Earl of Shaftesbury
Encyclopedia
Earl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England
. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal
then dominating the policies of King Charles II
. He had already in 1631 succeeded his father as second Baronet of Rockbourne and been created Baron Ashley, of Wimborne St Giles in the County of Dorset, in 1661, and was made Baron Cooper, of Paulett in the County of Somerset, at the same time he was given the earldom. These titles are also in the Peerage of England. Baron Ashley is used as a courtesy title
by the Earl's eldest son and heir apparent. The Baronetcy, of Rockbourne in the County of Southampton, was created in the Baronetage of England in 1622 for the Earl's father John Cooper
. He sat as Member of Parliament for Poole.
The first Earl was succeeded by his son, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 2nd Earl of Shaftesbury
. He represented Melcombe Regis
and Weymouth in the House of Commons
. His son, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, succeeded as the 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury
upon his death. The 3rd Earl sat as a Member of Parliament but is chiefly remembered as a writer and philosopher. On his death, the titles passed to his son, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, who became the 4th Earl of Shaftesbury. The 4th Earl notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
and Councillor
of the Colony of Georgia
. He died in 1711, at which time, his son inherited the title of 5th Earl.
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 5th Earl of Shaftesbury
was educated at Winchester
and served as Deputy Lieutenant
of Dorset. Cropley Ashley-Cooper, younger brother of the 5th Earl, inherited the title of 6th Earl upon the death of his older brother in 1811. The 6th Earl, represented Dorchester
in Parliament. He served as member of the Privy Council
and Deputy Speaker
of the House of Lords
. Upon his death, the title was passed to his son. The 7th Earl was a prominent politician, social reformer and philanthropist. He was known as the reforming Lord Shaftesbury in the 19th century, who fought for the abolition
of slavery. His eldest son, the 8th Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for Hull and Cricklade
. He was succeeded by his son, the 9th Earl, who was the Lord Mayor of Belfast
, Lord Lieutenant of Belfast
, County Antrim
and Dorset
and Lord Steward of the Household. On his death, the titles passed to his grandson, the 10th Earl, the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley
.
In 2004, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury
was murdered by his third wife, Jamila M'Barek
, and her brother. They were convicted of the crime in 2007, two years after the 10th Earl's body was found dismembered in the French Alps
. the titles are held by Nicholas Ashley-Cooper
, who inherited the titles after his older brother, Anthony Ashley Cooper, 11th Earl of Shaftesbury died in May 2005. The 11th Earl died of a heart attack in New York City, while visiting his younger brother on holiday.
Other prominent members of the Ashley-Cooper family include Liberal
politician Evelyn Ashley
, second son of the 7th Earl; his son, noted politician, Wilfrid Ashley, 1st Baron Mount Temple, who was a member of the Conservative Party
, and his daughter, Edwina
, who married Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
, and last Vicereine of India.
It is through the marriage of Edwina to the Earl of Mountbatten that the Earls of Shaftesbury became closely aligned with members of the royal family
. Edwina Mountbatten was a leading member of London society. Edwina's mother was Amalia Mary Maud Cassel (1879–1911), daughter of the international magnate Sir Ernest Cassel
, who was a friend and private financier to the future King Edward VII. Cassel was one of the richest and most powerful men in Europe.
When her grandfather died in 1921, Edwina inherited his vast fortune, which included £2 million, the 5000 acres (20.2 km²) country seat of Broadlands
, Romsey, co. Hampshire; Brooke House in London; Moulton Paddocks estate in Newmarket, Suffolk; and the seaside home at Branksome Dene in Bournemouth, Dorset. She also inherited Classiebawn Castle, Mullaghmore, County of Sligo, Ireland. Ashley and Mountbatten were married on 18 July 1922 at St Margaret's, Westminster. The Royal family were all present and the then-Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII
) served as best man. The relationship between the two families continues today, as descendants of the Ashley-Cooper line have often been named godchildren of various members of the royal family.
It was at the country seat of Broadlands that Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Phillip
, spent their honeymoon night in 1947. In turn, Prince Charles
and his first wife, Princess Diana
, spent their honeymoon night there in 1981.
The family seat is St Giles House, (sometimes referred to as Ashley House) near Wimborne St Giles
in Dorset
. The estate at Wimborne St Giles came into the ownership of the Ashley family around the year 1460, through the marriage of Egidia Hamelyn and Robert Ashley, the 5th great grandfather of the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury.
Early owners of the estate included the Malmayne family. Matilda Malmayne, heiress of the estate, married Edmund Plecy. The Plecy male line became extinct towards the end of the fourteenth century, and the estate was transferred to Edmund and Matilda's descendant Joan Plecy, as heiress. Lady Joan Plecy was soon married to Sir John Hamelyn (d. 1399), but with no male heirs, the estate went to Sir John's daughter Egidia, by his second wife, who married Robert Ashley. The estate has belonged to the Ashleys and Ashley-Coopers ever since.
