Fitzwilliam, Charles William Wentworth, 5th Earl Fitzwilliam (1786 -1857)

Charles William Wentworth Fitzwilliam was the only child of William, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam, and his first wife, Charlotte Ponsonby, second daughter of William, 2nd Earl of Bessborough. He was educated at Eton. He married, 8 July 1806, Mary, fourth daughter of Thomas, 1st Baron Dundas of Aske. He was elected Member of Parliament for Malton 1806 1807, for Yorkshire 1807 1830, for Peterborough 1831, for Northamptonshire in 1831, and for North Northamptonshire in 1832. He at first opposed the Reform Act, but changed his mind, and was a warm advocate of the Corn Laws. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society 17 January 1811, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries 16 April 1812, President of the British Association 1831, was created an L.L.D. of Cambridge University, was President of the Statistical Society 1838 1840, 1847 1849 and 1853 1855, and was High Steward of the Borough of Cambridge from 1850 1857. He succeeded his father as 5th Earl Fitzwilliam 8 February 1833, and was made a Knight of the Garter in 1851. By Royal Licence he had confirmation of the name Wentworth before Fitzwilliam 20 August 1856.