Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford
| The Duke of Bedford | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 23 July 1765 |
| Died | 2 March 1802 (aged 36) |
| Title | Duke of Bedford |
| Tenure | 5 January 1771 – 2 March 1802 |
| Other titles | 5th Marquess of Tavistock 9th Earl of Bedford 9th Baron Russell 7th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh 5th Baron Howland |
| Successor | John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford |
| Parents |
Elizabeth Keppel |
Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford (23 July 1765 – 2 March 1802 in Woburn, Bedfordshire, baptised 20 August 1765 at St Giles in the Fields) was an English aristocrat and Whig politician, responsible for much of the development of central Bloomsbury.
Francis Russell, eldest son of (died 1767), by his wife, Elizabeth (died 1768), daughter of William Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, was baptized on 23 July 1765.
In January 1771 he succeeded his grandfather as Duke of Bedford, and was educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, afterwards spending nearly two years in foreign travel. Whilst abroad in 1784 he was involved in a menage a trois with Charles Maynard, second Viscount Maynard and his wife Anne, Lady Maynard. This liaison was with Russell grandmother's approval and it continued until 1787.
Regarding Charles James Fox as his political leader, he joined the Whigs in the House of Lords, and became a member of the circle of the Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV.
Having overcome some nervousness and educational defects, he began to speak in the House, and soon became one of the leading debaters in that assembly. He opposed most of the measures brought forward by the ministry of William Pitt, and objected to the grant of a pension to Edmund Burke, an action which drew down upon him a scathing attack from Burke’s pen.
...
Wikipedia