suc. fa. 16 Oct. 1714 as 9th Bar. CHANDOS; cr. 19 Oct. 1714 earl of CARNARVON; cr. 29 Apr. 1719 duke of CHANDOS
First sat 21 Mar. 1715; last sat 9 Dec. 1743
MP Hereford 1698-16 Oct. 1714
b. 6 Jan. 1674;1 4th but 1st surv. s. of James Brydges, 8th Bar. Chandos of Sudeley and Elizabeth (1643-1719), da. and coh. of Sir Henry Barnard (d.1680), of St Dunstan-in-the-East, London, and Bridgnorth, Salop.; educ. Westminster 1686, New Coll., Oxf. 1690-92, Wolfenbüttel acad. 1692-4, L. Temple 1710; m. (1) 27 Feb. 1696 Mary (d. 15 Dec. 1712), da. of Sir Thomas Lake of Canons Park, Stanmore, Mdx, 6s. (5 d.v.p.), 3da. d.v.p., (2) 4 Aug. 1713 Cassandra (d. 16 July 1735), da. of Francis Willoughby of Wollaton, Notts. and Middleton, Warws., sis. of Thomas Middleton, Bar. Middleton, s.p., (3) 18 Apr. 1736 Lydia Catherine (d. 18 Nov. 1750), da. of John van Hatten of St Swithin’s, London and wid. of Sir Thomas Davall II‡ of Ramsey, Essex, s.p.; d. 9 Aug. 1744; will 14 Apr. 1742-13 July 1743, pr. 4 Sept. 1744.2
Commr. public accounts 1702-3, subscriptions to S. Sea Co. 1711; mbr., council of ld. high adm. 1703-5; paymaster-gen., forces abroad 1705-13; jt. clerk of hanaper (in reversion) 1714; PC 11 Nov. 1721-d.
Ld. lt. and custos rot., Herefs. 1721-41, Rad. 1721-d.; steward, Cantremeleneth, Rad. 1721; chanc., St Andrews Univ. 1724-d.; ranger, Enfield Chase c.1728-d.
FRS 1694; freeman, Old E.I. Co. 1700; gov., Levant Co. 1718-36, Charterhouse by 1721-d., Foundling Hosp. 1739.
Associated with: Albemarle St., Westminster (from 1710); Cannons, Stanmore, Mdx. (from 1713); Chandos House, St James’s Sq., Westminster (from 1720).
Likenesses: oil on canvas by Herman van der Myn, bef. 1726, Beningbrough Hall, NPG 530; oil on canvas by Michael Dahl, c.1719, Berger Collection, Denver Art Museum.
As a relentlessly ambitious and unscrupulous young man, James Brydges, the heir presumptive of the Tory James Brydges, 8th Baron Chandos, linked his fortune to that of John Churchill, duke of Marlborough. Marlborough ensured his appointment in 1705 as paymaster general for the forces abroad. Brydges exercised this office until the end of the war, growing extravagantly wealthy in the process by methods which even contemporaries considered underhanded. Owing to his role in the successful war against France, Brydges thought himself overdue for some mark of royal favour at the Hanoverian succession. He was able to procure from George I a warrant to make his ailing and aged father earl of Carnarvon, so that Brydges would succeed to a higher-ranking title. The plan was frustrated by his father’s death on 16 Oct. 1714 before the warrant for his elevation could be executed, and Brydges had to settle initially for succession as 9th Baron Chandos. His desired promotion was however quickly conferred on him when he was created earl of Carnarvon three days later, among the coronation honours of 19 Oct. 1714. He was later raised to be duke of Chandos on 29 Apr. 1719.
Brydges thus became a nominal member of the House of Lords during the period covered by these volumes, but he did not actually take his seat until the first meeting of George I’s Parliament on 21 Mar. 1715. His political career under the Hanoverians will thus be covered in more detail in the succeeding parts of this series.
C.G.D.L.