Background
Ilchester was the son of Sir Stephen Fox and his second wife Christiana Hope.
Ilchester was the son of Sir Stephen Fox and his second wife Christiana Hope.
He was elected to the House of Commons for Shaftesbury in 1726, a seat he held until 1741. The latter year he was raised to the peerage as Lord Ilchester, of Ilchester in the County of Somerset, Baron of Woodford Strangways in the County of Dorset. Six years later he was created Lord Ilchester and Stavordale, Baron of Redlynch, in the County of Somerset, and in 1756 he was even further honoured when he was made Earl of Ilchester.
In 1763 he was admitted to the Privy Council.
Stephen Fox was the lover of Lord Hervey for a period of ten years, from 1726 to 1736. There exist many passionate letters between the two.
Hervey initially favoured Stephen"s brother, Henry Fox, but when charmingly rebuffed paid infatuated court to Stephen. His relationship with Lord Hervey ended only when a marriage was arranged with thirteen-year-old Elizabeth Horner, daughter of Thomas Strangways Horner and Susanna Strangways, in 1735.
In 1758, Lord Ilchester assumed the additional surname of Strangways.
Lord and Lady Ilchester"s children were:
Lady Susannah Sarah Louisa Fox-Strangways, called Susan (1743 – 1827), married Irish actor William O"Brien (actor)
Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways, 2nd Earl of Ilchester (9 August 1747 – 5 September 1802)
Lady Lucy Fox-Strangways (1748 – 16 August 1787), married Colonel Honorary Stephen Digby
Lady Christian Henrietta Caroline Fox-Strangways, called Harriet (3 January 1749/50 – 21 July 1815), married Colonel John Dyke Acland
Lieutenant-Colonel Honorary Stephen Strangways Digby Fox-Strangways (3 December 1751 – 12 March 1836)
Lady Frances Muriel Fox-Strangways (August 1755 – 5 May 1814), married Valentine Richard Quin, 1st Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl
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Honorary
Charles Redlynch Fox-Strangways (27 April 1761 – 4 November 1836), married Jane Haines.