Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry

Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry
Born	1778-05-18 Dublin, Ireland
Died	1854
Occupation(s)	Aristocrat, military officer, politician, diplomat
Years active	1791–1854
Known for	Military service in French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars; diplomatic roles including Ambassador to Austria; 3rd Marquess of Londonderry

Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, originally named Charles William Stewart (1778–1854), was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, British military officer, and political figure. His military career included participation in the French Revolutionary Wars, involvement in suppressing the 1798 Irish Rebellion, and combat during the Napoleonic Wars. He earned distinction as a cavalry leader in the Peninsular War (1807–1814), serving under commanders John Moore and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.

Following his resignation from Wellington’s command in 1812, his half-brother Lord Castlereagh facilitated his entry into diplomacy. He was assigned to Berlin in 1813 and later appointed ambassador to Austria, where Castlereagh represented Britain at the Congress of Vienna.

In 1804, he wed Lady Catherine Bligh and later married Lady Frances Anne Vane, a wealthy heiress, in 1819. Upon this second marriage, he adopted her surname, becoming Charles Vane. He inherited the title of 3rd Marquess of Londonderry in 1822 after his half-brother’s death, along with vast estates in northern Ireland. His tenure as a landlord during the Great Famine was marked by strict management, which damaged his public image. Additionally, he oversaw coal mining interests on his wife’s County Durham properties and opposed the Mines and Collieries Act of 1842, defending his prerogative to employ child labor.

Birth and origins

Charles was born on 18 May 1778 in Dublin as the second son of Robert Stewart and the eldest son by his father's second marriage to Frances Pratt. His paternal lineage was Ulster-Scots, originally Presbyterian before converting to the Anglican Church of Ireland as part of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy. This family’s wealth was augmented by an East India Company fortune acquired through Robert Stewart's first wife. Robert Stewart received the title Viscount Castlereagh in 1795 and was elevated to Marquess of Londonderry in 1816.

Charles’s mother was English-born, daughter of Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, a notable English legal figure. The couple married in 1775. Charles was brought up following Anglican traditions, diverging from his family’s Presbyterian background.

He had a half-brother from his father’s initial marriage:

• Robert (1769–1822), better known as "Lord Castlereagh," who held the position of British Foreign Secretary.

Additionally, Charles had eleven full siblings detailed in his father’s biography.

Early life and parliamentary career

In 1789, when Charles was eleven years old, his father Robert Stewart was granted the title Baron Londonderry.

At twelve years old on 3 April 1791, Charles Stewart began his military service as an ensign with the 108th Regiment. He advanced to lieutenant by January 1793 and participated in the Flanders Campaign of 1794 as well as operations along the Rhine and Danube rivers in 1795.

By 1798, he had attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel with the 5th Royal Irish Dragoons and took part in quelling the Irish Rebellion that year. In 1803, he became aide-de-camp to King George III.

His father’s peerage titles progressed with him becoming Viscount Castlereagh in 1795 and Marquess of Londonderry in 1796.

In political life, Charles Stewart was elected as a Tory Member of Parliament for Thomastown borough in County Kilkenny in 1800 but soon exchanged this seat for representation of County Londonderry. After the Irish Parliament was dissolved by the Act of Union in 1801, he secured election for County Londonderry again during the first UK general election in 1802 and served until 1806. He retained this seat through subsequent elections in 1806 and 1807—the latter year marking his appointment as Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies—and again won election in 1812. In July 1814, he was called up to the House of Lords; his parliamentary seat then passed to his uncle Alexander Stewart of Ards.

First marriage and offspring

Charles Stewart entered into matrimony with Lady Catherine Bligh on 8 August 1804 at St George's, Hanover Square, London. She was the youngest child of John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley, and was three years older than Stewart. Their son, Frederick William Robert Stewart, born on 7 July 1805, eventually succeeded as the 4th Marquess of Londonderry. Lady Catherine passed away from a fever following a minor surgical procedure during the night of 10–11 February 1812, while Stewart was en route back from Spain.

