William Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth

William Walter Legge 5th Earl of Dartmouth
Legge on a medal whose reverse is lettered "To commemorate the opening on June 3rd 1878 of Dartmouth Park The gift of the Earl of Dartmouth to the inhabitants of West Bromwich"
Born	12 August 1823
Died	4 August 1891 (aged 67)
Children	William Heneage, Viscount Lewisham Hon. Henry Charles
Parent	William Legge, 4th Earl of Dartmouth

William Walter Legge, 5th Earl of Dartmouth (12 August 1823 – 4 August 1891), styled Viscount Lewisham until 1853, was a British peer and Conservative politician.

Political career

Legge was elected in 1849 as Member of Parliament (MP) for South Staffordshire and held the seat until 1853, when he succeeded his father William Legge, 4th Earl of Dartmouth. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Staffordshire on 9 October 1852, and Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire in 1887.

Family

The Earl married Lady Augusta Finch, daughter of Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford, on 9 June 1846. They had two sons, William Heneage, Viscount Lewisham (1851–1936), and the Hon. Henry Charles (1852–1924), and four daughters, who died unmarried.

He owned 20,000 acres, with most rent coming from 8,000 acres in West Yorkshire.

Military career

He raised the 27th Staffordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps at Patshull on 7 March 1860 during a French invasion scare, and commanded it in the rank of captain.

Legacy

In 1876, land from the Dartmouth estate was leased at Cooper's Hill for the creation of Dartmouth Park; the park was opened to the public by the Earl on 3 June 1878. In 1919, the freehold to the park was awarded to the people of West Bromwich.