Revolution. As lord-lieutenant for three months of Ireland (1794-95), where his warm support of Catholic emancipation aroused enthusiastic hopes, he was considered by Pitt too liberal; and his recall was followed by the rebellion of 1798. He was president of the council in the Grenville ministry, in 1806, and took some part in the Reform Bill agitation. He died 8th February 1833.