Edward Granville Eliot, 3rd Earl of St. Germans (1798 - 1877)

Edward was the first child and only son of William Eliot and Georgiana Leveson-Gower.

Edward Granville Eliot was certainly one of the most illustrious and impressive members of the Port Eliot family. I have not finished writing his full biography, so the text below includes some newspaper transcriptions and quotes that offer basic information and insight into his character. An in-depth biography will be added in the future.

("Western Morning News" 08 Oct 1877, page 3)

DEATH OF THE EARL OF ST. GERMANS
We have to announce the death of the Earl of St. Germans, who passed away last evening at half-past six o'clock at his seat, Port Eliot. For some years past this venerable nobleman has been in failing health, which was still further impaired some three years ago by an accident, which, although its effects to a man of middle age would possibly have been transient, was serious in the case of one who had long passed threescore years and ten. It was only at the commencement of last week, however, that the symptoms of the noble earl became so urgent as to render it advisable to telegraph for his nearer relatives, who, with the exception of Lord Eliot, immediately arrived, and had the satisfaction of being present during their revered father's last hours. Lord Eliot, the eldest son, and, of course, the heir to the earldom, is absent on the Continent, and could not arrive in time. He was, as our readers will well remember, raised to the peerage as Baron Eliot by Mr. Gladstone in 1870. His title will become extinct on assuming that of the Earl of St. Germans.

The deceased peer, Edward Granville Eliot, was the third Earl of St. Germans, and having been born on the 29th of August, 1798, had but recently completed his 79th year. He was educated at Westminster School, and subsequently studied at Christ Church, Oxford, and was made honorary LL.D. of Dublin in the year of 1842. He was early engaged in the diplomatic service of the country, chiefly in Spain, having been secretary of legation, and afterwards Envoy Plenipotentiary at Madrid. Between his two Spanish appointments, however, he entered Parliament as member for Liskeard, which borough he represented from 1823 to 1832, subsequently representing East Cornwall for eight years. Prior to his succeeding to the peerage, he joined Canning's administration as a Lord of the Treasury, and held office under Sir Robert Peel as Chief Secretary for Ireland, and later under Lord John Russell as Postmaster-General. In all these appointments he displayed a conscientious diligence, which caused him to be regarded as a most valued colleague. Although his political career did not entitle him to high rank as a statesman, he was appointed to the office of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1852, and held that post in a highly satisfactory manner during the whole of the Earl of Aberdeen's Premiership. While at Dublin Castle he had the honour of receiving the Queen and Prince Consort, who visited Ireland in 1853 on the occasion of the opening of the great Exhibition of Dublin. On Lord St. Germans' return from Ireland he occupied for several years the position of Lord Steward of her Majesty's Household, and during that period the high esteem and confidence which her Majesty had long reposed in the noble earl was deepened and strengthened, and he has been ever since, for as long as his health permitted, a confidential adviser of her Majesty at all critical periods, and especially on family matters connected with the Royal household. Lord St. Germans accompanied the Prince of Wales on his tour through Canada and the United States in 1860, and, although this may be said to be the last official act of his lordship, he never ceased taking a deep interest in all public affairs, and his opinions concerning them have been received with the weight due to long experience, sound judgment, strict conscientiousness, and studious impartiality. While acting with the Liberals on most political questions, he was not a strong party man, and his advice was often sought by leaders on the opposite side. Throughout his protracted life the Earl of St. Germans had been a pretty constant resident, when able to quit London, at his Cornish seat, holding the local offices of deputy-lieutenant and magistrate for the county, and also of sub-deputy vice-warden of the Stannaries of Devon and Cornwall. The death of his wife, daughter of the Marquis Cornwallis, in 1856, after more than thirty years of happy domestic life, was a deep sorrow to the noble earl. Their eldest child was Louisa Susan Cornwallis, who has been for over twenty-seven years wife of the Hon. and Rev. Walter Ponsonby, formerly rector of Beerferris, and now vicar of Maston Bigot, in which parish the Somersetshire seat of the Earl of Cork is situated. There are three sons— Lord Eliot, who for two years prior to 1868 sat as member for Devonport, and also the Hon. Henry and Hon. Charles. The former of these two was in the navy, and has since been in the diplomatic service; the latter is a captain in the Royal Cornwall Rangers Militia.

("The Journal of John Wodehouse, First Earl of Kimberley, 1862-1902" Cambridge University Press, 1997, page 110)
19 October 1863. Monday. Went with the La Grenee & daughter [Madame de la Grenee] to Port Eliot Lord St. Germans'. Port Eliot is a fine old place, formerly an Abbey. It rained all the afternoon I was there so that I saw its beauties through a mist. Poor old St. German's seems very much aged & spoke in a melancholy way of the children he has lost.

