Streets of Charlottetown - Weymouth Street

Association with prominent British politicians, their aristocratic titles as well as royal titles appears to be the common denominator for naming the first streets, when Mr. Morris arrived from Halifax in June 1768 to survey and layout streets for Charlotte Town. Weymouth Street running north from the harbour in the east side of the town was no different.

Thomas Thynne (1734-1796), eventually became the 1st Marquess of Bath in 1789 but during his political life was known as Viscount Weymouth having succeeded his father in 1751 and acquired the title 3rd Viscount Weymouth. He was also becoming an important English politician during the 1760's when Charlotte Town was being surveyed with a full set of streets needing names. Prior to his government appointments as Secretary of State he held the role as Master of the Horse to Queen Charlotte, for whom the city was named.

Viscount Weymouth's appointment as Secretary of State for the Northern Department in 1768 was during a time of unrest there and his 1770 appointment as Secretary of State for the Southern Department was also in the midst of a dispute with Spain over possession of the Falkland Islands.

Weymouth in public life is remembered for his considerable ability, especially as a speaker. His private life as Thomas Thynne included marriage to Elizabeth Bentinck, with whom he had three sons and ten daughters.

The family estate and titles have carried on over the generations with the current Viscount Weymouth being heir apparent of his eccentric father, the 7th Marquess of Bath who has an estimated wealth of £157 million. Bath, a grizzled painter who is married yet professes a polyamorous lifestyle with 75+ "wifelets" over the years, admits that he concocted the term to make it easier on his failing memory to recall names of the various girlfriends in what appears to be a rotating harem.

Known as Britain's most infamous aristocrat, his estate includes a highly successful safari park where paying guests are driven in Land Rovers amid lions and other exotic creatures.

By contrast the younger generation which carry the Weymouth titles appear to be quite typical young people in the active pursuit of business careers internationally.