Daniel Finch, 8th Earl Of Winchilsea

Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea and 3rd Earl of Nottingham, was born on 24 May 1689 and died on 2 August 1769. He held estates at Burley House near Oakham in Rutland and at Eastwell Park near Ashford in Kent.

Origins

He was initially styled as Lord Finch until 1730. Finch was the eldest son of Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, and his second wife, Anne Hatton. Anne Hatton was a daughter of Christopher Hatton, 1st Viscount Hatton. His father was a notable Tory politician known for supporting the Hanoverian succession, a stance that distinguished him among many Tories of his time.

Career

In 1710, at the age of 21, Daniel Finch was elected as Member of Parliament for Rutland, using his courtesy title Lord Finch. He served in this position until 1730 when he succeeded his father as the Earl of Nottingham, which moved him from the House of Commons to the House of Lords.

From 1725 to 1730, Finch served as Comptroller of the Royal Household. In 1739, he supported the founding of the Foundling Hospital in London, a charitable institution aimed at providing homes and education for abandoned children, and was among its original governors.

Initially aligned with the Walpole-supporting Tories, Finch shifted allegiance during his political career to support Lord Carteret during the "Patriot Opposition." When Carteret became the leading minister in 1742, Finch joined him as First Lord of the Admiralty, serving from 1742 to 1744. Later, he aligned himself with the Duke of Newcastle and the Old Whigs. During the administration of his nephew, Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, Finch served as Lord President of the Council from 1765 to 1766.

In 1752, he was invested as a Knight of the Garter.

Marriages and Issue

Finch was married twice and did not have any male heirs. His first marriage was to Lady Frances Feilding, daughter of Basil Feilding, 4th Earl of Denbigh, and his wife Hester Firebrace. They had one daughter, Lady Charlotte Finch, who died unmarried.

His second marriage was to Mary Palmer, the second daughter and co-heiress of Sir Thomas Palmer, 4th Baronet of Wingham, and Elizabeth Marsham. Mary Palmer was related to Robert Marsham, 1st Baron Romney, and her family details are linked to Sir Robert Marsham, 4th Baronet.

Together, Finch and Mary Palmer had eight daughters, of whom four survived to adulthood. Their names and details are:

- Lady Mary Finch (b. 7 December 1739)

- Lady Frances Finch (b. 24 October 1740)

- Lady Heneage Finch (1 December 1741 – 1820), who married Major-General Sir George Osborn, 4th Baronet, in 1788 as his second wife

- Lady Anne Finch (b. 9 June 1743)

- Lady Georgina Finch (b. 10 July 1744)

- Lady Essex Finch (b. 1 January 1746)

- Lady Hatton Finch (23 February 1747 – 1829), who died unmarried

- Lady Augusta Elizabeth Finch (14 February 1751 – 1797), who died unmarried

Family Relations

His sister was Anne Palmer, who married his youngest brother, Hon. Edward Finch (later Finch-Hattons). Their children became double first cousins. The title of Earl of Winchilsea later passed to their grandson, George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea.

Death and Succession

Daniel Finch died in 1769 and was buried at Eastwell Church near his residence. As he died without male issue, his titles and estates, including Burley and Eastwell Park, passed to his nephew George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea, son of his brother William Finch, who was a diplomat. His Kentish properties were inherited by another nephew, George Finch-Hatton, the son of his brother Edward Finch.