Walter Spencer-Stanhope (4 February 1749/50 – 10 April 1821), of Horsforth and Leeds, Yorkshire, was a British industrialist (whose family fortune had been made through the iron trade) and a politician who sat in the House of Commons for various constituencies between 1775 and 1812.

Church records show that he was born on 4 February 1749 (Old Style, corrected now to 1750) and baptized on 9 March of the same year.

He was educated at Bradford Grammar School and went up to University College, Oxford, and later studied law at the Middle Temple, London.

[3] Spencer-Stanhope married Mary Winifred, daughter of Thomas Babington Pulleine, on 21 Oct 1783, in Tynemouth, Northumberland, England.

Spencer-Stanhope died at his house in Langham Place, London, on 10 April 1821 (after a long illness) and was buried at the parish church in Cawthorne, South Yorkshire, England.

Her mother kept "a silken tress like spun sunshine" and labelled it "My dear little Catherine's hair, cut off the morning I lost her, November 20th, 1795."

She died on 15 Apr 1801 (of a truly agonizing but mercifully short illness reported simply as Obstruction) in Grosvenor Square, London, and was buried in St. James's Chapel, Hampstead Road.

He died 3 Apr 1808 ("after a long and painful illness") and was "buried with Eliza in St James's Chapel in Hampstead Road".

He was the Vicar of All Saints parish church at Cawthorne (a family living) for 52 years, until he died on 29 Oct 1874.

His Godparents were Edward Collingwood, Esquire, Mr Smith of Dorsetshire and Lady Elizabeth Lowther of Swillington.