Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington

General Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington, G.C.H., PC, PC (Ire) (17 March 1753 – 5 September 1829), styled Viscount Petersham until 1779, was a British soldier. Stanhope is sometimes confused with an exact contemporary of his, the 3rd Earl Stanhope.

Early life
Stanhope was the son of William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington and Lady Caroline Fitzroy, daughter of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton and Lady Henrietta Somerset, daughter of Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester and Rebecca Child. He was educated at Eton.

Military career
Stanhope was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1769. He was briefly Member of Parliament for Thetford and then for Westminster. During the Saratoga campaign of the American Revolutionary War as Viscount Petersham, Charles Stanhope commanded the 29th Regiment of Foot's Grenadier company and as an aide-de-camp to General John Burgoyne.

Viscount Petersham can be seen in the famous painting "The Burial of General Fraser at Saratoga" standing above Simon Fraser.

Family
Lord Harrington was married to Jane Fleming, daughter of Sir John Fleming, 1st Baronet. She was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte. Lord and Lady Harrington had eleven children:


 * Charles Stanhope, 4th Earl of Harrington (8 April 1780 – 3 March 1851). He was married to Maria Foote, daughter of Samuel Foote.
 * Maj-Gen. Hon. Lincoln Edwin Robert Stanhope (26 November 1781 – 29 February 1840).
 * Anna Maria Stanhope, Duchess of Bedford (3 September 1783 – 3 July 1857). She was married to Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford.
 * Leicester FitzGerald Charles Stanhope, 5th Earl of Harrington (2 September 1784 – 7 September 1862). He married Elizabeth Green, daughter of William Green and Ann Rose Hall. His parents-in-law were residents of Jamaica.
 * Rev. Hon. FitzRoy Henry Richard Stanhope (24 April 1787 – 11 April 1864). [Anglican] Dean of St Buryan, Cornwall and Anglican Rector of Catton and of Wressle in Yorkshire. He married Caroline Wyndham, illegitimate daughter of the Hon. Charles Wyndham. They were parents of Charles Wyndham Stanhope, 7th Earl of Harrington, his younger brother Percy Stanhope and of several other children.
 * Maj. Hon. Sir Francis Charles Stanhope (29 September 1788 – 9 October 1862). He had three children by Hannah Wilson, daughter of James Wilson of Parsonstown Manor, County Meath.
 * Rev. Hon. Henry William Stanhope (2 August 1790 – 21 June 1872). Anglican Rector of Gawsworth.
 * Lady Caroline Anne Stanhope (20 November 1791 – 25 November 1853). She was married to Edward Ayshford Sanford.
 * Lady Charlotte Augusta Stanhope (15 February 1793 – 15 February 1859). She was married to Augustus Frederick FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster. They were parents to Charles William FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster and another three children.
 * Hon. Augustus Stanhope (25 March 1794 – 8 December 1831).