John Savile, 1st Earl of Mexborough

John Savile, 1st Earl of Mexborough (December 1719 – 17 February 1778), known as The Lord Pollington between 1753 and 1766, was a British peer and Member of Parliament.

The 1st Earl of Mexborough, with his wife and son

Arms of Savile: Argent, on a bend sable three owls of the field

Savile was the eldest son of Charles Savile of Methley (1676–1741). He entered Parliament in 1747 as member for Hedon in East Yorkshire, and subsequently also represented New Shoreham. In 1749 he was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath. In November 1753 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Pollington of Longford in the County of Longford whilst remaining an MP. In February 1766 he was created Viscount Pollington of Ferns in the County of Wexford and Earl of Mexborough of Lifford in the County of Donegal, again in the Irish peerage.

Mexborough was a friend and patron of the playwright and actor-manager Samuel Foote; it was while on a visit to Mexborough in 1766 that Foote lost a leg in a riding accident.

He married Sarah Delaval (d. 1821) in 1760, and they had three sons:

• John Savile, 2nd Earl of Mexborough (1761–1830).
• Hon. Henry Savile (1763–1828).
• Hon. Charles Savile (1774–1807).

References

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages