| Honorific-Prefix: | The Right Honourable |
| The Earl of Aylesford | |
| Honorific-Suffix: | PC FRS FSA |
| Office1: | Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard |
| Term Start1: | 1783 |
| Term End1: | 1804 |
| Monarch1: | George III |
| Predecessor1: | The Earl of Cholmondeley |
| Successor1: | Lord Pelham |
| Office2: | Lord Steward of the Household |
| Term Start2: | 1804 |
| Term End2: | 1812 |
| Monarch2: | George III |
| Predecessor2: | The Earl of Dartmouth |
| Successor2: | The Earl of Cholmondeley |
| Birth Place: | Syon House, near London |
| Death Place: | Great Packington, Warwickshire |
| Nationality: | British |
| Alma Mater: | Christ Church, Oxford |
| Children: | 13, including Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford |
| Parents: | Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford and Mary Fisher |
Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford, PC, FRS, FSA (4 July 1751 – 21 October 1812), styled Lord Guernsey between 1757 and 1777, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1772 to 1777 when he succeeded to a peerage. He was also a landscape artist.
Aylesford was the son of Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford, and Lady Charlotte Seymour, daughter of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset and Lady Charlotte Finch.[1] He was born at his maternal grandfather, Duke of Somerset's residence, Syon House, near London. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.[2]
Aylesford was returned to parliament for Castle Rising in 1772, a seat he held until 1774, and then represented Maidstone until 1777,when he succeeded his father in the earldom and entered the House of Lords. He was a Lord of the Bedchamber to George III between 1777 and 1783.[3] The latter year he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard by William Pitt the Younger. He retained this office until 1804, the last three years under the premiership of Henry Addington. When Pitt resumed office in 1804, Aylesford was made Lord Steward of the Household. He continued in this office until his death in 1812, under successively Lord Grenville, the Duke of Portland and Spencer Perceval.[3]
Aylesford also held the honorary position of High Steward of Sutton Coldfield from 1796 until his death.
Apart from his political career Lord Aylesford was an artist of some repute in the British landscape tradition. Tate Britain has 50 watercolours, drawings and prints by Finch in its collection. In 1795 an Album of Etchings by Lord Aylesford and Others was published.[4] A. P. Oppe wrote an article giving some background and listing 85 of Aylesford's etchings titled The Fourth Earl of Aylesford. The Print Collector's Quarterly 1924, Vol 11, p. 263. Lord Aylesford was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1773 and was a trustee of the British Museum between 1787 and 1812.[2]
Lord Aylesford married Lady Louisa Thynne, daughter of Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, on 18 November 1781. They lived at Packington Hall near Meriden, Warwickshire and had thirteen children:
Lord Aylesford died at Great Packington, Warwickshire, in October 1812, aged 61, from gout in the stomach. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Heneage. The Countess of Aylesford died in December 1832, aged 72.[2]