DE VESCI 307 DE VESCI OF ABBEY LEIX VISCOUNTCY [I.] I. Thomas Vesey, only surv. s. and h. of John Denny (Vesey), ist Baron Knapton [I. 1750], by I. 1776. Elizabeth, da. of William Brownlow, of Lurgan, co. Armagh; ed. at the Univ. of Dublin; Lieut, in Lord Drogheda's Horse; sue. his father in the Barony of Knapton [I.] 25 July 1761, taking his seat 22 Oct. following. On 19 July I776,(") he was cr. VISCOUNT DE VESCI C) OF ABBEY LEIX, Queen's Co. [I.], taking his seat 11 Mar. 1778. He m., 24 Apr. 1769, Selina Elizabeth.C^) I St da. and coh. of the Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur Brook.e, Bart. [1. 1764], by Margaret, da. of Thomas Fortescue, of Randalstown, co. Louth. He d. 13 Oct. 1804, at Abbey Leix. Will pr. 1804, Prerog. Ct. [I.]. II. 1804. 2. John (Vesev), Viscount DE Vesci OF Abbey Leix, &'c. [I.], I St s. and h., b. 15 Feb. 1771, in Kildare Str., Dublin; M.P. for Maryborough 1796-97; Lord Lieut, of Queen's Co. 1831-55. Rep. Peer [I.] 1839-5 5. C^) ^^ '"■> -5^"g- 1800, at her mother's house in Merrion Sq., Dublin, Frances Letitia, 5th da. of his great-uncle (the br. of his grandmother, Baroness Knapton), the Rt. Hon. William Brownlow, of Lurgan, co. Armagh, by his 2nd wife, Catherine, da. of Roger Hall, of Mount Hall, co. Down. She d. 6 June 1 840, at Kingstown. He d. 19 Oct. 1855, aged 84, at Portaferry, co. Down. III. 1855. 3. Thomas (Vesey), Viscount de Vesci of Abbey Leix, id'c. [I.], ist s. and h., k 21 Sep. 1803, in Merrion Sq., Dublin; ed. at Ch. Ch., Oxford, B.A. 2nd class math. 1825; Sheriff of Queen's Co. 1827; M.P. (Conservative) for Queen's Co. 1835-37 and 1841-52.0 Rep. Peer [I.] 1857-75. He m., 19 Sep. 1839, at Wilton, Wilts, Emma, 5th and yst. da. of George Augustus (Herbert), iith Earl of Pembroke, by his 2nd wife, Catherine, da. of Simon, Count WoRONZow, in Russia. He d". 23 Dec. 1875, aged 72, at 6 Carlton (*) For the profuse creations and promotions in the Irish Peerage, see vol. iii, Appendix H. V.G. C") See p. 37, note " b," sub De Grey, for examples of "modern antiques" (of the 1 8th and 19th centuries) in the way of Peerage titles with the prefix " De." When recommending him for a Viscountcy, Earl Harcourt writes: " Lord Knapton was formerly in the army. He is a man of very respectable character, and has particularly distinguished himself in the suppression of the disturbances occasioned by the ' White Boys.^ " G.E.C. and V.G. ('=) "Serena" Holroyd, in a letter of 19 June 1797, writes: " A more charm- ing woman never existed. She was a blessing miles round her, with everything in herself sensible, pleasing, elegant, and amiable." V.G. (<^) He was a Conservative and voted against the Repeal of the Corn Laws, but his name rarely occurs in divisions. V.G. (*■) He "generally voted at his party's call." V.G.