Construction on St Giles House began in 1651, by Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, later to become 1st Earl of Shaftesbury. The manor house is built on top of the ruins of the previous estate home. This large house and surrounding grounds include 400 acres (1.6 km²), along with a seven-acre lake and a 1000 yards (914.4 m) avenue of trees. The family also owns Lough Neagh
, the largest lake in the British Isles
.
As noted by Christopher Hussey
in his article on St Giles' House, "The whole, so little changed in two centuries, is a splendid example of the Kent manner changing into the rococo of the mid-century." However, following World War II, the contents of these rooms have been gradually dispersed in a number of sales. The record of these and a number of published articles indicate that the design of the furniture shows a highly accomplished progression from the architectural Palladian style to the full fanciful rococo style. The accomplished design, together with the high level of craftsmanship, clearly indicate a metropolitan origin for the majority of these pieces, but unfortunately the surviving Shaftesbury Account Books contain few references to London cabinet-makers other than William Hallett, his name appearing a number of times between 1745 and 1757 with references to 'carved chairs,' 'the Blew Bed,' and 'Mahogany Cisterns.' The payments to other cabinet-makers mentioned in accounts are small in nature and probably indicate their local origins.
The Shaftesburys are known to have had connections with London cabinet makers. The 4th Earl's wife, Lady Susannah Noel, daughter of Baptist Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough
, was one of the 26 aristocratic subscribers to the first edition of Thomas Chippendale's
Director (1754). His second wife, Lady Mary Bouverie
, was the daughter of the 1st Viscount Folkestone who was a major patron of William Hallett and Benjamin Goodison
, her brother the 2nd Viscount acquiring pieces from the Royal cabinetmakers William Vile
and John Cobb
.
and Cooper
Rivers in South Carolina
were named for the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, who was the Chief Lord Proprietor
of the Carolina Colony. Charleston
was founded on the western bank of the Ashley in 1670 (at Charles Towne Landing
), before moving across to its current peninsular location ten years later.
The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Anthony Francis Wolfgang Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley (born 2011).
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal
Cabal Ministry
The Cabal Ministry refers to a group of high councillers of King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1668 to circa 1674.The term "Cabal" has a double meaning in this context. It refers to the fact that, for perhaps the first time in English history, effective power in a royal council...
then dominating the policies of King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. He had already in 1631 succeeded his father as second Baronet of Rockbourne and been created Baron Ashley, of Wimborne St Giles in the County of Dorset, in 1661, and was made Baron Cooper, of Paulett in the County of Somerset, at the same time he was given the earldom. These titles are also in the Peerage of England. Baron Ashley is used as a courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
by the Earl's eldest son and heir apparent. The Baronetcy, of Rockbourne in the County of Southampton, was created in the Baronetage of England in 1622 for the Earl's father John Cooper
Sir John Cooper, 1st Baronet
Sir John Cooper, 1st Baronet , was an English landowner in the counties of Dorset and Somerset. After earlier being knighted, he was created a Baronet in 1622....
. He sat as Member of Parliament for Poole.
Succession to the earldom
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 2nd Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 2nd Earl of Shaftesbury , known as Lord Ashley from 1672 to 1683, was an English peer and Member of Parliament....
. He represented Melcombe Regis
Melcombe Regis
Melcombe Regis is an area of Weymouth in Dorset, England.Situated on the north shore of Weymouth Harbour and originally part of the waste of Radipole, it seems only to have developed as a significant settlement and seaport in the 13th century...
and Weymouth in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. His son, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, succeeded as the 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury was an English politician, philosopher and writer.-Biography:...
upon his death. The 3rd Earl sat as a Member of Parliament but is chiefly remembered as a writer and philosopher. On his death, the titles passed to his son, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, who became the 4th Earl of Shaftesbury. The 4th Earl notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII, taking over the military duties of the Sheriff and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment of Deputies, and in 1662 the Lord-Lieutenant was given entire control of...
and Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
of the Colony of Georgia
Province of Georgia
The Province of Georgia was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States...
. He died in 1711, at which time, his son inherited the title of 5th Earl.
