Henry Richard Vassall Holland, baron, an English statesman, born at Winterslow house, Wiltshire, Nov. 21, 1773, died at Holland house, Kensington, Oct. 22, 1840. He was the only son of Stephen Fox, second Lord Holland, and a nephew of Charles James Fox, at whose hands, according to Macaulay, he received his "political education." He succeeded to his father's title when a little more than a year old, and was educated at Eton, and subsequently at Oxford, where he graduated in 1792. In 1793 he travelled extensively over Spain, making himself familiar with the language and literature of the country, and subsequently visited other portions of the continent. In Italy he formed a connection with Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Richard Vassall, and wife of Sir Godfrey Webster, who procured a divorce from her and recovered damages in £6,000 from Lord Holland. The latter married her in 1797, and took by royal license the surname of Vassall, in lieu of his patronymic of Fox; but his children retained the latter name. In 1798 he made his first speech in the house of lords, and thenceforth was a frequent participator in debates, being to the close of his life a steady and consistent whig.

Between 1802 and 1805 he made another long visit to Spain, and in 1806 he was appointed joint commissioner with Lord Auckland to arrange with Messrs. Monroe and Pink-ney, the American commissioners, the matters in controversy between England and the United States. In 1806 he published "Some Account of the Life and Writings of Lope Felix de Vega Carpio," to which he subsequently added a biography of Guillen de Castro, which appeared in 1817 under the title of "Lives of Lope de Vega and G. de Castro." This work, the fruit of its author's visits to Spain, without aiming at profoundness, treats the subject in a genial and appreciative manner. It was followed in 1807 by "Three Comedies from the Spanish," and in 1808 he edited, with a long preface, Mr. Fox's fragment entitled " A History of the Early Part of the Reign of James II." He held the office of privy seal for a few months in 1806, and resigned with his colleagues after the death of Fox, because the king refused to concur in Catholic emancipation, and on account of the failure of the negotiations with Franco. He resided in a private capacity at Vienna during the session of the congress of 1814 - '15, and rendered himself conspicuous by an ardent opposition against the policy adopted toward Napoleon, until the government ordered him to leave the city.

Several times in parliament he demanded a milder treatment of the ex-emperor at St. Helena. Lady Holland assisted the prisoner by sending him books, periodicals, and other comforts. Under the reform ministry of Grey in 1830 he was unable from ill health to accept an appointment as cabinet minister, but he took the office of chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, because it gave him a vote in the cabinet council, and held it until his death, with the exception of the brief ministerial interregnum in May, 1832, and the period of Sir Robert Peel's administration from December, 1834, to May, 1835. Lord Holland was much esteemed in private life for his courtly grace of manner, genial humor, and amiability; and Holland house, his suburban residence, a building having many interesting historical associations, and stored with much that was rare and beautiful in art and literature, was for nearly 50 years the resort of eminent personages and the scene of elegant hospitality. (See " Holland House," by Princess Maria Liechtenstein, an adopted daughter of the fourth Lord Holland, 2 vols., London, 1874.) Although in mental calibre inferior to Charles James Fox, to whom he bore a strong family resemblance, he was an effective speaker, and, according to Macaulay, was more distinguished in debate than any peer of his time who had never sat in the house of commons.

His " Foreign Reminiscences," published by his son (8vo, London, 1850), is a work full of gossip and piquant anecdotes. The first two volumes of " Memoirs of the Whig Party during my Time, by Henry, Lord Holland " (1854, edited by his son), are inferior to his earlier works. A publication entitled " The Opinions of Lord Holland, as recorded in the Journals of the House of Lords from 1797 to 1840," appeared in London soon after his death, affording a complete view of his public career. He had projected a life of his uncle, but never advanced beyond the collection of a few notes and materials, which are included in Lord John Russell's "Memoirs and Correspondence of Charles James Fox." - He was succeeded by his son, Henry Edward, fourth baron, born March 7, 1802, died in Naples, Dec. 18, 1859. He was member of parliament for Horsham in 1826--'7, and in 1839-'42 minister to Tuscany. As he died without issue, the title became extinct, Holland house and the other estates being inherited by his sister, married to Thomas, Lord Lilford, who died March 15, 1861.