Knowledge

William Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon

Source 📝

33: 111: 161: 332:(his title at that time) William Courtenay and the then 24-year-old Beckford over a note of Courtenay's. There is no record of what the note said, but the houseguest said that Beckford's response on reading it was that he entered Courtenay's room and "horsewhipped him, which created a noise, and the door being opened, Courtenay was discovered in his shirt, and Beckford in some posture or other — Strange story." Beckford was subsequently hounded out of polite 261:"Unconnected with the Lord of the Castle, to me its contiguity would be considered as a drawback of no little weight; I speak as a clergyman who would be solicitous for the welfare of his flock, and who is fully satisfied that his most earnest exhortations to the poor dependants, to be zealous after God and to attend their church, would have but a momentary effect when he who should set them an example was 155:
William Courtenay, 3rd Viscount Courtenay (1768-1835), in the masquerade dress he wore aged 21 at his coming-of-age ball at Powderham Castle in 1789, for which event he built the Music Room at Powderham Castle. Detail from portrait by Richard Cosway (1742-1821), collection of Earl of Devon, Powderham
152: 296:), "one against whom a bill being found 'never ventured to put the question of guilt to a trial' but remained skulking abroad, afraid to venture on taking his seat in Parliament, his motto 406:
He died on 26 May 1835 at age 66 in Paris due to natural causes. He was loved by his tenants, who insisted that he be buried in a stately fashion. He was buried on 12 June 1835 in
221:. With his new title and wealth, the young Lord Courtenay led an excessively flamboyant lifestyle. He was responsible for the addition of a new Music Room at 304:
of the Courtenay family, "Where did I slip, what have I done?") "putting a question which its owner avoids to leave to a tribunal of his country to answer".
289: 547: 281: 288:"One who ought to think himself happy that his titles and estates have not been forfeited, or himself paid the debt to the law like the 724: 719: 573: 639: 337: 101: 96: 446: 729: 660: 594: 463: 172: 86: 253:
in Devon, wrote of him in veiled terms as follows in connection with a discussion of the Parsonage House of the parish of
313:
As a youth, 'Kitty' Courtenay was sometimes named by contemporaries as the most beautiful boy in England. Courtenay was
714: 388:, the only single-person private grave on city-owned land in New York City. Around 1813, Courtenay moved to France, in 322: 213:
Courtenay was baptized on 30 August 1768, the fourth of 14 children (his siblings all being girls) and was known as "
197:
from boyhood when it was discovered and publicised by his uncle. From October 1788 until 1831, his official title was
284:(1778-1868), who was an active force behind the decision of the House of Lords to revive the Earldom in his favour: 704: 218: 186: 32: 403:
for the head of the Courtenay family, that title having been dormant since 1556, and so became the 9th Earl.
37:
William Courtenay, 3rd Viscount Courtenay (c. 1768–1835), later 9th Earl of Devon, painted in 1793 aged 25.
621: 558: 478: 321:; they had met when Courtenay was eleven. Beckford, 8 years his senior, was a wealthy art collector and 369: 241:
Courtenay was in his time considered a notorious homosexual. His near neighbour and contemporary Rev.
523: 365: 274: 230: 498:, Globe Edition, London, 1900, p.41; literally: "A sparing and infrequent worshipper of the gods". 318: 194: 76: 481:& Rowe, Margery (Eds.), Travels in Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of The Reverend 385: 455: 694: 451: 377: 151: 548:
Gabrielle Griffin, "Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian Writing," (Routledge, New York, 2002), P.17
