Have you ever wondered about the origin of “Dartmouth” in Dartmouth College? The college was named after William Legge, the 2^nd Earl of Dartmouth, when it was created by Royal Charter issued by Governor John Wentworth in December 1769. This surprised Lord Dartmouth, as his name was used without permission and, worse, it was associated with a fraud. He was not amused and he never forgave. This talk will begin with an explanation of the college’s fraudulent beginning and then turn to the life and times of Lord Dartmouth. Topics to be covered include: a brief family history, including the origin of the aristocratic title; Lord Dartmouth’s education and Grand Tour of Europe with his stepbrother Frederick North (later Lord North, the Prime Minister “who lost America”); his marriage into money, which financed his philanthropy and London real estate development; his Low Church Anglicanism/Methodism; and his service as a senior British government official in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. 


Martin Jeffries has lived in West Lebanon since 2018 and has been a member of Osher at Dartmouth since 2021. A career polar scientist, he has presented Osher courses about the Arctic and Antarctica, but prefers to develop courses on topics outside his professional and career expertise. His favourite topics are the industrial revolution, textile manufacturing and workforce housing in New England and (Old) England. Now retired, he enjoys the rail trails, creating a pollinator-friendly garden of native plants, and exploring New England to gather ideas and material for future Osher courses.