Harriet Villiers

{{Distinguish|Harriet Pitt}}{{Short description|Anglo-Irish noblewoman (1680–1736)}}

{{Infobox noble

| name = Harriet Villiers

| title =

| CoA =

| tenure =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| birth_date = 1680

| birth_place = Blandford Forum, Dorset, England

| death_date = 21 October 1736

| death_place = England

| place of burial = Layston, Buntingford, Hertfordshire

| spouse = Robert Pitt

| issue-link = #chldrn

| issue = Thomas Pitt
William Pitt
Harriot Villiers
Catherine Pitt

| father = Edward FitzGerald-Villiers

| mother = Katherine FitzGerald

}}Lady Harriet Pitt (née Villiers; 1680 – 21 October 1736) was an Anglo-Irish noblewoman who was the mother and grandmother of two British prime ministers, William Pitt the elder and William Pitt the younger.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Pitt, Harriet, (c1675-1736) |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F59479 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}

Family

Villiers was born into Anglo-Irish nobility as the daughter of Edward FitzGerald-Villiers and the Irish heiress Katherine FitzGerald.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-09 |title=William Pitt, the Elder {{!}} Prime Minister of UK & Father of Modern Conservatism {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Pitt-the-Elder |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}

Life

In 1704, she married Robert Pitt, who was elected to the House of Commons in the 1705 general election.{{cite web |title=Lady Harriet Villiers (I3347) |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/auden/cgi-bin/auden/individual.php?pid=I3347&ged=auden-bicknell.ged |publisher=University of Stanford}}

Together Harriet and Robert had four children:

  • Thomas Pitt, who was an MP{{Cite web |title=PITT, Thomas (c.1705-61), of Boconnoc, Cornw. {{!}} History of Parliament Online |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/pitt-thomas-1705-61 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=www.historyofparliamentonline.org}}
  • William Pitt, who was an MP and prime minister (1756–57, 1757–1762 and 1766–1768){{Cite web |last=pixeltocode.uk |first=PixelToCode |title=William Pitt and family |url=https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/william-pitt-and-family |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=Westminster Abbey |language=en}}
  • Harriot Pitt married William Corbet MP.{{Cite web |title=CORBET, William (1702-48), of Stoke, Salop. {{!}} History of Parliament Online |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/corbet-william-1702-48 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=www.historyofparliamentonline.org}}
  • Catherine Pitt married Robert Nedham MP.{{Cite web |title=NEDHAM, Robert (?1703-62), of Howbery Park, Oxon. and Mourne Park, co Down. {{!}} History of Parliament Online |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/nedham-robert-1703-62 |access-date=2024-04-17 |website=www.historyofparliamentonline.org}}

Death

Villiers died in 1736 and was buried at Layston Church in Buntingford, Hertfordshire.{{Cite web |title=Harriet VILLIERS |url=http://www.laystonchurch.org.uk/FH%20Website/ind1146.html |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=www.laystonchurch.org.uk}} Her mother and her son are buried at Westminster Abbey.

References