Philips Stanhope (343)

Philip Stanhope (15 August 1714–7 March 1786) was a politician, mathematician, classical scholar, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1774. Born the son of James Stanhope, first Earl of Stanhope, Philip Stanhope had a passion for mathematics from an early age, despite his father’s protestations to study something more becoming of his landed stature. Nevertheless, Philip succeeded his father as Earl of Stanhope around 1721. He was a member of the House of Lords as well as a benefactor of the Royal Society. He privileged the pursuit of science and mathematics over politics and became close to prominent natural philosophers such as Joseph Priestly and Benjamin Franklin. Though he never published any works of his own, Stanhope was a prolific patron of mathematics. In 1745 he married Lady Grizel Hamilton, with whom he had two sons. Only his son Charles Stanhope survived to succeed him, and not only in title as Earl of Stanhope, but in scientific pursuit as well: Charles became a member of the American Philosophical Society the same year as his father. (ONB, et al.)