William Courtenay, 1st Viscount Courtenay

Sir William Courtenay was educated at Westminster School and graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford University in 1731 with a Master of Arts.

He held the office of Member of Parliament for Honiton as a Tory between 1734 and 1741 and for Devon from 1741 to 6 May 1762, when he was created 1st Viscount Courtenay of Powderham Castle.

[1] He married on 2 April 1741 Lady Frances Finch (d.1761), daughter of Heneage Finch, 2nd Earl of Aylesford by his wife Mary Fisher (1690-1740), daughter and heiress of Sir Clement Fisher, 3rd Baronet (d.1729) of Packington Hall, Warwickshire.

His seats in Devon were Powderham Castle, which he greatly remodelled, and Forde House, Wolborough, near Newton Abbot.

The Courtenay motto is shown underneath: Ubi lapsus quid feci ("Where did I slip what have I done").

Lady Frances Finch, wife of William Courtenay, 1st Viscount Courtenay. In her hand and hat are shown ostrich feathers, a panache of which form the heraldic crest of Courtenay. Portrait by Thomas Hudson . Sold by Sotheby's New York, 2012
Arms of Finch, Earls of Aylesford: Argent, a chevron between three griffins passant sable [ 2 ]
Overmantel in Courtenay's Exeter townhouse showing his arms impaling Finch, his wife's arms