Offspring by Catherine Bligh:

1. Frederick William Robert Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry (1805–1872)

Peninsular War

Stewart’s military trajectory progressed significantly amidst the Napoleonic conflicts, particularly throughout the Peninsular War.

Corunna Campaign

In the Corunna Campaign (1808–1809), under the leadership of Sir John Moore, Stewart commanded a cavalry brigade. Together with Lord Paget, he was instrumental in the cavalry engagement at Benavente, where they captured French General Lefebvre-Desnouettes. During the subsequent retreat, Stewart contracted ophthalmia and was dispatched back to London with important dispatches for Castlereagh and other officials. Consequently, he missed the concluding battle that saw a successful British withdrawal and the death of Moore.

Service under Wellesley in Spain

Following the British army’s return to the Iberian Peninsula after Corunna, command was assumed by Sir Arthur Wellesley (later known as the Duke of Wellington). In April 1809, Stewart received appointment as Adjutant General to Wellesley—a largely administrative position that he found unsatisfactory due to Wellesley’s infrequent consultation with his officers. Nonetheless, Stewart earned distinction in battle by leading a cavalry charge at the Second Battle of Porto (May 1809) and delivering an outstanding performance at the Battle of Talavera (July 1809). His efforts were formally recognized by Parliament when he returned to England for health reasons in February 1810. He also demonstrated notable bravery at the Bussaco (September 1810) and at Fuentes de Oñoro (May 1811), where he famously captured a French Colonel in hand-to-hand combat.

In February 1812, Stewart resigned from his role as Adjutant General; while illness was cited as the cause, some accounts suggest that Wellington dismissed him due to concerns over his disruptive influence despite his military competence. Subsequently, Stewart served under Emperor Alexander I during 1813–1814. On a visit to St Petersburg in 1836, Emperor Nicholas I honored him with a medal commemorating the capture of Paris in 1814 and extended an invitation to a Christmas celebration marking Russia’s liberation.

On 30 January 1813, he was invested as a Knight Companion of the Bath, receiving the title Sir Charles Stewart. Later that year, on 20 November 1813, he was appointed honorary Colonel of the 25th Light Dragoons.

Diplomatic career

Charles's entry into diplomacy was facilitated by his half-brother Robert, a notable diplomat and statesman, who played a pivotal role in launching his diplomatic endeavors.

Berlin

Between May 1813 and the conclusion of the war, Sir Charles held the posts of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Berlin, as well as Military Commissioner attached to the allied forces. During this period, he sustained injuries at the Battle of Kulm in August 1813.

Vienna

In 1814, he was designated Ambassador to Austria, a role he maintained until 1823. To bolster his standing in Vienna, the Prince Regent conferred upon him the noble title of Baron Stewart of Stewart's Court and Ballylawn in County Donegal. That same year, he was awarded honorary degrees from Oxford and Cambridge, appointed to the Privy Council, and became a Lord of the Bedchamber to King George III.

Lord Stewart participated in the Congress of Vienna alongside his half-brother Lord Castlereagh, representing Britain as a plenipotentiary. Nevertheless, his professional reputation declined due to incidents of public drunkenness and improper conduct, leading to the derisive nickname Lord Pumpernickel. Following this, he acted as the British observer at the congresses held in Troppau, Laibach, and Verona, during which Britain adopted a more restrained approach amid increasing reactionary tendencies.

Second marriage and children

On 3 April 1819, Lord Stewart wed Lady Frances Anne Vane-Tempest, heiress of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest. In accordance with her father's will, he assumed the surname Vane by Royal licence in 1829, thereafter known as Charles William Vane; meanwhile, his son from the first marriage retained the Stewart surname.

