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LEWIS, MATTHEW GREGORY, elder son of Matthew Lewis (qv); b. 9 Jul 1775; adm. 19 Jul 1783; a successful actor in the Town Boys’ plays; played Falconbridge in King John and My Lord Duke in High Life below Stairs to great applause (Letters and Correspondence, i, 42); Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 27 Apr 1790, Canoneer Student 23 Dec 1790 – void 25 Jun 1803; BA 1794; MA 1797; attaché to British Embassy, The Hague May – Dec 1794; author, Ambrosio, or the Monk, 1795, a best-selling novel which made him famous as “Monk” Lewis; MP Hindon 1796-1802; his play, The Castle Spectre, ran for sixty nights from 14 Dec 1797 under Sheridan’s management at Drury Lane; author, Tales of Wonder, 1801, also poems and other plays; visited West Indies estates to make arrangements for welfare of his slaves 1815-6, 1817-8; d. unm. at sea on his voyage home from Jamaica 14 May 1818. DNB.

LEWIS, ERASMUS, son of Rev. George Lewis, Vicar of Abergwili, Carmarthenshire, and Margaret, dau. of Sir Thomas Stepney, Kt; bap 29 Apr 1671; adm.; KS 1686; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1690, adm. pens. 28 Jun 1690, aged 18, scholar 24 May 1691; BA 1693/4; Master of Free School, Sevenoaks, Kent 1696/7; travelled on Continent; Secretary to Earl of Manchester, Ambassador at Paris 1701; Chief Clerk, Secretary of State’s Office Jan – May 1702, Under-Secretary May 1704 – Sep 1714; Secretary to Embassy, Brussels, in 1708; MP Lostwithiel 1713-5; lost his official post when Whigs came into power 1714; subsequently employed as Steward to his former political patron Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford; friend of Swift, Pope, Gay, Arbuthnot and Matthew Prior (qv); m. 1 Oct 1724 Anne, widow of Thomas Bateman, St. Martin’s in the Fields, London (and stepmother of Edmund Bateman (qv)), and dau. of --- Jennings; d. 10 Jan 1754. Buried East Cloister, Westminster Abbey. DNB.

LEVETT, JOHN, son of Theophilus Levett, Lichfield, Staffs., and his first wife Mary, second dau. of John Babington, Packington, Warwicks.; bapt. 17 Jul 1721; adm. (aged 14) Jul 1736 (Taylor's); left 1738; Brasenose Coll. Oxford, matr. 23 Feb 1738/9; adm. Middle Temple 21 Feb 1737/8; migrated to Inner Temple 29 Jan1741/2, called to bar 18 Jun 1743; chambers there 5 Feb 1741/2 – 8 May 1753, withdrew from membership Nov 1781; MP Lichfield 1761 – 1 Feb 1762; of Wychnor, Staffs.; d. unm. 22 Nov 1799.

LESLIE, CHARLES ALBERT, son of Rev. Henry Leslie LLD, Prebendary of Armagh, and Catherine, dau. of Very Rev. Charles Meredyth, Dean of Ardfert; b. 23 May 1765; adm. 8 May 1775; Trinity Coll. Dublin, adm. fellow commoner 22 Jul 1782, aged 17; BA 1786; of Ballybay, co. Monaghan; m. 1 Jul 1799 Ellen, youngest dau. of Richard Magenis MP (I), Waringstown, co. Down [and sister of Richard Magenis (qv), if he correctly identified]; d. 14 Jun 1838.

LENNOX, LORD WILLIAM PITT, brother of Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond (qv); b. 20 Sep 1799; adm. 18 Jul 1808; gazetted Cornet, Royal Horse Guards 13 May 1813, while still at school; left 1813; attaché to Duke of Wellington on embassy to Paris 8 Aug 1814; Lieut., 3 Nov 1814; on Sir Peregrine Maitland’s staff 1815; present at his mother’s memorable ball on eve of battle of Waterloo; ADC to Duke of Wellington 1815-8; Capt., 22 Mar 1822; retd. 25 Mar 1829; MP (Whig) King’s Lynn 1831-4; devoted to horse racing and private theatricals; contributor to periodicals; author, Percy Hamilton, or the Adventures of a Westminster Boy, 1851, and other novels and volumes of recollections, containing allusions to his school career; m. 1st, 7 May 1824 (div. 1831) Mary Anne Paton, singer, eldest dau. of George Paton, The High School, Edinburgh; m. 2nd, 1854 Ellen, dau. of John Smith; m. 3rd, 17 Nov 1863 Maria Jane, eldest dau. of Rev. Capel Molyneux, Vicar of St. Paul’s, Onslow Square, Kensington; d. 18 Feb 1881. DNB.

