Born 1797 Died 1861
Educated at Eton and Oriel College, Oxford, he was known as Earl Temple and subsequently as Marquess of Chandos. He was member of parliament for Buckinghamshire from 1818 to 1839, and was responsible for the 'Chandos clause' in the Reform Bill of 1832. He was Lord Privy Seal from September 1841 to January 1842, and partly owing to his opposition to the repeal of the corn laws was known as the 'Farmers' Friend'. He found the estates heavily encumbered when he succeeded to the dukedom in 1839, and his own generous and luxurious tastes brought matters to a climax. In 1847 his residences were seized by his creditors, and the Duke left England. His personal property and many of his landed estates were sold, and returning to England he devoted himself to literature. He died in London, on the 29th of July 1861. His wife, whom he married in 1819, was Mary (d. 1862), daughter of John, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane, and she obtained a divorce from him in 1850.
Buckingham's chief publications are, Memoirs of the Court and Cabinets of George III (London, 1853-1855); Memoirs of the Court of England, 1811-1820 (London, 1856); Memoirs of the Court of George IV (London, 1859); and Memoirs of the Court and Cabinets of William IV and Victoria (London, 1861).
Extracted from the entry for BUCKINGHAM , EARLS, MARQUESSES AND DUKES OF in the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, the text of which lies within the public domain.