William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford
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William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford (8 June 1626 – 16 October 1695),
Origins
He was born at Wentworth Woodhouse, the only surviving son of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (d.1641) by his second wife Arabella Holles, a daughter of John Holles, 1st Earl of Clare.[1] His mother died in childbirth when he was five years old, after which his father remarried to Elizabeth Rhodes, who was a kindly stepmother to William and his sisters.
Career
He studied at Trinity College Dublin. When his father was executed for treason in 1641, William left England for several years, mainly for fear of reprisals (although most of his father's enemies bore no ill-will to his widow or children), and lived for a while in France. He is said to have acted as a Royalist agent in Germany and Denmark, in partnership with Henry Coventry, which ended in a bitter quarrel, and a duel.
| Strafford Attainder Act 1662 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 16 Cha. 1. c. 38 | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1948 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
In 1652 he was allowed to return to England on taking an
He led a rather "obscure, undistinguished and uninteresting life",
He may be summed up as "rather indolent and lacking in character",[7] but was much loved by his family, especially by his father, whose last letter was to "dearest Will" from "a father that tenderly loves you".[8]
Marriages
He married twice:
- Firstly on 27 February 1654 to Lady Henrietta Mary Stanley, a daughter of Claude de La Trémoille, 2nd Duke of Thouars, by his wife Countess Charlotte Brabantina of Nassau, 2nd daughter of William I, Prince of Orange (1533-1584), great-grandfather of King William III of England. The marriage was childless and Henrietta predeceased him. There were riots associated with her funeral.[why?][10] She was buried in York Minster, where he erected an impressive monument to her memory, which still stands.[11]
- Secondly, he married Henrietta de la Rochefoucauld, a daughter of Frederic Charles de Roye de la Rochefoucauld, Count de Roye.[2] The Dowager Countess was buried at St James, Westminster, London, on 14 November 1732.[12]
Death and legacy
He died in Yorkshire on 16 October 1695, aged 69, and was buried in York Minster.
Strafford County, New Hampshire in the United States is named in his honour.
Succession
Having no children nor surviving brothers, the earldom became extinct, but his title of
References
- ^ Burke Extinct Peerages Reprinted 1978 p.576
- ^ a b "Library and Archive catalogue". Royal Society. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ Wegdwood C.V. Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford-1593-1641-a revaluation Phoenix Press 1961 p.395
- ^ Wegdwood
- C.V. Wedgwoodpp.394-5
- ^ Kenyon, J.P. "The Popish Plot" 2nd Edition Phoenix Press 2000 p.77
- ^ Wedgwood p.394
- ^ Wedgwood p.384
- ^ Burke, p. 577
- ^ "Citizens, Soldiers and Urban Culture in Restoration England", ehr.oxfordjournals.org. Accessed 28 December 2022.
- ^ Wedgwood p. 395
- ^ The Register of Burials in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster. 1723-1754. 14 November 1732.
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