Edward Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford

Edward Michael Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford (1 April 1743 – 3 June 1792), was a figure associated with the Royal Navy and Irish politics during the 18th century.

**Early Life**

Pakenham was born on 1 April 1743, the son of Thomas Pakenham, 1st Baron Longford, and Elizabeth Cuffe, 1st Countess of Longford. His family had notable social standing, with his parents' marriage producing seven children, including Sir Thomas Pakenham, a Royal Navy officer. His paternal lineage traced back to Edward Pakenham, MP of Pakenham Hall, and Margaret Bradestan, heiress of John Bradestan. His maternal lineage included Michael Cuffe MP, son of Francis Cuffe, and Frances Sandford, daughter of Henry Sandford of Castlereagh. Edward Michael Pakenham received his education at Kilkenny College before joining the Royal Navy at the age of sixteen.

**Military and Political Career**

Pakenham's naval service began during the Seven Years' War, where he participated in engagements off the coasts of West Africa and North America. Near the conclusion of the war, he was captured by Spanish forces near the end of hostilities and was held for over a year. After the Treaty of Paris, he returned to Britain and briefly engaged in Irish politics, representing County Longford in the Irish House of Commons from 1765 to 1766.

In 1776, he succeeded his father as the 2nd Baron Longford and became a member of the Irish House of Lords. During the American War of Independence, he resumed active naval service in January 1778, operating in the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea. His service concluded in 1782, during which he accrued approximately £5,000 in prize money.

**Personal Life**

In 1768, Lord Longford married Hon. Catherine Rowley, daughter of Elizabeth Rowley, 1st Viscountess Langford, and Hercules Langford Rowley MP. He was the owner of Pakenham Hall Castle in County Westmeath, which he improved throughout his lifetime.

Their marriage produced several children, among whom were:

- Hon. Catherine "Kitty" Pakenham (1773–1831), who married Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.

- Thomas Pakenham, 2nd Earl of Longford (1774–1835), who married Lady Georgiana Emma Charlotte Lygon.

- Major-General Hon. Sir Edward Pakenham (1778–1815), who served as MP for Longford Borough and was killed at the Battle of New Orleans.

- Lt.-Gen. Hon. Sir Hercules Robert Pakenham (1781–1850), a British Army officer and aide-de-camp to William IV.

- Capt. Hon. William Pakenham (died 1811), a Royal Navy officer who drowned.

- Very Rev. Hon. Henry Pakenham (1787–1863), Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral.

- Other children included Elizabeth, Helen, Caroline Penelope, and others, some of whom married into notable families.

**Death and Succession**

Lord Longford died in June 1792 at the age of 49. His eldest son, Thomas, succeeded him in the barony and, in 1794, also inherited the Earldom of Longford from his grandmother.