Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater


Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, known as Viscount Brackley from 1687 to 1701 and as the 4th Earl of Bridgewater from 1701 to 1720, was a British peer, courtier and pioneering landowner.
Born of the Egerton family, he succeeded as 4th Earl of Bridgewater in 1701, before being created Duke of Bridgewater on 18 June 1720, with subsidiary titles including Marquess of Brackley.

Early life

Scroop Egerton was born on 11 August 1681, the third son of John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater and his second wife Lady Jane Paulet. His maternal grandparents were Charles Paulet, 1st Duke of Bolton and his second wife Mary Scrope, natural daughter of Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland.
Scroop Egerton is recorded as being educated at the Whitgift School, Croydon.

Career

Bridgewater served twice as Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, first from 1702 to 1711 and next from 1714 to 1728, being a Whig. He was first appointed to the household of Prince George as Gentleman of the Bedchamber and Master of the Horse. He later served as Lord Chamberlain to Caroline, Princess of Wales, and subsequently as Lord of the Bedchamber to her husband as King George II.
Scroop Egerton commissioned the building of Brackley's new Town Hall in 1704.

Family life

On 9 February 1703, Bridgewater married his first wife Lady Elizabeth, daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough; they had two children:
On 4 August 1722, Bridgewater married his second wife Lady Rachel, daughter of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife Elizabeth née Howland; they had seven children: