Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford

Aylesford was the son of Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford, and Lady Charlotte Seymour, daughter of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset and Lady Charlotte Finch.{{Cite book |last1=Burke |first1=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99lDAQAAMAAJ&dq=Heneage+Finch%2C+5th+Earl+of+Aylesford&pg=PA51 |title=Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire |last2=Burke |first2=Bernard |date=1848 |publisher=Burke's Peerage Limited |publication-place=London |pages=52 |language=en}} He was born at his maternal grandfather, Duke of Somerset's residence, Syon House, near London. (At the time was already inherited by his heiress maternal half-first cousin Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Northumberland)

He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.[http://thepeerage.com/p2730.htm thepeerage.com Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford]

Aylesford was returned to parliament for Castle Rising in 1772, a seat he held until 1774, and then represented Maidstone until 1777, when he succeeded his father in the earldom and entered the House of Lords. He was a Lord of the Bedchamber to George III between 1777 and 1783.{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/finch-heneage-1751-1812| title= FINCH, Heneage, Lord Guernsey (1751-1812).| publisher= History of Parliament Online| accessdate = 1 November 2017}} The latter year he was sworn of the Privy Council{{London Gazette |issue=12506 |date=30 December 1783 |page=1 }} and appointed Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard by William Pitt the Younger. He retained this office until 1804, the last three years under the premiership of Henry Addington. When Pitt resumed office in 1804, Aylesford was made Lord Steward of the Household. He continued in this office until his death in 1812, under successively Lord Grenville, the Duke of Portland and Spencer Perceval.

Aylesford also held the honorary position of High Steward of Sutton Coldfield from 1796 until his death.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}

Apart from his political career Lord Aylesford was an artist of some repute in the British landscape tradition. Tate Britain has 50 watercolours, drawings and prints by Finch in its collection. In 1795 an Album of Etchings by Lord Aylesford and Others was published.[http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/aylesford-cottage-near-oxford-t11619 Tate Britain] example - for full list click "Artist" on "Find similar artworks" near bottom of page. A. P. Oppe wrote an article giving some background and listing 85 of Aylesford's etchings titled The Fourth Earl of Aylesford. The Print Collector's Quarterly 1924, Vol 11, p. 263. Lord Aylesford was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1773 and was a trustee of the British Museum between 1787 and 1812.

In the Park at Packington MET DP800738.jpg|In the Park at Packington

File:Landscape MET DP800745.jpg|Landscape

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File:PackingtonHall 2023.jpg

Lord Aylesford married Lady Louisa Thynne, daughter of Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, on 18 November 1781. They lived at Packington Hall near Meriden, Warwickshire and had thirteen children:

• Heneage Charles Finch, Lord Guernsey (27 February 1784 – 18 July 1784)The Register of Births and Baptisms in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster. 1761-1786. 27 March 1784. Charles was baptised as Heneage Finch.
• Lady Charlotte Finch (31 January 1785 – 17 January 1869),The Register of Births and Baptisms in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster. 1761-1786. 27 February 1785. married Charles Palmer on 22 January 1823.
• Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford (24 April 1786 – 1859)The Register of Births and Baptisms in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster. 1761-1786. 21 May 1786.
• Lady Mary Finch (c. 1788 - 24 July 1823)
• Hon. Daniel Finch (25 February 1789 – 17 January 1868), artist.
• Lady Elizabeth Finch (22 February 1790 - 1 June 1879)
• Lady Frances Finch (1 February 1791 – 12 July 1886), unmarried
• Hon. Edward Finch (1792 – 9 April 1830)
• Lieutenant-General the Hon. John Finch (1793 – 25 November 1861), married in 1835 Katherine Ellice (d. 1872)
• Hon. Henry Finch (1795–1829)
• Lady Henrietta Finch (c. 1798 - 1828)
• Hon. Charles Finch (b. 1799 - 19 Novembre 1859)
• Lady Caroline Finch (c. 1800 - 1821)

• Hon. Charles and Lady Caroline (buried Jan 27 1797) Warwickshire C of E Register of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials

Lord Aylesford died at Great Packington, Warwickshire, in October 1812, aged 61, from gout in the stomach. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Heneage. The Countess of Aylesford died in December 1832, aged 72.

• namesake of Aylesford, Nova Scotia

• {{Hansard-contribs | mr-heneage-finch-2 | the Earl of Aylesford }}
• [http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ArtistWorks?cgroupid=999999961&artistid=2480&page=1 Works by Lord Aylesford at tate.org.uk]
• [http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/aylesford_heneage_finch_fourth_earl_of.html Lord Aylesford at artcyclopedia.com]
• [http://artistarchive.com/Individuals/IndividualDetails.aspx?Ind=3398# A catalog of etchings by Lord Aylesford] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707165414/http://artistarchive.com/Individuals/IndividualDetails.aspx?Ind=3398 |date=7 July 2011 }}

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Category:1751 births

Category:1812 deaths

Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford

Guernsey, Heneage Finch, Lord

Guernsey, Heneage Finch, Lord

Category:18th-century British painters

Category:British male painters

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Category:Fellows of the Royal Society

Guernsey, Heneage Finch, Lord

Category:Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain

Heneage

Category:Trustees of the British Museum

Category:British printmakers