Heneage Finch, 6th Earl of Aylesford

Heneage Finch, 6th Earl of Aylesford DL (24 December 1824 – 10 January 1871), styled Lord Guernsey until 1859, was a British peer and politician.

Born in Packington, Warwickshire, Aylesford was the son of Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford and his wife Lady Augusta Sophia, fourth daughter of George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick.^[2]

A keen amateur cricketer, Aylesford played first-class cricket mostly for the Marylebone Cricket Club, but also played first-class cricket for other teams.^[3] He made 21 first-class appearances, scoring 200 runs at an average of 7.14, with a high score of 28 not out.^[4]

Finch became a major of the Warwickshire Yeomanry Cavalry in 1848 and represented the county as Deputy Lieutenant from 1852.^[2] He entered the British House of Commons in 1849, sitting for Warwickshire South until 1857. Two years later, he succeeded his father in the earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords.

Lord Aylesford married Jane Wightwick Knightley (1827–1911), only daughter and heiress of John Wightwick Knightley of Offchurch Bury in Warwickshire, in 1846.

They had two sons and one daughter:

• Joseph Heneage Finch, 7th Earl of Aylesford.
• Charles Wightwick Finch, 8th Earl of Aylesford.
• Anne Francesca Wilhelmina Finch.

He died in London in January 1871, aged 46, and was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, Heneage. The Countess of Aylesford died in October 1911.

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages ^{[self-published source] [better source needed]}
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Aylesford