Heneage Finch, 7th Earl of Aylesford

The Right Honourable

The Earl of Aylesford
PredecessorHeneage Finch, 6th Earl of Aylesford
SuccessorCharles Wightwick Finch, 8th Earl of Aylesford
Born21 February 1849 (1849-02-21)
St George Hanover Square, England
Died13 January 1885(1885-01-13) (aged 35)
Big Spring, Texas, United States
BuriedSt James' Church, Great Packington
Spouse(s)Edith Peers Williams
Issue
  • Lady Hilda Johannah Gwendolen Murray
  • Lady Alexandra Louise Minna Emmet
FatherHeneage Finch, 6th Earl of Aylesford
MotherJane Wightwick Knightley
Occupation
  • Member of the House of Lords
  • Stud owner and horse racing sponsor
  • Cattle rancher

Heneage Finch, 7th Earl of Aylesford (21 February 1849 – 13 January 1885), styled The Honourable from birth until 1859, then Lord Guernsey until 1871, and also known as Joseph Heneage Finch, was a British aristocrat and friend of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). Finch enjoyed many outdoor pursuits, and in his social circle was nicknamed "Sporting Joe."[1][2][3]

The Aylesford Scandal, a British Society scandal of 1876, as well as financial difficulties,[4] led to Finch leaving the United Kingdom to become a cattle rancher in Big Spring, Texas.

  1. ^ Gray, Charlotte (2023). "6: Toxic Churchill Dynamics: 1874-1880". Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt. Simon and Schuster.
  2. ^ Martin, Ralph G (1969). Lady Randolph Churchill: A Biography, 1854-1895. pp. 98–99.
  3. ^ Marsh, Simon (24 May 1969). "When a Churchill turned down a challenge... He faced death duel with a prince". Manchester Evening News. p. 2 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "The Late Lord Aylesford as a Ranchman". The Northern Echo. 5 February 1885. p. 3 – via The British Newspaper Archive.