William Reginald Courtenay was born on 14 April 1807, the eldest son of William Courtenay, the 10th Earl of Devon. He was elected to parliament for South Devon as a Tory in 1841, and joined the Peelites over the Corn Laws issue. In 1849 he was appointed a poor law inspector and retired from parliament.

In 1866 he was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the newly-formed Conservative government and became a Privy Counsellor. In May 1867 he was appointed President of the Poor Law Board.

As the 11th Earl of Devon on the death of his father, he was known as the "good earl", and a statue of him was erected in Exeter, paid for by public subscription. He died at his seat at Powderham Castle in November 1888, and was succeeded by his youngest but only surviving son, Edward.

[Source: Wikipedia]

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