Charles William Wyndham

Charles William Wyndham was born on October 8, 1760, and died on July 1, 1828. He was an English politician and a member of the Wyndham family. His father was Charles Wyndham, the 2nd Earl of Egremont, and his mother was Alicia Maria, the daughter of the 2nd Baron Carpenter. He had at least one brother, Hon. Percy Charles Wyndham.

Wyndham was educated at Westminster School, attending from 1767 until 1775. In 1801, he married Lady Anna Barbara Frances Child Villiers, who was the daughter of the 4th Earl of Jersey. She was previously the widow of William Henry Lambton of Lambton, County Durham. The marriage of Wyndham and Lady Anna produced no children.

There are reports indicating that Wyndham married quickly after proposing, with some stating that he proposed marriage to a woman one day, married her the next, and parted from her the following day, although these accounts do not provide detailed sources.

In the political realm, Wyndham and his older brother Percy were elected as Members of Parliament for Midhurst during the 1790 general election. Midhurst was a pocket borough in West Sussex, recently acquired by their eldest brother George, the 3rd Earl of Egremont. Wyndham held this seat until 1795, at which point he vacated it shortly before his brother sold the borough. He then represented New Shoreham from 1795 until 1802. Subsequently, Wyndham was persuaded by his brother to stand for the county constituency of Sussex, which he represented until he stepped down in 1812.

Wyndham was involved in a notable scandal, serving as the defendant in a 'criminal conversation' (adultery) case brought by Anthony Hodges. The case concerned Wyndham’s wife, Anna Sophia Hodges (née Aston). Hodges claimed that he had been long separated from his wife due to suspicions of her adultery, and that she subsequently became pregnant. The trial took place in Westminster in February 1791 before Lord Kenyon. During the proceedings, Mrs. Hodges was observed to be pregnant and living with Wyndham. The defense argued that Hodges was aware of the affair and had, in fact, prostituted his wife to other men, including individuals such as Bouvier and the Prince of Wales (later King George IV), as early as 1784. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Wyndham.

Wyndham and Anna Hodges had a daughter named Caroline Wyndham, who died in 1876. Caroline married Reverend Hon. FitzRoy Henry Richard Stanhope.

References for additional context are not included in this summary.