William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans


William Amelius Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans, PC DL, styled Earl of Burford until 1849, was a British Liberal parliamentarian of the Victorian era.
The Duke served in William Gladstone's government as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard between 1868 and 1874.

Background

St Albans was the only son of William Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans, and Elizabeth Catherine, daughter of Major General Joseph Gubbins.
On 13 June 1863, he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 1st Nottinghamshire Rifle Volunteer Corps.

Political career

St Albans succeeded his father in the dukedom in 1849, aged nine. He later took his seat on the Liberal benches in the House of Lords and served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from 1868 to 1874 in William Ewart Gladstone's first administration. In 1869 he was sworn of the Privy Council, but never returned to active political office, although he accepted appointment as Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire serving between 1880 and 1898.

Family

St Albans was twice married: His Grace married, firstly, Sybil Mary Grey, daughter of Lt.-Gen. The Hon. Sir Charles Grey and granddaughter of Charles, 2nd Earl Grey, on 20 June 1867 in London. They had three children:
After the early death of his first wife, he married, secondly, Grace Bernal-Osborne, on 3 January 1874 in County Tipperary. She was the granddaughter of London Sephardic Jewish Shakespearian actor turned parliamentarian Ralph Bernal. Her father Ralph Bernal Jr., later Ralph Bernal Osborne, was Secretary of the Admiralty and a parliamentarian.
Grace's mother was an Osborne, an Anglo-Irish landed family; they had five children:
The Duke of St Albans died in May 1898, aged 58, and was succeeded in the dukedom by the only son from his first marriage, Charles, who in turn was succeeded by his younger half-brother Osborne.