William Egerton, 1st Baron Egerton

Who was William Egerton, 1st Baron Egerton?

William Tatton Egerton, 1st Baron Egerton was a British peer and politician.

Egerton was the son of Wilbraham Egerton and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Christopher Sykes, 2nd Baronet. On his father's side he was descended in the female line from the Hon. Thomas Egerton, of Tatton Park, youngest son of John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater. He was returned to Parliament as one of two representatives for Lymington in 1830, a seat he held until 1831, and then represented Cheshire North from 1832 to 1858. He was a major landowner in the Manchester area and a benefactor to Chorlton-cum-Hardy. In 1859 Egerton was raised to the peerage as Baron Egerton, of Tatton in the County Palatine of Chester. He later served as Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire from 1868 to 1883.

Lord Egerton married Lady Charlotte Elizabeth, daughter of John Loftus, 2nd Marquess of Ely, in 1830. They had three children:

Wilbraham Egerton, 1st Earl Egerton

Alan Egerton, 3rd Baron Egerton

Beatrix, m. Lionel Tollemache, son of John Tollemache, 1st Baron Tollemache.

Lady Charlotte died in 1878. Egerton survived her by five years and died in February 1883, aged 76.