A small George II silver meat dish, Peter Taylor, London, 1751

The arms are those of Watson quartering Monson impaling Pelham for Lewis Watson, 1^st Baron Sondes (28 November 1728 – 30 March 1795), second son of John Monson, 1^st Baron Monson 1693?-1748) by his wife, Lady Margaret (1695-1752), youngest daughter of Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham (1655-1724). He was known as the Hon. Lewis Monson until 1746 when he changed his surname to Watson upon inheriting the estates of his uncle, Thomas Watson, 3^rd Earl of Rockingham (1715-1746). He was married on 12 October 1752 to his third cousin, Grace (18 August 1728 – 31 July 1777), youngest surviving daughter of the Rt. Hon. Henry Pelham (1696-1754) by his wife, Lady Catherine (d. 1780), a daughter of John Manners, 2^nd Duke of Rutland (1676-1721).

Lewis Watson, who was M.P. for Boroughbridge from 1750 to 1754 was returned again to Parliament in 1754 as the Member for Kent, a seat he held until his elevation to the peerage on 22 May 1760 as Baron Sondes of Lees Court, Kent.

‘On the morning of Monday the 30^th ult [March 1795] died, at Rockingham Castle in Northamptonshire, the Hon. Lewis Monson Watson, Baron Sondes of Lees-court in this county; a Vice-President of the Lock Hospital. This Nobleman was born November 28, 1728, and took the name of Watson in compliance with the will of Thomas Watson, Earl of Rockingham, his maternal uncle. In 1748, he was elected Representative in Parliament for Boroughbridge, in Yorkshire, and in 1754, one of the Knights of the Shire for the county of Kent; on Feb. 16^th, the same year, he was constituted one of the Auditors of the Imprest in the Exchequer, which office was suppressed by Act of Parliament in 1785, but a salary of 7,000£ per annum was continued during life; and on May 20, 1760, created a Peer by his late Majesty. His Lordship married October 12, 1752, Grace, daughter of Henry Pelham, First Commissioner of the Treasure, by whom he had three sons, the eldest of whom, Lewis Thomas, born April 18, 1754, becomes his successor. Besides a large landed property, his Lordship is said to have left 300,000£. in the public funds.’ (The Morning Chronicle, London, Friday, 10 April 1795, p. 3d)