Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn

Edward Gordon Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn (born Douglas; 20 June 1800 – 31 March 1886), was a British Conservative Party politician, landowner in Wales. He played a major part in the development of the Welsh slate industry.

Life "Slate". Caricature by "Spy" (Leslie Ward) published in Vanity Fair in 1882.

Penrhyn was the younger son of the Hon. John Douglas and his wife, Lady Frances Lascelles, daughter of the 1st Earl of Harewood. The 14th Earl of Morton was his paternal grandfather and The 17th Earl of Morton was his elder brother. He served as an officer in the Grenadier Guards.

He inherited the Penrhyn Estate near Bangor in north-west Wales through his wife's father, George Hay Dawkins-Pennant, and changed his name to Douglas-Pennant by Royal licence in 1841.

In 1866, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Penrhyn, of Llandegai in the County of Carnarvon.

The village of Llandygai was developed by Lord Penrhyn as a 'model village' for his estate workers, in which 'no corrupting alehouse' was permitted. The village lies immediately outside of the walls of the Penrhyn Castle demesne walls, with the entrance to the village being some 100m from the castle's Grand Lodge. Pennant loaned the land the village was to be built on as a 30-year lease to the quarrymen who were to live there. The quarrymen built the entire village infrastructure and buildings with no help from Pennant, but 30 years later he took full ownership of the land and village.

Lord Penrhyn died in 1886, aged 85.

Hon. Caroline Elizabeth Emma (20 May 1834 – 1 June 1924), married in 1857 James McGarel-Hogg, 1st Baron Magheramorne Hon. Emma Juliana Sophia (17 July 1835 – 11 August 1909), died unmarried Major Hon. George Sholto Gordon (30 September 1836 – 10 March 1907), married firstly in 1860, Pamela Blanche (died 1989), daughter of Sir Charles Rushout Rushout, 2nd Baronet; secondly to Gertrude Jessy, daughter of Rev. Henry Glynne, M.P. Hon. Archibald Charles Henry (22 November 1837 – 7 September 1884), married in 1865, Hon. Harriet Ella Gifford, daughter of Robert Gifford, 2nd Baron Gifford; father of Frank Douglas-Pennant, 5th Baron Penrhyn Hon. Eleanor Frances Susan (12 December 1838 – 13 September 1919) Harriet (20–24 June 1840), died in infancy

After her death, he married, secondly, Lady Maria Louisa, daughter of Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton, in 1846. They had five daughters: