Viscount Goschen

History

The Goschen family descended from prominent publisher and printer Georg Joachim Göschen of Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> His third son, Wilhelm Heinrich (William Henry) Göschen (1793–1866), came to England in 1814 and the next year co-founded the merchant banking firm "Frühling & Göschen", of Leipzig and London.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Wilhelm's eldest son George joined the family firm before he entered politics.<ref name="burke"/> He served variously as Member of Parliament, Vice-President of the Board of Trade, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, President of the Poor Law Board, Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Lord of the Admiralty. He was raised to the peerage in December 1900 by Queen Victoria.<ref name="gazette"/>

George's son, the second Viscount, sat as a Conservative Member of Parliament for East Grinstead and served as Governor of Madras.<ref name="burke"/> The second Viscount's only son, Lieutenant George Joachim Goschen (1893–1916), was killed during the First World War, dying of wounds received during the Siege of Kut. Upon the second Viscount's death in 1952, the title was inherited by his nephew John Goschen, the second son of his brother, Sir William Henry Goschen (1870–1943). Sir William's eldest son, Brig.-Gen. William Henry Goschen (1900–1944), was killed in action in Burma in the Second World War. The third Viscount served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard (Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords) in the Conservative administrations of Harold Macmillan, Sir Alec Douglas-Home and Edward Heath.<ref name="burke"/> Template:As of, the title is held by the fourth Viscount, who succeeded in 1977. He held junior ministerial positions in the Conservative government of John Major and is now one of the 90 elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999.Template:Citation needed