Washington Shirley, 5th Earl Ferrers

Vice Admiral Washington Shirley, 5th Earl Ferrers, FRS (26 May 1722 – 1 October 1778) was a British Royal Navy officer, hereditary peer, freemason and amateur astronomer.

Ferrers purchased Joseph Wright of Derby's painting entitled "A Philosopher giving a Lecture on the Orrery in which a lamp is put in place of the Sun".

Ferrers had Peter Perez Burdett (the figure on the left) as a house guest and he had attended a talk by James Ferguson who had given lectures on the orrery.

Lord Ferrers died in 1778 at Chartley Manor Place, Staffordshire at the age of 56 and was buried at Staunton Harold.

He and his wife, Anne Elliot, had no children and the earldom and estates therefore passed to his younger brother, Robert.