Henry Fitzroy

Who was Henry Fitzroy?

Henry FitzRoy was a British politician of the mid-nineteenth century. Born into the family of the Dukes of Grafton, he was a great-great grandson of King Charles II. He was second son of Lieutenant-General George FitzRoy, 2nd Baron Southampton, by his second wife Frances Isabella, daughter of Lord Robert Seymour. Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton, was his elder brother. His grandfather was Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton.

FitzRoy was returned to Parliament for Great Grimsby in 1831, a seat he held until 1832, and later represented Lewes between 1837 and 1841 and between 1842 and 1859. He served under the Earl of Aberdeen as Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department between 1852 and 1855 and under Lord Palmerston as First Commissioner of Works between June and December 1859. In 1855 he was sworn of the Privy Council.

FitzRoy married Hannah, daughter of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, in 1839. They had two children, Arthur Frederic FitzRoy, and Blanche FitzRoy, who married the artist Sir Coutts Lindsay, Bt. FitzRoy died in December 1859, aged 52. His wife survived him by five years and died in December 1864, aged 49.