Robert Marsham, 2nd Baron Romney

1712 - 1793


Biography

  1. 'In 1736 Romney became engaged to Elizabeth Boteler, a fourteen-year-old Kentish heiress, but following her death in 1737 he remained a bachelor until 29 July 1742, when he married Priscilla Pym (1724–1771), only child of Charles Pym of St Kitts in the West Indies, who had sent her to be educated at West Farleigh, near the Marsham family seat of The Mote at Maidstone in Kent. The Romneys had ten children. The eldest, Robert Pym Marsham, was born in 1743 and died unmarried in 1762, but the second, Charles Marsham (1744–1811), succeeded his father as third baron and was created earl of Romney in 1801. The tenth child, Charlotte, was born in 1761 and died on 16 January 1794, some two months after her father.'

  2. In the will of The Rt Hon. Robert Lord Romney of Romney Kent [made in 1784] proved 06/12/1793, he said that he had provided for his son Jacob on his recent marriage and made no further provision for him, and left £7000 to each of his four daughters Priscilla, Elizabeth, Frances and Charlotte. He said that under the marriage settlement of his son Charles with Lady Frances Wyndham he had reserved to himself the power to charge his estate in England with £5000 and his estates in St Kitts with £12,000, and he instructed his trustees to raise these amounts to pay his debts and legacies, with the remainder passing to his residuary heir Charles.


Sources

  1. Allan, D. G. C. 2008 "Marsham, Robert, second Baron Romney (1712–1793), patron of science and philanthropist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 5 Jul. 2019. https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-38925.

  2. PROB 11/1239/190.


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Married but no further details
Oxford DNB Entry

Associated Estates (1)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
- 1793 [EY] → Owner

In Samuel Baker's 1753 map, 'The Rt Hon Lord Romney' is shown against two estates, one in St Thomas Middle Island consistent with Romneys, and one in St George Basseterre, which in William McMahon's 1828 map was given as 'Mornes Est. of Earl Romney' (in 1828 Earl Romney is also marked on what appears to be undeveloped land further south in St George Basseterre). Mornes has not yet been identified in the Slave Registers or the compensation records. It is possible that the enslaved people on both estates were registered under a single entry. The Romney estate was part of a settlement made by Robert Marsham on his son later the 1st Earl of Romney on the latter's marriage.


Legacies Summary

Cultural (2)

Paintings
Portrait of Robert Marsham second baron Romney by Joshua Reynolds,... 
notes →
...
Co-founder
Society of Arts Manufactures and Commerce, later Royal Society of Arts...... 
notes →
Allan, D. G. C. 2006 "Founders of the Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce (act. 1753–1783)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 5 Jul. 2019....

Relationships (4)

Grandfather → Grandson
Father → Son
Husband → Wife
Son-in-law → Father-in-law
Notes →
Priscilla Pym married Robert Marsham after the death of Charles Pym c....

Addresses (1)

The Mote, Maidstone, Kent, South-east England, England