George Markham (30 March 1763 – 30 September 1822)^[1] served as Dean of York^[2] from 1802 and Rector of Stokesley^[3] until his death.^[4]

He was born into a large clerical family, the third son of William Markham, Archbishop of York from 1776 to 1807;^[5] his brother John Markham was a noted Naval officer, and one of his sisters was Frederica Murray, Countess of Mansfield. He received his education at Westminster School.^[6] He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1780, graduating B.A. in 1784 and M.A. in 1787.^[7]

Markham served as Rector of Tattenhall,^[8] then as Prebendary of Bilton before becoming Dean of York.^[9]

He married Elizabeth Evelyn,^[10] daughter of Sir Richard Sutton, of Norwood in 1789:^[11] the marriage was to end in divorce in 1803.^[12] Of their children:

• The eldest daughter, Elizabeth Frances, married Rufane Shaw Donkin.^[13] She died in Meerut in 1818, at age 28, and he named Port Elizabeth in South Africa after her.^[14]
• Their daughter Maria married Rev. (Thomas) Alfred Harris, son of James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury.^[15]

After the divorce, Elizabeth Evelyn Markham was taken under the wing of her cousin Laura Pulteney, 1st Countess of Bath. She also inherited a substantial fortune when the Countess died in 1808. She married her lover John Fawcett, adultery with whom was the basis of the divorce, and he took the surname Pulteney.^[16][17] There were two sons and four daughters of this marriage.^[18]

John Fawcett (1766/7–1849) was a Christ Church, Oxford graduate, the son of Richard Fawcett of Grendon. His change of surname to Pulteney was by royal licence, in 1813.^[19] The couple had a son, John Apsley Pulteney of the 12th Lancers (1805/6–1840).^[20] Their eldest daughter Henrietta Laura Pulteney (1804–1898) married in 1832 the Rev. Philip Gurdon, and was mother of General Evelyn Pulteney Gurdon.^[21]

As Elizabeth Evelyn Sutton, she was known as a landscape artist.^[22]