Edward Saunderson

The Right Honourable Edward James Saunderson JP, DL
Photograph of Saunderson, taken 1891
Leader of the Irish Unionist Alliance
In office 1891–1906
Succeeded by	Walter Long
Member of Parliament for North Armagh
In office 18 December 1885 – 21 October 1906
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	William Moore
Member of Parliament for Cavan
In office 23 July 1865 – 31 January 1874 Serving with Hugh Annesley
Preceded by	James Maxwell Hugh Annesley
Succeeded by	Charles Joseph Fay Joseph Biggar
Personal details
Born	1 October 1837 Castle Saunderson, Ireland
Died	21 October 1906 (aged 69) Castle Saunderson
Resting place	Castle Saunderson churchyard
Citizenship	British
Political party	Irish Unionist Alliance
Other political affiliations	Irish Conservative (until 1891) Liberal (until 1874)
Spouse(s)	Helena Emily
Children	5
Parents	Alexander Saunderson & Sarah Juliana
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1862-1893
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	Royal Irish Fusiliers
Commands	4th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers

Colonel Edward James Saunderson PC, JP, DL (1 October 1837 – 21 October 1906) was an Anglo-Irish landowner and prominent Irish unionist politician. He led the Irish Unionist Party between 1891 and 1906.

Saunderson was born at the family seat of Castle Saunderson in County Cavan. He was the younger son of Colonel Alexander Saunderson, who served as the Tory Member of Parliament (MP) for Cavan, and Hon. Sarah Juliana Maxwell. He was the grandson of Henry Maxwell, 6th Baron Farnham. The Irish Saundersons were a 17th-century branch of an old family, originally from Durham; a Lincolnshire branch, the Saundersons of Saxby, held the titles of Viscount Castleton (Irish: c. 1628) and Baron Saunderson (British: c. 1714) up to 1723. Saunderson was educated abroad, mostly in Nice by private tutors, and inherited his father's Cavan estates following his death in 1857.

On 22 June 1865 he married Hon. Helena Emily de Moleyns, a daughter of Thomas Townsend Aremberg de Moleyns, 3rd Baron Ventry. Together the couple had four sons and a daughter. Two of his sons were British Army officers. In 1947, his grandson, Alexander, married Princess Louise, great-granddaughter of Titanic victim, John Jacob Astor IV, and the ex-wife of two different Georgian Mdivani princes.