George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu

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George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, KG PC, FRS (26 July 1712 – 23 May 1790) was a British peer.

He was born George Brudenell in 1712 at Cardigan House, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in London, the son of the 3rd Earl of Cardigan and his wife, the former Lady Elizabeth Bruce. Lady Cardigan's parents were the 2nd Earl of Ailesbury and 3rd Earl of Elgin and the former Lady Elizabeth Seymour, granddaughter of the 2nd Duke of Somerset. As his father's eldest son and heir apparent he was styled Lord Brudenell from birth.

He was baptised on 1 August 1712 at St Giles-in-the-Fields. He married Lady Mary Montagu, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Montagu (of the first creation), on 7 July 1730 in the aforementioned church.

He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford on 1 July 1726 and graduated from there on 31 January 1729 with a Master of Arts degree. He succeeded his father as 4th Earl of Cardigan in 1732. He had two children who survived infancy:

• John, Lord Brudenell (1735–1770)
• Lady Elizabeth Brudenell (1743–1827)

He inherited the estates of his father-in-law, the Duke of Montagu, on his death in 1749, and assumed the surname "Montagu" for himself and his children on 15 July 1749. In 1752 he was made a Knight of the Garter, and in 1766 he was created Duke of Montagu and Marquess of Monthermer. His son (who by now was styled Marquess of Monthermer) had been created a peer in his own right in 1762 as Baron Montagu, but died unmarried in 1770, and, with no male heirs, Montagu was created Baron Montagu, of Boughton in the County of Northampton, with a special remainder to the younger sons of his daughter, who had married the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch.

From 1789 to 1790, he was Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire.

He died in 1790 aged 77, without surviving male issue. The Dukedom of Montagu and Marquessate of Monthermer became extinct, the Earldom of Cardigan and its associated titles passed to his brother, and the Barony of Montagu passed to his grandson, Lord Henry Scott (who assumed the surname "Montagu-Scott", and on whose death the Barony became extinct).

Legal offices
Preceded by The Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven	Justice in Eyre north of the Trent 1742–1752	Succeeded by The Duke of Somerset
Political offices
Preceded by The Duke of Northumberland	Master of the Horse 1780–1790	Succeeded by Marquess of Graham
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Duke of Manchester	Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire 1789–1790	Succeeded by Marquess of Graham
Peerage of England
Preceded by George Brudenell	Earl of Cardigan 1732–1790	Succeeded by James Brudenell
Peerage of Great Britain
New title	Duke of Montagu 1766–1790	Extinct
	Baron Montagu 1786–1790	Succeeded by Henry Scott
Baronetage of England
Preceded by George Brudenell	Baronet (of Deene) 1732–1790	Succeeded by James Brudenell