John Stuart-Wortley, 2nd Baron Wharncliffe

John Stuart-Wortley, 2nd Baron Wharncliffe, FRS, was born on 20 April 1801 and died on 22 October 1855. He was a British politician affiliated with the Tory party. His brief tenure as Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies occurred from December 1834 to January 1835.

**Background and Family**

He was a member of the Stuart family, which was headed by the Marquess of Bute. His father was James Stuart-Wortley, 1st Baron Wharncliffe, and his mother was Lady Caroline Elizabeth Mary Crichton, daughter of John Crichton, 1st Earl Erne. John Stuart-Wortley was the elder brother of Charles Stuart-Wortley and James Stuart-Wortley.

**Political Career**

Stuart-Wortley's political career included serving as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies. He represented Bossiney from 1823 to 1830, Perth Burghs from 1830 to 1831, and the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1841 to 1845.

In 1830, he served as Secretary to the Board of Control under Prime Minister the Duke of Wellington. Later, he served as Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies from 1834 to 1835 under Sir Robert Peel.

In 1845, he succeeded his father as the 2nd Baron Wharncliffe, which transferred his seat to the House of Lords. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) on 4 June 1829.

**Marriage and Children**

In 1825, Stuart-Wortley married Lady Georgiana Elizabeth Ryder, daughter of Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby. They had five children:

- Hon. Mary Caroline Stuart-Wortley (17 October 1826 – 2 April 1896), who married Henry Moore, 3rd Marquess of Drogheda, on 27 August 1847. The marriage produced no issue.

- Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, who became the 1st Earl of Wharncliffe (1827–1899).

- Hon. Francis Dudley Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie (23 July 1829 – 21 October 1893), who married Maria Elizabeth Martin on 28 August 1855 and had issue, including the 2nd Earl of Wharncliffe.

- Hon. James Stuart-Wortley (1833–1870).

- Hon. Cecily Susan Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie (1835 – 2 May 1915), who married Henry Montagu-Scott, 1st Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, on 4 August 1865, and had issue.

**Death and Succession**

Lord Wharncliffe died at Wortley Hall, Wortley, on 22 October 1855, at the age of 54. His eldest son, Edward, succeeded him as the 3rd Baron Wharncliffe and was created Earl of Wharncliffe in 1876. Lady Wharncliffe, his wife, survived him until August 1884.

**Works**

He authored a work titled *Abolition of the Vice-Royalty of Ireland* in 1850.

**Ancestry and Additional Information**

Further details regarding his ancestry are available, but specific genealogical data are not provided here. Contributions to parliamentary debates by Lord Wharncliffe are documented in Hansard between 1803 and 2005.