| Activity | President of the Linnean Society, 1828-1834. MP for Preston, 1796-1800; 1801-1812. MP for Lancashire, 1812-1832. President of the Zoological Society of London, 1831-1851. Succeeded to earldom 1834. Created a knight of the Garter, 17 April 1839, after which he was little involved in politics instead focusing on zoological classification, especially bird taxonomy. Formed museum of natural history specimens at Knowsley Hall including a menagerie of live animals. Patron of Edward Lear. |