William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington

General William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington (18 December 1719 – 1 April 1779) was a British politician and soldier.

Early life

Stanhope was the son of William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington and Anne Griffith. His mother died giving birth to William and his twin brother, Thomas (1719–1743).

His paternal grandparents were John Stanhope and Dorothy Agard. His uncle, Charles Stanhope, was also a politician and deeply involved in the South Sea Company financial scandal, while his father's cousin James Stanhope, was considered an alternative candidate to Robert Walpole for the title of Britain's first Prime Minister. His maternal grandparents were Col. Edward Griffith and Elizabeth ( Lawrence) Griffith. Lady Amelia Stanhope (1749–1780), who married Richard Barry, 6th Earl of Barrymore. Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington (1753–1829), who married Jane Fleming, daughter of Sir John Fleming, 1st Baronet, in 1778; she was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte. Capt. Hon. Henry Fitzroy Stanhope (1754–1828), who married Elizabeth Falconer. Lady Henrietta Stanhope (–1781), who married Thomas Foley, 2nd Baron Foley. His wife Lady Harrington formed "The New Female Coterie", a group of demimondaines which met in the same house.