709: 699: 509: 198: 399:
In 1831, as The 3rd Viscount Courtenay, he successfully petitioned to revive the title of
8: 669: 630: 328:
In the autumn of 1784, a houseguest overheard an argument between the then 16-year-old
254: 130: 125: 38: 459: 407: 293: 222: 139: 278: 372:. Courtenay took up residence in 1807, and from there watched the trial run of 329: 42: 160: 110: 688: 646: 400: 373: 357: 349: 336:
society when his letters to Courtenay were intercepted by Courtenay's uncle,
333: 250: 246: 182: 144: 121: 381: 353: 136: 598: 441: 226: 482: 314: 242: 190: 217:" to family and friends. On his father's death, he became the 3rd 616: 393: 177: 266: 426:
French, Daniel, (ed.), Powderham Castle Guidebook, 2011, p.17
389: 301: 164:
William "Kitty" Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon, in boyhood.
582: 189:, and his wife Frances Clack. He attracted infamy for a 348:
Courtenay was forced to live abroad, and lived in the
273:
Courtenay was described as follows by the genealogist
410:. He died unmarried, and fathered no known children. 308: 340:, who then publicised the affair in the newspapers. 494:Translation per Lonsdale, James & Lee, Samuel, 229:, which included a carpet made by the newly formed 485:, 1789-1800, 4 vols., Tiverton, 1999, vol.4, p.138 265:" ("Heaven's niggard and unfrequent worshipper") ( 686: 622:contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Devon 496:The Works of Horace Rendered into English Prose 156:Castle, hanging over chimneypiece in Music Room 292:" (beheaded in 1541 for offences against the 171:(c. 1768 – 26 May 1835), was the only son of 384:, Courtenay's land included the site of the 169:William "Kitty" Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon 31: 574:"Historic Haints and Homes in New York", 513:, new edition, Volume IV, p.336, note (b) 559:"The Claremont Inn, West Harlem, 1804", 524:"William Beckford (1760–1844): part one" 447:At Home: A Short History of Private Life 436: 434: 432: 317:and became infamous for his affair with 159: 150: 109: 588: 687: 440: 429: 116:William Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon 591:Honiton – A Glimpse Back, T Darrant 364:, the 100-acre estate of shipowner 68:26 May 1835 (aged 66–67) 13: 309:Relationship with William Beckford 263:parcus deorum cultor et infrequens 25:Sir William Courtenay, 2nd Baronet 14: 741: 725:19th-century British LGBTQ people 720:18th-century British LGBTQ people 609: 352:where he owned a property on the 269:, Odes, Book I, Ode 34, line 1). 236: 219:Viscount Courtenay of Powderham 203:Viscount Courtenay of Powderham 730:Earls of Devon (1553 creation) 576:Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly 567: 552: 541: 516: 501: 488: 472: 420: 120:Arms: Quarterly, 1st and 4th, 1: 413: 343: 290:Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury 7: 528:National Trust for Scotland 277:(1765–1854) in a letter to 10: 746: 193:affair with art collector 715:English LGBTQ politicians 667: 657: 644: 636: 629: 396:where he owned a castle. 380:. According to publisher 208: 92: 82: 72: 64: 49: 30: 23: 578:, Volume 33, 1892, p.150 275:Thomas Christopher Banks 231:Axminster Carpet Company 705:1st house of Courtenay 386:Amiable Child Monument 165: 157: 148: 378:North River Steamboat 298:Ubi Lapsus, Quid Feci 245:(1752–1821) of 163: 154: 113: 563:, September 10, 2020 510:The Complete Peerage 102:Alexander Wedderburn 670:Viscount Courtenay 651:de jure until 1831 631:Peerage of England 187:Viscount Courtenay 166: 158: 149: 135:2nd and 3rd, or a 683: 682: 661:William Courtenay 658:Succeeded by 640:William Courtenay 465:978-0-7679-1938-8 450:. Great Britain: 338:Lord Loughborough 173:William Courtenay 108: 107: 97:William Courtenay 87:William Courtenay 737: 637:Preceded by 627: 626: 603: 602: 589:Honiton (2010). 