The Earl of Shaftesbury | |
|---|---|
 Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftsbury by John Collier | |
| Successor | The 8th Earl of Shaftesbury |
| Known for | Philanthropy |
| Years active | 44 years |
| Born | 28 April 1801 24 Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London, England |
| Died | 1 October 1885 (aged 84) 12 Clifton Gardens, Folkestone, Kent, England |
| Cause of death | Inflammation of the lungs |
| Buried | The parish church on his estate at Wimborne St Giles, Dorset |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Emily Cowper |
| Issue | 10 |
| Parents | Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of Shaftesbury Lady Anne Spencer |
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury KG (28 April 1801 – 1 October 1885[1]), styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was a British Tory politician, philanthropist, and social reformer. He was the eldest son of the 6th Earl of Shaftesbury and Lady Anne Spencer (daughter of the 4th Duke of Marlborough), and elder brother of Henry Ashley, MP. A social reformer who was called the "Poor Man's Earl", he campaigned for better working conditions, reform to lunacy laws, education and the limitation of child labour. He was also an early supporter of the Zionist movement and the YMCA and a leading figure in the evangelical movement in the Church of England.