Offspring from Frances Anne Emily Vane-Tempest:

1. George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry (1821–1884)
2. Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane (1822–1899), who became wife to John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough
3. Lady Alexandrina Octavia Maria Vane (1823–1874), goddaughter of Alexander I of Russia; married Henry Dawson-Damer, 3rd Earl of Portarlington
4. Lord Adolphus Frederick Charles William Vane-Tempest (1825–1864), a politician afflicted by mental illness necessitating medical confinement
5. Lady Adelaide Emelina Caroline Vane (c. 1830–1882), noted for causing family scandal by eloping with her brother’s tutor
6. Lord Ernest McDonnell Vane-Tempest (1836–1885), whose military service ended ignominiously following dismissal

Through his daughter Lady Frances, Lord Londonderry is the maternal grandfather of Lord Randolph Churchill and great-grandfather to Winston Churchill.

Castlereagh's suicide

On 12 August 1822, his half-brother took his own life. That same year, Charles succeeded him as 3rd Marquess of Londonderry. In 1823, he was created Earl Vane and Viscount Seaham, with these titles passing to the male heirs of his second marriage.

The death of his half-brother marked the end of his diplomatic career; he resigned in 1823. Queen Victoria considered Londonderry unsuitable for significant civil appointments, believing such roles would be detrimental to national interests.

Residences

Utilizing the fortune of his second wife, Londonderry purchased the Seaham Hall estate located in County Durham. He developed the coal mining operations there and constructed a harbour to rival the nearby port of Sunderland. For his residence at Wynyard Park, he engaged architect Benjamin Wyatt to design a mansion, which was completed in 1841 at a modern equivalent cost exceeding £10 million. Shortly after its completion, the mansion suffered fire damage but was subsequently restored and redesigned by Ignatius Bonomi.

The family also invested in enhancing their Irish residence, Mount Stewart, and acquired Holdernesse House on London's prestigious Park Lane, which they renamed Londonderry House.

Declines Orange invitation

In 1836, the Orange Order became embroiled in a conspiracy aiming to place Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Imperial Grand Master of the Order, on the throne instead of Queen Victoria. Due to parliamentary pressure, King William IV compelled the Duke to disband the Orange lodges.

Testimony before the House of Commons revealed that in 1832 Lieutenant-Colonel W. B. Fairman, Deputy Grand Secretary of the Orange Institution of Great Britain, had approached Londonderry. Fairman proposed that Londonderry take up the position of County Grand Master in Durham to organize lodges among his coal miners as a means of suppressing trade union activities.

Although Londonderry voiced concerns about what he called "the baneful influence" of Liberal and Radical factions, including trade unions, he denied any participation in succession conspiracies during discussions in the House of Lords. He informed Fairman that prevailing political tensions and unrest among miners rendered such initiatives impractical at that moment. Additionally, he had consulted with Lord Kenyon and was confident they could dissuade the Duke of Cumberland from pursuing the scheme.

Mines and Collieries Act

In the House of Lords, Londonderry spearheaded opposition against the Mines and Collieries Act of 1842, ardently defending child labor within coal mines. Speaking on behalf of the Yorkshire Coal-Owners Association, he advocated for employing boys as young as eight years old, arguing that financial constraints prevented adapting mines for taller workers.

Londonderry also played a prominent role in the Limitation of the Vend, a price-fixing agreement among northeastern coal proprietors, and was largely held responsible for its eventual failure.

Irish famine

By 1845, when the Great Irish Famine began, Londonderry was counted among the ten wealthiest individuals in the United Kingdom. Despite widespread efforts by landlords to provide relief, he faced criticism for contributing only £30 towards local aid while simultaneously spending £15,000 on renovations at his Mount Stewart estate.

In contrast to his neighbor, the Marquess of Downshire, Londonderry declined to lower rents during this crisis, attracting significant reproach. He encouraged tenants to "help themselves," dismissing claims of severe hardship from potato crop failures as affecting only those who were "supine and inert."

During the early 1850s tenant rights movement led by the Tenant Right League, Londonderry's firm stance on maintaining full landlord privileges estranged many tenants. This position stood in stark contrast to that of his successor Frederick, who adopted more progressive views.

Napoleon and Abd-el-Kader

During Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte's exile in London between 1836 and 1840, Londonderry developed a friendship with him. When Bonaparte assumed the presidency of France in 1851, Londonderry intervened to advocate for the release of Abd-el-Kader.