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 5th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 5th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper FRS was the 5th Earl of Shaftesbury. He succeeded to the title on the death of his father, in 1771....
was educated at Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and served as Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Dorset. Cropley Ashley-Cooper, younger brother of the 5th Earl, inherited the title of 6th Earl upon the death of his older brother in 1811. The 6th Earl, represented Dorchester
Dorchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Dorchester was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dorchester in Dorset. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1295 to 1868, when its representation was reduced one member....
in Parliament. He served as member of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
and Deputy Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. Upon his death, the title was passed to his son. The 7th Earl was a prominent politician, social reformer and philanthropist. He was known as the reforming Lord Shaftesbury in the 19th century, who fought for the abolition
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
of slavery. His eldest son, the 8th Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for Hull and Cricklade
Cricklade (UK Parliament constituency)
Cricklade was a parliamentary constituency named after the town of Cricklade in Wiltshire.From 1295 until 1885, Cricklade was a parliamentary borough, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously to the House of Commons of...
. He was succeeded by his son, the 9th Earl, who was the Lord Mayor of Belfast
Lord Mayor of Belfast
The Lord Mayor of Belfast is the leader and chairman of Belfast City Council, elected annually from and by the City's 51 councillors.The Lord Mayor is Niall Ó Donnghaile of Sinn Féin, while the Deputy Lord Mayor is Ruth Patterson of the Democratic Unionist Party, who were elected in May 2011.The...
, Lord Lieutenant of Belfast
Lord Lieutenant of Belfast
The Lord Lieutenant of Belfast is the official representative of the Queen for the 'County Borough of Belfast', Northern Ireland. The current Lord Lieutenant is Dame Mary Peters who was appointed in August 2009. The position was first created in 1900 and was held by the Marquess of Londonderry...
, County Antrim
Lord Lieutenant of Antrim
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Antrim. The office was created on 23 August 1831.*Charles O'Neill, 1st Earl O'Neill 17 October 1831 – 25 March 1841*George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall 24 April 1841 – 20 October 1883...
and Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII, taking over the military duties of the Sheriff and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment of Deputies, and in 1662 the Lord-Lieutenant was given entire control of...
and Lord Steward of the Household. On his death, the titles passed to his grandson, the 10th Earl, the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley was an English nobleman, descended from the Earls of Shaftesbury. He was the eldest son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury and Lady Constance Sibell Grosvenor. His courtesy title "Lord Ashley", was used as the eldest son of the Earl of...
.
In 2004, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury styled Lord Ashley between 1947 and 1961, and Earl of Shaftesbury from 1961 until his death, was a British peer from Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, located in South West England on the coast of the English Channel...
was murdered by his third wife, Jamila M'Barek
Jamila M'Barek
Jamila, Countess of Shaftesbury, Baroness Ashley of Wimborne St Giles and Baroness Cooper of Pawlett is the widow of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury, and is imprisoned for having been an accomplice to the murder of her husband by her brother.-Background:Born circa 1961, she was one...
, and her brother. They were convicted of the crime in 2007, two years after the 10th Earl's body was found dismembered in the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
. the titles are held by Nicholas Ashley-Cooper
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury
Nicholas Edmund Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, also known as Nick Ashley-Cooper, succeeded his brother as Earl of Shaftesbury...
, who inherited the titles after his older brother, Anthony Ashley Cooper, 11th Earl of Shaftesbury died in May 2005. The 11th Earl died of a heart attack in New York City, while visiting his younger brother on holiday.
Other prominent members of the Ashley-Cooper family include Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician Evelyn Ashley
Evelyn Ashley
Evelyn Melbourne Ashley PC , was British barrister and Liberal politician. He was private secretary to Lord Palmerston and later published a biography of him...
, second son of the 7th Earl; his son, noted politician, Wilfrid Ashley, 1st Baron Mount Temple, who was a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, and his daughter, Edwina
Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma,, GBE, DCVO, CI, DStJ was an English heiress, socialite, relief-worker, wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and last Vicereine of India.- Lineage and wealth :Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma...
, who married Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, and last Vicereine of India.
It is through the marriage of Edwina to the Earl of Mountbatten that the Earls of Shaftesbury became closely aligned with members of the royal family
House of Windsor
The House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom...
. Edwina Mountbatten was a leading member of London society. Edwina's mother was Amalia Mary Maud Cassel (1879–1911), daughter of the international magnate Sir Ernest Cassel
Ernest Cassel
Sir Ernest Joseph Cassel, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC was a German-born British merchant banker and capitalist.-Biography:...
, who was a friend and private financier to the future King Edward VII. Cassel was one of the richest and most powerful men in Europe.
When her grandfather died in 1921, Edwina inherited his vast fortune, which included £2 million, the 5000 acres (20.2 km²) country seat of Broadlands
Broadlands
Broadlands is an English country house, located near the town of Romsey in Hampshire, England, United Kingdom.-History:The original manor and area known as Broadlands has belonged to Romsey Abbey since before the time of the 11-century English Norman Conquest.After the Dissolution of the...
