Harriet Villiers
Anglo-Irish noblewoman (1680–1736)
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Lady Harriet Pitt (née Villiers; 1680 – 21 October 1736) was an Anglo-Irish noblewoman who was the mother and grandmother of two British prime ministers, William Pitt the elder and William Pitt the younger.[1]
Born1680
Blandford Forum, Dorset, England
Blandford Forum, Dorset, England
Died21 October 1736 (aged 55–56)
England
England
BuriedLayston, Buntingford, Hertfordshire
SpouseRobert Pitt
Harriet Villiers | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1680 Blandford Forum, Dorset, England |
| Died | 21 October 1736 (aged 55–56) England |
| Buried | Layston, Buntingford, Hertfordshire |
| Spouse | Robert Pitt |
Issue Detail | Thomas Pitt William Pitt Harriot Villiers Catherine Pitt |
| Father | Edward FitzGerald-Villiers |
| Mother | Katherine FitzGerald |
Family
Villiers was born into Anglo-Irish nobility as the daughter of Edward FitzGerald-Villiers and the Irish heiress Katherine FitzGerald.[2]
Life
In 1704, she married Robert Pitt, who was elected to the House of Commons in the 1705 general election.[3] Together Harriet and Robert had four children:
- Thomas Pitt, who was an MP[4]
- William Pitt, who was an MP and prime minister (1756–57, 1757–1762 and 1766–1768)[5]
- Harriot Pitt married William Corbet MP.[6]
- Catherine Pitt married Robert Nedham MP.[7]
Death
Villiers died in 1736 and was buried at Layston Church in Buntingford, Hertfordshire.[8] Her mother and her son are buried at Westminster Abbey.