William Stourton, 18th Baron Stourton

William Stourton, 18th Baron Stourton (1776–1846) was a Roman Catholic English peer. He is chiefly remembered for the private memoirs of his relative Maria Fitzherbert, the secret wife of King George IV, which she dictated to him, and which formed the basis for her first biography, published by his brother Charles Langdale in 1856.

He was the eldest son and successor of Charles Philip Stourton, 17th Baron Stourton; his mother was Mary Langdale, daughter of Marmaduke, 5th Baron Langdale (his brother Charles adopted their mother's surname). He was educated at the Jesuit College at Douai. LIke his brother Charles he was deeply committed to the cause of Catholic Emancipation, and was one of the first Roman Catholic peers to take his seat in the House of Lords after the achievement of Emancipation.

He married Catherine Winifred Weld, daughter of Thomas Weld of Lulworth Castle and his wife Mary Stanley-Massey; they had six children. Catherine was the sister of Cardinal Thomas Weld, and a niece by marriage of Mrs. Fitzherbert. William was succeeded as Baron by his eldest son Charles in 1846.

William's mother, the Hon. Mary Langdale and Maria Fitzherbert were first cousins through their shared grandparents, Sir John Smythe, III Baronet of Acton Burnell, and his wife Constantia Blount who were themselves 12C2R, by way of their shared ancestors, of Edward I of England and his second wife Margaret of France; William and Maria were also related by marriage, as mentioned above, William's wife, Catherine Winifred Weld was a neice of Mrs Fitzherbert's first husband, Edward Weld, also, William's sister the Hon. Charlotte Mary Stourton was married to Catherine Winifred Weld's brother, Joseph Weld. They were always on friendly terms, and she came to place great trust in him : she appointed him one of the executors of her will, and to act for her as her man of business generally, in her last years. Most crucially, he was one of her trustees who acted for her in regard to the destruction of her private papers. He was a witness on the celebrated occasion, 24 August 1833, when she pemitted the Duke of Wellington to burn a horde of her private papers relating to her secret marriage to George IV. At her special request a number of documents which she particularly valued, including her marriage certificate, were preserved and deposited in Coutts Bank, sealed and witnessed by Stourton.

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