Granville Leveson-Gower

Granville William Gresham Leveson-Gower JP DL FSA (25 February 1838 – 30 May 1895) was a British Liberal Party politician.

Early life Leveson-Gower was born on 25 February 1838 in the prominent Leveson-Gower family. He was the son of William Leveson-Gower of Titsey Place and Emily Josephine Eliza (née Doyle) Leveson-Gower. He was a great-great grandson of John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower, descending from his youngest son, John Leveson-Gower, a Royal Navy officer.

Career Leveson-Gower was elected Liberal MP for Reigate at a by-election in 1863—caused by the succession of William Monson to the peerage as Lord Monson—and held the seat until 1866 when he was unseated due to extensive bribery in the seat. The seat was later disfranchised under the Reform Act 1867.

Personal life In 1861, he married The Hon. Sophia Leigh LJStJ, daughter of Chandos Leigh, 1st Baron Leigh and Margarette (née Willes) Leigh. Sophia's brothers included Sir Edward Chandos Leigh, QC, and James Wentworth Leigh. Together, they lived at Titsey Place, Surrey and had at least ten children:

Margaret Emily Leveson-Gower (1862–1948) Ronald William Leveson-Gower (1863–1889) Granville Charles Leveson-Gower (1865–1948) Ethel Sophie Leveson-Gower (1866–1950) Frederick Archibald Gresham Leveson-Gower (1871–1946) Evelyn Marmaduke Leveson-Gower (1872–1938) Henry Dudley Gresham Leveson-Gower (1873–1954) Cecil Octavius Leveson-Gower (1875–1937) Clement Edward Leveson-Gower (1876–1939) Katherine Ursula Leveson-Gower (1878–1963).

Leveson-Gower died on 30 May 1895.

Book privately printed Granville Leveson Gower, Genealogy of the Family of Gresham (London: Mitchell and Hughes, 1883) – Full text at Google books