LENNOX, LORD (JOHN) GEORGE, brother of Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond (qv); b. 3 Oct 1793; adm.; left 1811; Cornet, 13th Light Dragoons 24 Oct 1811; 9th Light Dragoons 13 Feb 1812; Lieut., 14 Jan 1813; Capt., 3rd Garrison Battn., 9 Nov 1815; 9th Light Dragoons (subsequently Lancers) 27 Jun 1816; Maj., 25 Oct 1817; Lieut. -Col., unattached, half-pay 12 Jun 1823; Lieut. -Col, 6th Dragoons 15 Jun 1830; retd. Jul 1832; served in Peninsular War; ADC to Duke of Wellington at battle of Waterloo; MP Chichester 22 Nov 1819-31, Sussex 1831-2, West Sussex 1832-41; entered parliament as a Tory, supported Whig government of 1830-4, thereafter again a Tory supporter; m. 29 Jun 1818 Louisa Frederica, fourth dau. of Hon. John Rodney MP; d. 10 Nov 1873.

LENNOX, LORD GEORGE HENRY, brother of Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox (qv); b. 29 Nov 1737; adm. Jan 1748/9 (Levett's); left 1750; Leyden Univ., adm. 6 Feb 1754; Grand Tour (Italy) 1755; Ensign, 2nd Foot Guards 17 Dec 1751; Capt., 25th Foot 23 Mar 1756; Lieut. -Col., 33rd Foot 8 May 1758; Brevet Col. and ADC to George III 20 Feb 1762; Col., 25th Foot, from 29 Dec 1762; Maj. -Gen., 25 May 1772; Lieut. -Gen., 29 Aug 1777; Gen., 12 Oct 1793; served in Germany 1757, 1760-1, and on expedition to French coast 1758; Brig. with forces in Portugal 1763; his quarrel with Gen. John Mostyn (adm. 1722, qv), Governor of Minorca, gave rise to the celebrated case of Fabrigas v. Mostyn (Howell, State Trials, xx, 81-238); MP Chichester 1761 – Jan 1767, Sussex 3 Feb 1767-90; Secretary to Embassy, Paris Aug 1765 – Jul 1766, Minister Plenipotentiary there Jul – Oct 1766; Privy Councillor 9 Feb 1784; Constable, Tower of London (and Lord Lieut., Tower Hamlets) 10 Feb – Nov 1784; Governor of Plymouth from 30 Oct 1784; m. 25 Dec 1758 Lady Louisa Ker, eldest dau. of William Ker, 4th Marquis of Lothian (S) KT, Gen. in the Army; d. 22 Mar 1805. DNB.

LEMON, ---; b.; in school lists 1764; left Dec 1764. [Probably = Sir William Lemon, Bart. (1748-1824), who matr. from Christ Church, Oxford 11 Jan 1765, MP Penrhyn Jan 1770-4, Cornwall from 1774, d. 18 Dec 1824, father of next].

LEGH, PETER, brother of Fleetwood Legh (qv); b. 6 Jan 1707/8; adm. Oct 1721; KS 1724; left 1727; St. John’s Coll. Cambridge, adm. fellow commoner 7 Oct 1727, matr. 1727; inherited estates of his uncle Peter Legh at Lyme, Cheshire, and Newton, Lancs., 1744; MP Newton 15 Dec 1743-74; m. 20 Dec 1737 Martha, dau. of Thomas Benett, Salthrop, Wilts.; d. 20 May 1792.

LEGGE, GEORGE, 1ST BARON DARTMOUTH, eldest son of William Legge, Lieut. -Gen. of the Ordnance and Groom of the Bedchamber to Charles II, and Elizabeth, eldest dau. of Sir William Washington, Packington, Leics.; b. 1648; at school under Busby (HMC xi, app. v, iv); King’s Coll. Cambridge, adm. fellow commoner Lent 1664; served with his cousin, Sir Edward Spragge, as volunteer and Lieut., Royal Navy, in second Dutch war 1665-7; Capt., 1667; took part in battle of Solebay 28 May 1672; Page of Honour to Charles II 11 Nov 1668 – Jun 1678, Extra Groom of the Bedchamber 12 Apr 1676 – 6 Feb 1685; MP Ludgershall Feb 1672/3-9, Portsmouth 1679-81; Groom of the Bedchamber and subsequently Master of the Horse to James, Duke of York (the future James II); Lieut. -Governor, Portsmouth 1670-82; Lieut. -Gen. of the Ordnance 22 Apr 1679 (under reversionary grant of 7 Dec 1672) – Jan 1682, Master-Gen. 28 Jan 1681/2 – Apr 1689; commanded forces at Nieuwpoort, Flanders, with rank of Col. in the Army, 1678; Privy Councillor 3 Mar 1681/2; created Baron Dartmouth 2 Dec 1682; Master of Trinity House 11 Jun 1683-5; commanded Tangier expedition 1683-4; Master of the Horse 13 Apr 1685 – Dec 1688; Constable of the Tower 1685-9; Lord Lieut., Tower Hamlets 29 Jun 1685 – 8 Apr 1689; appointed by James II as Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet 2 Oct 1688, with instructions to prevent Dutch ships from approaching British coasts; dismissed by William III 10 Jan 1688/9; committed to Tower of London for conspiring against William III Jul 1691; m. Barbara, dau. of Sir Henry Archbold LLD, Registrar and Chancellor to Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry; d. in Tower of London of a fit of apoplexy 25 Oct 1691. DNB.