Lord Robert Spencer

Lord Robert Spencer (8 May 1747 – 23 June 1831) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons several times between 1768 and 1818.

Early life Spencer was born on 8 May 1747. He was the son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Trevor, 2nd Baron Trevor.

He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford on 10 April 1762 and was awarded MA on 6 May 1765. From 1766 to 1768 he undertook a Grand Tour through Austria, Italy and France.

Career At the 1768 general election Spencer was returned as Member of Parliament for New Woodstock on the Marlborough interest. He was appointed a Lord of Trade in April 1770 but did not attend the Board regularly nor parliament itself. He resigned his seat in January 1771 and was elected MP for Oxford in a by election on 31 January 1771. He was returned for Oxford in 1774 and 1780. He was an ardent supporter of Fox throughout his career and after. In 1784 he was returned again for Oxford. In the 1796 general election the Whigs appear to have paid £3,000 his return again at Wareham. However, he was in financial difficulties in 1799 and lost through gambling again so heavily that he had to sell his London house and pictures. He resigned his seat in February 1799. She became Spencer's mistress and the youngest Bouverie child, Diana, born in 1786 was acknowledged as a Bouverie but was referred to as “the tell-tale Bouverie, for there never was such a perfect indisputable Spencer, Lord Robert's walking picture and the very prettiest creature that ever was seen”.

Spencer married his mistress Harriet Bouverie on 2 October 1811, a year after the death of her husband.