Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington
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The Right Honourable The Earl of Northington PC |
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The Earl of Northington by Thomas Hudson.
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| Lord Keeper | |
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In office 30 June 1757 – 16 January 1761 |
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| Monarch | George II, George III |
| Prime Minister | The Duke of Newcastle |
| Preceded by | in commission, last held by The Earl of Hardwicke (as Lord Chancellor |
| Succeeded by | himself (as Lord Chancellor) |
| Lord Chancellor | |
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In office 16 January 1761 – 30 July 1766 |
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| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Duke of Newcastle, The Earl of Bute, George Grenville, The Marquess of Rockingham |
| Preceded by | himself (as Lord Keeper) |
| Succeeded by | The Earl Camden |
| Lord President of the Council | |
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In office 30 July 1766 – 22 December 1767 |
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| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Earl of Chatham |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Winchilsea and Nottingham |
| Succeeded by | The Earl Gower |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1708 Hampshire |
| Died | 14 January 1772 Hampshire |
| Nationality | English |
| Political party | Whig Party |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Huband |
| Children | 8 |
| Parents | Anthony Henley |
Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington PC (c. 1708 – 14 January 1772), was the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was a member of the Whig Party in the parliament and was known for his wit and writing.
Henley's grandfather, Sir Robert Henley, was Master of the Court of the King's Bench. He was essentially a defence counsel. Henley inherited an estate in the Grange in Hampshire which was built for Sir Robert Henley by Inigo Jones. Henley's father Anthony Henley was educated at Oxford and was interested in literature. When arriving in London, he was the friend of the Earls of Dorset and Sunderland, and friends to Swift, Pope, and Burnet. After becoming a married man, Anthony Henley became a chosen member in Andover of the parliament in 1698. He died in August, 1711 and was succeeded by his eldest, Anthony; the second, Robert; and his youngest son, Bertie who died in 1760.
Born the second son of Anthony Henley, Robert Henley was from a wealthy family in Hampshire. He was educated at Westminster School and attended the St. John's College in Oxford.
Robert Henley gained a fellowship at the All Souls College and was called to the bar on 23 June 1732. He was elected a parliament member of Bath, Somerset in 1747 and became recorder in 1751. He was appointed Attorney General in 1756 and was promoted the next year to Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was the last person to receive this title. Although as Lord Keeper he presided over the House of Lords, he was not made a peer until 1760 when he became Baron Henley of Grange in the County of Southampton in Hampshire. When George III ascended to power, Henley came Lord Chancellor and then Viscount Henley and Earl of Northington in 1764.
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