Born: 1730, 13th May.

Place of Birth: Wentworth, Yorkshire.

Died: 1772, 1st July. Wimbledon, England, during an influenza epidemic. He was buried at York Minster.

Parents: Thomas Watson-Wentworth 1st Marquiss Rockingham and Mary Finch, daughter of Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham and 2nd Earl of Winchilsea.

Marriages: Mary Bright, formerly Liddell, in 1752. Mary was born in Pontefract, Yorkshire, daughter of Thomas Liddell, Lord of Ecclesall and Margaret Norton. Her father, took the name Bright on inheriting Badsworth Hall, from his father John Bright. On Mary's death, she was buried at York Minster.

Children:  None

Occupation: Politician.

Notes:  Charles was educated at Westminster School and St John's College, Oxford.

In 1746, his father was made Marquiss of Rockingham and he assumed the courtesy title of Earl of Malton. On 13th May 1751, Charles inherited his father's estates. He also controlled both borough parliamentary seats of Malton, Yorkshire, and one seat for Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of the City of York. In 1751-52, he joined White's, the Jockey Club and Royal Society.

In 1752, Charles was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber to George II. During the French invasion scare in 1756, he raised a volunteer militia, at his own expense. Charles was Prime Minister in 1765, being dismissed in 1766. He was again made Prime Minister in 1782, but died 14 weeks later from Influenza.

There are three counties and two towns in the USA, named after him, plus Rockingham in Nova Scotia, Canada.