Later distinctions

Londonderry was named Governor of County Londonderry in 1823, advanced to Lord Lieutenant of Durham in 1842, and appointed Colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards in 1843. Following the death of Wellington in 1852, Londonderry received the vacant Knight of the Garter honor, with formal investiture taking place on 19 June 1853.

Passing, tributes, and inheritance

He passed away on 6 March 1854 at Londonderry House and was interred in Longnewton, County Durham. His widow honored his memory through the commissioning of the Londonderry Equestrian Statue located in Durham.

To commemorate his father, Frederick Stewart commissioned Scrabo Tower near Newtownards. Among the 730 contributors financing this structure, 450 were affiliated with the Stewart estate, which encompassed approximately 1,200 tenant farmers and numerous employees— notably, 700 tenants had signed petitions for tenant rights and rent reductions in 1850. The majority of the tower's expense was covered by 98 donors led by Emperor Napoleon III, predominantly members of the landed gentry.

The marquessate passed to his eldest son from his first marriage, Frederick Stewart. Meanwhile, George Vane, his firstborn from the second marriage, inherited the title Earl Vane and subsequently succeeded as the 5th Marquess following Frederick's childless death.

Chronology
Age	Date	Milestone
0	1778, 18 May	Born in Dublin
11	1789, 9 Sep	Father elevated to Baron Londonderry
12	1791, 3 Apr	Enlisted in military service
17	1795, 10 Oct	Father created Viscount Castlereagh
18	1796, 10 Aug	Father granted Marquess Londonderry title
26	1804, 8 Aug	Married Catherine Bligh
30	1808, 29 Dec	Distinguished at cavalry action during Battle of Benavente
32–33	1811, May	Notable performance at Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro
33	1812, Feb	Resigned military commission
35–36	1814	Created Baron Stewart
40	1819, 3 Apr	Wed Frances Ann Vane-Tempest
42	1821, 6 Apr	Father deceased; succeeded as Marquess of Londonderry August 1822
64	1842, Jun–Aug	Opposed Mines and Collieries Act during House of Lords debates
75	1853, 19 Jun	Invested as Knight of the Garter
75	1854, 6 Mar	Died in London

Titles and appellations

Charles was known by various styles throughout his life:

1. The Honourable Charles Stewart (1789–1813) after his father became Baron Londonderry,
2. The Honourable Sir Charles Stewart (1813–1814) following his knighthood in the Order of the Bath,
3. The Right Honourable The Lord Stewart (1814–1822) upon receiving a barony personally,
4. The Most Honourable The Marquess of Londonderry thereafter.

Works

The 3rd Marquess demonstrated considerable literary productivity, penning several books reflecting on his military and diplomatic experiences, as well as editing and issuing numerous documents authored by his half-brother.

War memoirs

He chronicled the events of the Napoleonic Wars through two principal publications: one detailing the Peninsular War, and another covering the War of the Sixth Coalition, which culminated in Napoleon's abdication:

• Narrative of the Peninsular War (1828)
• Narrative of the War in Germany and France: In 1813 and 1814 (1830)

Castlereagh papers

He gathered and released his half-brother’s papers in a collection spanning twelve volumes divided into three distinct series.

The initial series (four volumes, 1848–1849), entitled Memoirs and Correspondence, addresses subjects including the Irish Rebellion, the arrangements for union, the completion of legislative union, and concessions granted to Catholics and Dissenters.

The second series (four volumes, 1851), named Correspondence, Despatches and Other Papers, centers on military affairs alongside various other topics.

The final series (four volumes, 1853) continues with military and diplomatic correspondence; however, its volume numbering is somewhat inconsistent.

These compilations offer significant perspectives on the political and military tactics of that period.

See also

• Marquess of Londonderry – title held by him
• Earl Camden – title associated with his maternal grandfather
• Vane-Tempest baronets – title linked to his father-in-law Sir Henry Vane-Tempest

Sources

• – L to M
• – (later events)
• – timeline