586: 580: 571: 565: 556: 550: 545: 539: 538: 536: 534: 520: 514: 505: 499: 492: 486: 476: 470: 469: 438: 427: 424: 323:sugar plantation 319:William Beckford 300:" (i.e. ancient 294:Buggery Act 1533 223:Powderham Castle 195:William Beckford 77:William Beckford 60: 58: 35: 21: 20: 745: 744: 740: 739: 738: 736: 735: 734: 685: 684: 673: 663: 654: 649: 642: 612: 607: 606: 587: 583: 572: 568: 557: 553: 546: 542: 532: 530: 522: 521: 517: 506: 502: 493: 489: 477: 473: 466: 439: 430: 425: 421: 416: 368:at what is now 346: 311: 279:Lord Chancellor 239: 211: 100: 56: 54: 45: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 743: 733: 732: 727: 722: 717: 712: 707: 702: 697: 681: 680: 675: 665: 664: 659: 656: 643: 638: 634: 633: 625: 624: 611: 610:External links 608: 605: 604: 581: 566: 551: 540: 515: 500: 487: 471: 464: 428: 418: 417: 415: 412: 370:Riverside Park 345: 342: 310: 307: 306: 305: 271: 270: 238: 235: 225:, designed by 210: 207: 106: 105: 94: 90: 89: 84: 80: 79: 74: 70: 69: 66: 62: 61: 51: 47: 46: 43:Richard Cosway 36: 28: 27: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 742: 731: 728: 726: 723: 721: 718: 716: 713: 711: 708: 706: 703: 701: 698: 696: 693: 692: 690: 679: 676: 672: 671: 666: 662: 653: 652: 648: 647:Earl of Devon 641: 635: 632: 628: 623: 619: 618: 614: 613: 600: 596: 592: 585: 579: 577: 570: 564: 562: 555: 549: 544: 529: 525: 519: 512: 511: 504: 497: 491: 484: 480: 475: 467: 461: 457: 453: 449: 448: 443: 437: 435: 433: 423: 419: 411: 409: 404: 402: 401:Earl of Devon 397: 395: 391: 387: 383: 379: 375: 374:Robert Fulton 371: 367: 366:Michael Hogan 363: 359: 355: 351: 350:United States 341: 339: 335: 331: 326: 324: 320: 316: 303: 299: 295: 291: 287: 286: 285: 283: 280: 276: 268: 264: 260: 259: 258: 256: 252: 248: 244: 237:Homosexuality 234: 232: 228: 224: 220: 216: 206: 204: 200: 196: 192: 188: 184: 183:Earl of Devon 180: 179: 174: 170: 162: 153: 146: 142: 141: 138: 132: 128: 127: 123: 118:(1475–1511): 117: 112: 103: 99:(grandfather) 98: 95: 91: 88: 85: 81: 78: 75: 71: 67: 63: 52: 48: 44: 40: 34: 29: 22: 19: 695:1760s births 677: 668: 650: 645: 615: 590: 584: 575: 569: 561:Harlen World 560: 554: 543: 531:. Retrieved 527: 518: 508: 503: 495: 490: 474: 445: 442:Bryson, Bill 422: 405: 398: 382:Frank Leslie 361: 354:Hudson River 347: 327: 312: 297: 272: 262: 240: 214: 212: 202: 199:The Rt. Hon. 176: 168: 167: 137:lion rampant 134: 119: 115: 18: 16:British peer 710:LGBTQ peers 700:1835 deaths 620:1803–2005: 454:. pp.  360:. This was 247:Oxton House 227:James Wyatt 689:Categories 674:1788–1835 655:1788–1835 599:0952813947 483:John Swete 479:Gray, Todd 414:References 344:Later life 315:homosexual 243:John Swete 191:homosexual 533:4 October 507:Cokayne, 452:Doubleday 408:Powderham 362:Claremont 255:Powderham 131:Courtenay 93:Relatives 39:Miniature 678:Extinct 444:(2010). 358:New York 282:Brougham 126:torteaux 114:Arms of 617:Hansard 394:Draveil 392:and in 334:British 325:owner. 178:de jure 145:Redvers 104:(uncle) 73:Partner 55: ( 53:c. 1768 597:  462:  267:Horace 251:Kenton 209:Family 185:, 2nd 124:three 83:Father 390:Paris 302:motto 215:Kitty 143:(for 140:azure 129:(for 595:ASIN 535:2023 460:ISBN 330:Hon. 201:The 181:8th 65:Died 57:1768 50:Born 456:148 376:'s 356:in 257:: 133:); 41:by 691:: 593:. 526:. 458:. 431:^ 249:, 233:. 205:. 175:, 122:or 601:. 537:. 468:. 147:) 59:)

Index


Miniature
Richard Cosway
William Beckford
William Courtenay
William Courtenay
Alexander Wedderburn

or
torteaux
Courtenay
lion rampant
azure
Redvers


William Courtenay
de jure
Earl of Devon
Viscount Courtenay
homosexual
William Beckford
The Rt. Hon.
Viscount Courtenay of Powderham
Powderham Castle
James Wyatt
Axminster Carpet Company
John Swete
Oxton House
Kenton

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.