William King-Noel, 1st Earl Of Lovelace

William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace (born February 21, 1805; died December 29, 1893), was an English nobleman and scientist. He was known as The Lord King from 1833 to 1838 and held the title of Earl of Lovelace from 1838 until his death.

**Early Life**

Lovelace was the eldest son of Peter King, 7th Baron King, and Lady Hester Fortescue, who was a granddaughter of George Grenville. His younger brother was Hon. Peter John Locke King. He received education at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. Following his education, he entered the diplomatic service and served as secretary to Lord Nugent. In 1833, he succeeded his father as Baron King.

**Architectural pursuits**

Aside from his political and noble responsibilities, Lovelace was involved in architectural work on his estates.

**First Marriage**

In 1835, Lord King married Ada Byron, the only daughter of the poet George Gordon Byron, commonly known as Lord Byron, and his wife Anne Isabella Milbanke. His wife was a descendant of the extinct Barons Lovelace through her family lines which included Byron, Milbanke, Noel, and Lovelace. In 1838, he was created Viscount Ockham and Earl of Lovelace. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Surrey in 1840 and held this position until his death.

William and Ada Byron had three children: Byron (born 1836), Anne (born 1837), and Ralph (born 1839). Lady Lovelace died in 1852, leaving him a widower.

**Subsequent Family Events**

In 1860, Lovelace’s son Byron succeeded his maternal grandmother as the 12th Baron Wentworth under a special remainder. Byron died unmarried in 1862, and his brother Ralph became the 13th Baron Wentworth. In 1861, Ralph adopted the surname Milbanke in lieu of Noel by Royal licence.

**Honorary Positions**

Lovelace was appointed Colonel of the 2nd Royal Surrey Militia on August 14, 1852. He resigned this position on April 11, 1870, and was made Honorary Colonel of the regiment, which later became the 3rd Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). In 1860, he added the surname and arms of Noel, along with the arms of Wentworth.

**Second Marriage and Children**

In 1865, Lovelace remarried Jane Crawford Jenkins, a widow. They had one child, Lionel (born 1865), who later became the 3rd Earl of Lovelace in 1906.

**Properties and Estates**

Lovelace maintained three primary residences: Ockham Park in Surrey; Ben Damph Estate on Loch Torridon in Ross-shire, Scotland; and a house in London.

**Horsley Towers**

He acquired Horsley Towers in East Horsley, which is now a hotel. Lovelace was a patron of the local parish church and funded the rebuilding of its chancel and nave in 1869. He also reconstructed the churchyard wall, which featured architectural elements such as a gazebo and engraved family crest. Decades prior to his death, he began work on a mausoleum in the churchyard, which has been recently restored. Additionally, Lovelace constructed fifteen bridges, known as the Lovelace Bridges, to facilitate timber transport on his estate; ten of these bridges still exist.

**Ben Damph Estate**

In 1886, he purchased Ben Damph Lodge along with its surrounding 12,000-acre sporting estate at Loch Torridon, Ross-shire. He was involved in promoting the Aultbea Railway starting in 1889.

**Death and Succession**

William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace, died on December 29, 1893, and was buried in his mausoleum at Martin's Church, East Horsley. His titles as Earl of Lovelace, Viscount Ockham, and Baron King passed to his second son Ralph, who was already the 13th Baron Wentworth. The mausoleum in East Horsley remains a resting place for him and his second wife.

**References**

Sources include Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 1953 edition, and "Historical Records of the Second Royal Surrey or Eleventh Regiment of Militia" by Capt. John Davis, 1877.