He was born well and truly with a golden spoon in his mouth as at twelve years of age he came into a large inheritance. However, it was one encumbered with his great-grandmother's request not to enter into a Parliamentary career. 
This forced him to the confinement of trying to control the course of elections, but he was so succesful that Lord Chatham made him Baron Spencer in 1761 and Earl Spencer in 1765. 
In one election, three Lords tried to outdo each other when showing their support. Lord Halifax provided wonderful food for the voters who came to Horton Hall; Lord Northampton did the same at Castle Ashby; but Lord Spencer outdid them at Althorp where the guests were offered plates with sandwiches and, when they took a bite, they found a golden guinea. 
Even though he was not a scholar himself, he added to the Library and collected paintings. He also commissioned Sir Joshua Reynolds to paint a series of family portraits. He may have been a collector but hunting was something where he excelled and he was described as "a model master of hounds". He improved the breed of his dogs and, in his hunting activities, found great support from his wife. His father had died at thirty-eight, but the 1st Earl Spencer was forty-nine when he died. 

Source: Leo van de Pas