Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey
The Earl of Jersey | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Godfrey Kneller | |
| Secretary of State for the Southern Department | |
| In office 1699–1700 | |
| Monarch | William III |
| Preceded by | James Vernon |
| Succeeded by | James Vernon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1656 Kingdom of England |
| Died | 25 August, 1711 (aged 54–55) Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Spouse | Barbara Chiffinch |
| Parents |
|
| Occupation | Peer, landowner, and statesman |
Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey (c. 1656 – 25 August 1711) was an
He persuaded the young writer and diplomat
Origins
He was the son of Sir Edward Villiers (1620–1689) of Richmond, Surrey, by his wife Frances Howard, the youngest daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, and Elizabeth Home.
His grandfather was
Education
He was admitted to St John's College, Cambridge in 1671.[2]
Career
Villiers was
Marriage and children
On 17 December 1681 he married Barbara Chiffinch (1663 – before 13 December 1735), only daughter of William Chiffinch (1602–1691), Keeper of the Privy Closet and a confidant of King Charles II, and his wife Barbara Nunn. By her he had two sons and a daughter:
- William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey (c. 1682 – 13 July 1721)
- Henry Villiers (died 1743)
- Mary Villiers (died 17 Jan 1734/35), who married twice:
- Firstly to Thomas Thynne (died 1710) son of Henry Frederick Thynne and Dorothy Philips, to whom she bore a son: Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth.
- Secondly in 1711 she married George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne (1666–1735), without sons.
After Lord Jersey's death, his widow took her younger son Henry to France, for the express purpose of having him raised in the Roman Catholic faith, to which she strongly adhered. This caused something of a scandal, as Henry was a minor and a royal ward.
Death
He died on 25 August 1711 of apoplexy. The Queen had just, with reluctance, appointed him Lord Privy Seal.[3]
References
- ^ a b One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Jersey, Earls of". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 330.
- ^ "Villiers, Edward (VLRS670E)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ Abel Boyer (1712). The history of the reign of Queen Anne. Vol. 10. p. 382.
- . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
Bibliography
- Field, Ophelia. The Kit-Cat Club: Friends Who Imagined a Nation. HarperCollins 2009.