Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent
Lord Steward of the Household | |
---|---|
In office 1716–1718 | |
Preceded by | The Duke of Devonshire |
Succeeded by | The Duke of Argyll |
Lord Privy Seal | |
In office 1719–1720 | |
Preceded by | The Duke of Kingston |
Succeeded by | The Duke of Kingston |
Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent, KG, PC (1671 – 5 June 1740) was a British politician and courtier. None of his sons outlived him, so his new title became extinct on his death. Though the house he built at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire has gone, parts of his very grand garden have survived relatively untouched.
Family
He was a son of
Political career
Having taken his seat in the House of Lords and though regarded as lacking talent and ambition[1] he, as the politically expedient candidate, was made Lord Chamberlain and a Privy Councillor in 1704. Grey was unpopular; he was nicknamed 'Bug' for his body odour.[2] He traded his position for a dukedom in 1710, and was succeeded as Lord Chamberlain by the Duke of Shrewsbury. Contemporary commentators including John Macky and Jonathan Swift did defend Grey. He might have been, for his time, the right man in the right place.[1]
After 1710 he served in politically minor positions:
In 1719, Grey was one of the main subscribers in the eighteenth-century
Titles
Grey succeeded his father as 12th Earl of Kent in 1702, having succeeded his mother as 2nd Baron Lucas earlier the same year. He was created
Marriages and children
Henry married firstly, in 1694, Jemima Crew (died 2 July 1728), a daughter of Thomas Crew, 2nd Baron Crew, and his second wife, Anne Armine, daughter of Sir William Armine, 2nd Baronet.[3] They had at least six children:
- Anthony Grey, Earl of Harold (died 1723). Married Lady Mary Tufton, a daughter of Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet, and Lady Catharine Cavendish.
- Henry Grey (c. 1696 – 1717).
- Amabel Grey (died 2 March 1726). Married John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland.
- Jemima Grey (c. 1699 – 7 July 1731). Married John Ashburnham, 1st Earl of Ashburnham.
- Anne Grey (died 20 September 1733). Married Lord Charles Cavendish.
- Mary Grey. Married David Gregoryof Christ Church.
He married secondly Sophia Bentinck (died 5 June 1741) on 24 March 1729, a daughter of William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, and his second wife Jane Martha Temple. They had a son and a daughter:
- George Grey, Earl of Harold (c. 1732–1733)
- Anne Sophia Grey (died 24 March 1780). Married Bishop of Durham.
Footnotes
- ^ a b Philip Carter, 'Grey, Henry, duke of Kent', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
- ^ See - Paul J. DeGategno & R. Jay Stubblefield Critical companion to Jonathan Swift: a literary reference to his life and works (2006) p. 354.
- ^ John and J.B. Burke. A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England, Scott, Webster, and Geary, 1838. pg 3. Google eBook