John Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater

Who was John Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater?

John William Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater FRS, known as John Egerton until 1803, was a British soldier and Tory politician.

Egerton was the eldest son of the Right Reverend John Egerton, Bishop of Durham, and the grandson of the Right Reverend Henry Egerton, Bishop of Hereford, youngest son of John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater. His mother was Lady Anne Sophia Grey. He joined the British Army in 1771 and was promoted to Captain in 1776, to Major in 1779, to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1790, to Colonel in 1793, to Major-General in 1795, to Lieutenant-General in 1802 and to full General 1812. He also sat as Member of Parliament for Morpeth from 1777 to 1780 and for Brackley from 1780 to 1803. The latter year, on the death of his first cousin once removed, Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, he succeeded as seventh Earl of Bridgewater.

Lord Bridgewater married Charlotte Catherine Anne, daughter of Samuel Haynes, in 1783. The marriage was childless. He died in October 1823, aged 70, and was succeeded in the earldom by his younger brother Francis. Lady Bridgewater died in 1849, aged 85.