William Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth
William Heneage Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth GCVO KCB PC VD TD (
6 May 1851–
11 March 1936) was a
British peer and
Conservative politician.
The eldest son of the
5th Earl of Dartmouth, Legge was educated at
Eton and
Christ Church, Oxford. On
18 December 1879, he married
Lady Mary Coke, the fourth daughter of the
2nd Earl of Leicester of Holkham, and they had five children:
*
William, Viscount Lewisham (1881–1958)
*Hon. Gerald (1882–1915), killed in action during
World War I*Lady Dorothy (1883–1974), married Col. Francis Meynell
*
Hon. Humphry (1888–1962)
*Lady Joan Margaret (1885–1939), died unmarried
Legge entered Parliament in 1878 as
MP for
Kent West and held that seat until the constituency was split in 1885. He was then elected to the new constituency of
Lewisham that year and was also appointed to the
Privy Council and made
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household. He left the
Commons on succeeding his father's titles in 1891 and was also appointed
Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire. Lord Dartmouth served with the
Territorial Army during
World War I, for which he was awarded the
KCB in 1917. On his retirement, he received the
GCVO in 1928 and died eight years later, being succeeded by his eldest son.