1st Baron Dorchester

THE BARON DORCHESTER WAS A MAJOR LANDOWNER IN COUNTY TYRONE, WITH 12,607 ACRES

IN THE REIGN OF GEORGE IV, SIR GUY CARLETON WAS THIRD GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. HE SERVED A SECOND TERM AS GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA, 1786-96

The immediate ancestor of this family was

LANCELOT CARLETON (1549-1615), of Brampton Foot, Gilsland, a younger son of the ancient house of CARLETON, of Carleton, Cumberland, who settled at Rossfad, County Fermanagh.

He married Eleanor Kirkby, of Lancashire, and had issue,

LANCELOT, his heir;
Ambrose;
Thomas;
Roger;
Charles;
Guy (Rt Rev), Lord Bishop of Chichester.

The eldest son,

LANCELOT CARLETON, of Rossfad, wedded Mary, his wife, daughter of William Irvine, of Castle Irvine, County Fermanagh, and had issue,

LANCELOT, his heir;
Christopher, of Market Hill, Co Fermanagh.

Mr Carleton, who was slain in the service of CHARLES I, was succeeded by his eldest son,

LANCELOT CARLETON, of Rossfad, High Sheriff of Fermanagh, 1683, Donegal, 1686, who wedded Mary, daughter and heir of John Cathcart, and had issue,

Lancelot, died unmarried, 1700;
Guy, of Rossfad;
CHRISTOPHER, of whom presently;
Charles, died unmarried;
John, died in the war in Spain;
William, died unmarried.

Mr Carleton died ca 1693, and was succeeded by his third son,

CHRISTOPHER CARLETON (-c1738), of Newry, County Down, who wedded Catherine, daughter of Henry Ball, and had issue,

William, army captain;
Lancelot, died unmarried;
GUY, of whom hereafter;
Thomas, 1st Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick;
Catherine; Anne; Conolly.

The third son,

GENERAL SIR GUY CARLETON KB (1724-1808), who, in consideration of his eminent services during the first American war, was elevated to the peerage, in 1786, in the dignity of BARON DORCHESTER, of Dorchester, Oxfordshire, having previously obtained a pension of £1,000 per annum for his own life and the lives of his lady and two elder sons.

1st Baron Dorchester KB (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

His lordship espoused, in 1772, Maria, daughter of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Effingham, and had issue,

Guy, died unmarried;
Thomas, died unmarried;
Christopher (1775-1806), father of ARTHUR HENRY, 2nd Baron;
George, Lt-Col, father of GUY, 3rd Baron;
Charles;
Dudley;
Richard (Rev), father of DUDLEY WILMOT, 4th Baron;
Maria; Frances.

He was succeeded by his grandson,

ARTHUR HENRY, 2nd Baron (1805-26), who died unmarried, when the barony descended to his cousin,

GUY, 3rd Baron (1811-75), who wedded, in 1837, Anne, daughter of Thomas Wauchope, and had issue,

HENRIETTA ANNE, 1st Baroness Dorchester;
Maria Georgiana.

His lordship died without male issue, and the title reverted to his cousin,

DUDLEY WILMOT, 4th Baron (1822-97), who espoused, in 1854, Charlotte, daughter and co-heiress of john, 1st Baron Broughton, by his wife, the Lady Julia Thomasina Hay, sixth daughter of George, 7th Marquess of Tweeddale.

His lordship died without issue, when the barony expired.

The barony was revived, however, in 1899, when the 3rd Baron's elder daughter,

THE HON HENRIETTA ANNE CARLETON (1846-1925), was created suo jure BARONESS DORCHESTER, of Dorchester, Oxfordshire.

Her ladyship wedded firstly, in 1864, Francis Paynton Pigott, and had issue, an only child,

DUDLEY MASSEY PIGOTT.

She married secondly, in 1887, Major-General Richard Langford Leir.

Her ladyship was succeeded by her only son,

DUDLEY MASSEY PIGOTT, 2nd Baron (1876-1963), OBE, who wedded, in 1911, Kathleen, daughter of William, 6th Baron de Blaquiere, and had issue,

Diana Claudia Patricia (1912-90);
Lorraine Charmian Gabrielle (1919-2010).

*****

GUY CARLETON was born at Strabane, County Tyrone, in 1724; and went on to become military governor of Quebec.

He was instrumental in successfully challenging an invasion of Canada by the rebel forces of the American Colonies in 1776, when he was appointed to the Order of the Bath.

A plaque in Strabane reads,

Born at Bowling Green, Strabane, Carleton was commissioned ensign in 1742 in the 25th Foot rising rapidly through the ranks and serving in several campaigns notably in Canada as Captain General and Governor in Chief of Quebec from 1768.

His policies acknowledged the French colonists and incorporated the French system of land ownership and inheritance.

Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB (Strabane, Co. Tyrone, Ireland, 3 September 1724 – 10 November 1808 Stubbings, Maidenhead, Berkshire), known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier who twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec, from 1768–1778 (concurrently serving as Governor General of British North America), and from 1785–1795.He commanded British troops in the American Revolutionary War.

In 1742, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the 25th Regiment of Foot and in which in 1745 he was made a lieutenant. In 1751 he joined the 1st Foot Guards as a Captain and in 1752 a Captain and in 1757 was made a lieutenant colonel.

In 1758 he was made the lieutenant colonel of the newly formed 72nd Regiment of Foot. He became a friend of James Wolfe.In 1778, Sir Guy resigned the Governorship only to be brought out of retirement in 1782 to act as Commander in Chief of British Forces in North America.

In this capacity he oversaw the surrender of New York to George Washington (among whose personal bodyguard was Captain John Dunlap) and the evacuation of British troops from North America.

Sir Guy was ennobled as the Right Honourable Guy Carleton, Baron Dorchester, in 1786; and was appointed Commander-in-Chief, North America.

In 1772, Carleton married Maria, daughter of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Effingham.

His firm but fair administration at that time (especially in regard to recognising the status of French Canadians) was responsible for the successful inauguration of the respective institutions which became the foundations of modern Canada.

At the time of his death in 1808, Lord Dorchester was recognised as one of the most decisive figures of the 18th Century.

In retirement, Lord Dorchester lived mostly at Greywell Hill, adjoining Nately Scures, Hampshire.

After 1805, he moved to Stubbings House, Burchett's Green, near Maidenhead, Berkshire.

In 1808, he died suddenly at Stubbings.

He was buried in the parish church of St Swithun's, Nately Scures.

Former seats ~ Greywell Hill, near Oldham, Hampshire; Glenelly Lodge, County Tyrone; Flete House, Holbeton, Devon.

Former town house ~ 42 Berkeley Square, London.

First published in December, 2009.  Dorchester arms courtesy of European Heraldry.