'Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea and 3rd Earl of Nottingham',
KG,
PC (
24 May 1689 –
2 August 1769) was a British politician. He was the eldest son of
Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham and his second wife Anne Hatton, daughter of
Christopher Hatton, 1st Viscount Hatton. His father was a prominent
Tory politician who had been one of the few leading Tories to actively support the Hanoverian succession.
Winchilsea supported the creation of
London's
Foundling Hospital, a charity providing home and education for some of the capital's many
abandoned children. Winchilsea was one of the original governors for this organisation, founded in
1739.
Although his father had been a supporter of
Walpole, Winchilsea became instead a supporter of
Lord Carteret in the so-called
"Patriot Opposition". When Carteret became leading minister in
1742, Winchilsea joined as well, becoming
First Lord of the Admiralty (1742–1744). Later on, he allied himself with
Newcastle and the Old
Whigs, and served as
Lord President in the
Rockingham administration (1765–1766).
He was first married to Lady Frances Feilding, daughter of
Basil Feilding, 4th Earl of Denbigh and Hester Firebrace. He was secondly married to Mary Palmer, daughter of
Sir Thomas Palmer, 1st Baronet Palmer. No known descendants. He was made a
Knight of the Garter in 1752.