"Worcester Journal" 20 Oct 1877, page 3)

FUNERAL OF THE EARL OF ST. GERMANS

All that was mortal of Edward Granville, third Earl of St. Germans, was on Tuesday interred in the family vault at St. Germans; the funeral obsequies of a nobleman who, for no inconsiderable portion of his existence, served his country faithfully and well — being of the simplest character. The late earl had lived beyond the time for his political career at home or his service abroad as an ambassador to be fresh in the memory of his countrymen, but his life has been a useful and an honourable one, and is a bright link in the genealogy of the Eliot family. And though living so retired as he did for many years past, his services have not been forgotten by those whose interests he so faithfully served. Immediately on receipt of the intelligence of his lordship's demise the Queen sent a telegraphic message expressing Her Majesty's deep sympathy with the family, and her esteem for one whom she had known so long, while letters couched in similar terms of condolence were received from the Prince and Princess of Wales, and other members of the Royal family. Furthermore, by the Queen's express command, Captain the Hon. C. Eliot, as a member of Her Majesty's household, was directed to place a wreath of flowers on the coffin, and the Prince of Wales requested Sir John St. Aubyn, Bart., to represent H.R.H. at the interment.

Although the desire of the family was that the funeral should be of as private a character as possible, large numbers of the county gentry and those resident in the Three Towns attended to pay their parting respects to the memory of the deceased, and the church was crowded in every part. The funeral procession started from the mansion at Port Eliot at noon, the corpse being borne from thence to the church, which is adjoining. First came Drs. Clay and Kerswill, the two medical gentlemen who had been in attendance upon his lordship, followed by the corpse borne by six gentlemen. The coffin consisted of an inside shell lined with rich quilted silk, a lead shell, and a handsome French polished outer coffin of oak, with silver breastplate, bearing the inscription, ‘Edward Granville, 3rd Earl of St. Germans, born Aug. 29th, 1798; died Oct. 7th, 1877.' The whole was covered with a heavy black velvet pall, and the surface was beautified by the wreaths of flowers. The tocken from the Queen was a circle of flowers composed of white camelias intermixed with eucharis amasonica and maiden-hair fern; there was also a small cross made by Miss Ponsonby, composed of viola sensalia, and six small circles of eucharis amanonica from the grandchildren of the deceased, the size of the circles varying according to the age of the child. Immediately after the corpse followed the mourners, Lord Eliot, the eldest son of the deceased, Hon. H. Eliot, Hon. C. Eliot, Hon. and Rev. W. Ponsonby, Earl Beauchamp, Lady Louisa Ponsonby, Hon. Mrs. Charles Eliot, Miss Ponsonby, Mr. E. Ponsonby, Mr. C. Ponsonby, Mr. G.E. Martin, Mr. A. Ross, and Sir John St. Aubyn, as representing H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. Next came many of the friends of the family, including the Hon. Keith Stewart, C.B., Lieut.-Col. Hon. Charles Edgecumbe, Mr. J.F. Buller, Mr. W.L.S. Trelawney, Mr. E St. Aubyn, Lieut.-Col. Charles Cook, Lieut.-Col. De Moral, Mr. H. Pole, Mr. C. Trelawney, Rev. R. Buller, Rev. J. Roberts, Mr. E. Roberts, Mr. F.G. Glanville, Rev. J. Glencross, Rev. H. Furneaus, Rev. E. Glencross, Mr. I. Latimer, Rev. J. Hobhouse, Rev. T. Hullah, Rev. Paul Bush, Mr. L. C. Foster, Mr. W.N.C. Marshall, Dr. E. Kerswell, Mr. W.T. Hancock, etc. The tenants on the estate and domestic servants, the latter about 40 in number, came afterwards. The workmen on the estate were also present and lined the way from the mansion towards the church. At the entrance to the church the procession was met by the Revs. A. Furneaux, F. Fisher, and D. Jenkins. The Rev. A. Furneaux read the opening sentences of the burial service, and as the coffin was borne up the aisle Mr. J. Hele, of Plymouth, played on the organ the funeral march from Mendelssohn's ‘Lieder Ohne Worte.' This march was a favourite of the late Earl, and was played by desire of the family. The church was crowded in every part, and the solemnity of the scene was heightened by the black drapery which covered the pulpit, the reading desk, the chancel, and the family pew. Here the Revds. F. Fisher and D. Jenkins read portions of the service, and the choir sang sweetly two beautiful hymns, ‘My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh also longeth for Thee; in a barren and dry land where no water is,' and ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand.' Once more the corpse was borne onwards, the organ pealing forth a solemn march from Beethoven. Behind was left the edifice where monuments and tablets mark the decay and chronicle the virtues of numerous members of this family, and in a few moments was reached the gloomy tomb within whose walls lie the mouldering remains of the first Baron Eliot, and eight of his successors, the late Earl numbering the tenth member who has here found his final earthly abode. The Rev. A. Furneaux read the concluding portion of the service, and the corpse was placed by the side of that of the late Countess. Mourners and friends entered the vault and took a last look at that which concealed the form of him beloved by the one and esteemed by the other, and then the mouth of the tomb was closed upon Edward, Earl of St. Germans and his forefathers.