Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl Of Shaftesbury

Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of Shaftesbury, was born on 21 December 1768 and died on 2 June 1851. Initially styled as The Honourable Cropley Ashley-Cooper until 1811, he was a British politician and the father of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, who was known for his involvement in social reform.

Family Background and Education:

He was a younger son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the 4th Earl of Shaftesbury, and his second wife, Mary Bouverie. Mary was the daughter of Jacob Bouverie, 1st Viscount Folkestone. Cropley Ashley-Cooper received education at Winchester School and later attended Christ Church, Oxford.

Political Career:

In 1790, he was elected as a Member of Parliament representing Dorchester. He held this parliamentary seat until 1811. Upon the death of his elder brother in 1811, he succeeded to the earldom, becoming the 6th Earl of Shaftesbury. Subsequently, he became a member of the House of Lords, where he served as Chairman of Committees.

Family and Marriage:

On 10 December 1796, Cropley Ashley-Cooper married Lady Anne Spencer, daughter of George Spencer, the 4th Duke of Marlborough. The couple had ten children together.

Children:

Their second daughter, Lady Harriet Anne, married Henry Lowry-Corry and was the mother of Montagu Corry, who became the 1st Baron Rowton. Their fifth son, Anthony Francis Ashley Cooper (1810–1825), was attending Eton College when he was killed during a pugilistic contest. Among his other sons were Anthony Henry Ashley-Cooper, Anthony William Ashley, and Anthony John Ashley-Cooper. The latter married Julia Conyers, the heiress of Henry John Conyers of Copped Hall.

Death:

Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of Shaftesbury, died in June 1851 at the age of 82. His titles were succeeded by his son, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, who became the 7th Earl and was noted for his work in social reform.

External References:

Details of his contributions in Parliament can be found in the Hansard archives covering the years 1803 to 2005.