Francis North, 1st Earl Of Guilford

Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford, was born on 13 April 1704 and died on 4 August 1790. He was known as Lord Guilford from 1729 to 1752. He was a British Whig politician and courtier who held seats in the House of Commons early in his career before inheriting the peerage.

North was the son of Francis North, 2nd Baron Guilford, and Alice Brownlow, daughter of Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Baronet, of Humby, Lincolnshire. He received education at Eton College and matriculated at Trinity College, Oxford, on 25 March 1721 at the age of 16. Around 1722, he undertook a Grand Tour, a traditional educational journey in Europe.

In the 1727 British general election, North was elected unopposed as a Whig Member of Parliament for Banbury, representing the family's political interests. On 17 October 1729, he succeeded his father as the third Baron Guilford, vacating his Parliamentary seat and becoming a member of the House of Lords.

North served as Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales, starting in October 1730. In 1734, he succeeded his cousin William North, 6th Baron North, as the seventh Baron North. He was appointed governor to the future King George III in September 1750, serving until April 1751, and relinquished his court position in 1751.

On 8 April 1752, North was granted the title Earl of Guilford in the Peerage of Great Britain. Later, he was appointed High Steward of Banbury for life in 1766. In December 1773, he was appointed treasurer to Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg, serving in this role for life.

North married three times. His first wife was Lady Lucy Montagu, daughter of George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, whom he married in 1728; she died in 1734. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Kaye, daughter of Sir Arthur Kaye, in 1736; she died in 1745. His third wife was Catherine Furnese, daughter of Sir Robert Furnese, whom he married in 1751; she died in 1776.

He died in August 1790 at the age of 86, having outlived his third wife by fourteen years. His eldest son from his first marriage, Frederick North, succeeded him; Frederick North served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782.

His stepson, Lord Dartmouth, also held a government position. The name Guilford is associated with geographic locations such as Guilford County, North Carolina, and Guilford in Windham County, Vermont.