, Romsey, co. Hampshire; Brooke House in London; Moulton Paddocks estate in Newmarket, Suffolk; and the seaside home at Branksome Dene in Bournemouth, Dorset. She also inherited Classiebawn Castle, Mullaghmore, County of Sligo, Ireland. Ashley and Mountbatten were married on 18 July 1922 at St Margaret's, Westminster. The Royal family were all present and the then-Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
) served as best man. The relationship between the two families continues today, as descendants of the Ashley-Cooper line have often been named godchildren of various members of the royal family.
It was at the country seat of Broadlands that Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Phillip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, spent their honeymoon night in 1947. In turn, Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
and his first wife, Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, spent their honeymoon night there in 1981.
St Giles House
Wimborne St Giles
Wimborne St Giles is a village in east Dorset, England, situated on Cranborne Chase seven miles north of Wimborne Minster which is north of Poole. The village has a population of 366 ....
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. The estate at Wimborne St Giles came into the ownership of the Ashley family around the year 1460, through the marriage of Egidia Hamelyn and Robert Ashley, the 5th great grandfather of the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury.
Early owners of the estate included the Malmayne family. Matilda Malmayne, heiress of the estate, married Edmund Plecy. The Plecy male line became extinct towards the end of the fourteenth century, and the estate was transferred to Edmund and Matilda's descendant Joan Plecy, as heiress. Lady Joan Plecy was soon married to Sir John Hamelyn (d. 1399), but with no male heirs, the estate went to Sir John's daughter Egidia, by his second wife, who married Robert Ashley. The estate has belonged to the Ashleys and Ashley-Coopers ever since.
Construction on St Giles House began in 1651, by Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, later to become 1st Earl of Shaftesbury. The manor house is built on top of the ruins of the previous estate home. This large house and surrounding grounds include 400 acres (1.6 km²), along with a seven-acre lake and a 1000 yards (914.4 m) avenue of trees. The family also owns Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...
, the largest lake in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
.
As noted by Christopher Hussey
Christopher Hussey
Christopher Edward Clive Hussey was one of the chief authorities on British domestic architecture of the generation that also included Dorothy Stroud and Sir John Summerson.- Career :...
in his article on St Giles' House, "The whole, so little changed in two centuries, is a splendid example of the Kent manner changing into the rococo of the mid-century." However, following World War II, the contents of these rooms have been gradually dispersed in a number of sales. The record of these and a number of published articles indicate that the design of the furniture shows a highly accomplished progression from the architectural Palladian style to the full fanciful rococo style. The accomplished design, together with the high level of craftsmanship, clearly indicate a metropolitan origin for the majority of these pieces, but unfortunately the surviving Shaftesbury Account Books contain few references to London cabinet-makers other than William Hallett, his name appearing a number of times between 1745 and 1757 with references to 'carved chairs,' 'the Blew Bed,' and 'Mahogany Cisterns.' The payments to other cabinet-makers mentioned in accounts are small in nature and probably indicate their local origins.
The Shaftesburys are known to have had connections with London cabinet makers. The 4th Earl's wife, Lady Susannah Noel, daughter of Baptist Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough
Baptist Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough
Baptist Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough was an English peer and Member of Parliament.He was the son of Baptist Noel and cousin of Wriothesley Noel, 2nd Earl of Gainsborough, from whom he inherited the earldom in 1690....
, was one of the 26 aristocratic subscribers to the first edition of Thomas Chippendale's
Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale was a London cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs, titled The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director...
Director (1754). His second wife, Lady Mary Bouverie
Lady Mary Bouverie
Mary Wilde, Baroness Penzance , born Lady Mary Pleydell-Bouverie, was an English gardener. She was the daughter of William Pleydell-Bouverie, 3rd Earl of Radnor and Judith Anne St. John-Mildmay. She married Sir James Wilde in 1860, becoming Baroness Penzance on her husband's elevation to the...
, was the daughter of the 1st Viscount Folkestone who was a major patron of William Hallett and Benjamin Goodison
Benjamin Goodison
Benjamin Goodison , of London, was a royal cabinetmaker to George II of Great Britain, supplying furnishings to the royal palaces from 1727 to the time of his death. He served his apprenticeship with James Moore, who died accidentally in October 1726; Moore was the pre-eminent London cabinetmaker...
, her brother the 2nd Viscount acquiring pieces from the Royal cabinetmakers William Vile
William Vile
-Biography:Vile was one of the best English cabinetmakers of his time during the Georgian Age of the Designer and overshadowed by Thomas Chippendale who was clearly the most famous.Georgian Cabinet Makers – Edwards & Jourdain 1945 Vile was amongst a handful of London based cabinetmakers such as...
and John Cobb
John Cobb (cabinetmaker)
-Biography:It is believed that John Cobb was apprenticed in 1729 to Timothy Money , a Norwich upholsterer. In 1755 he married Sukey, a daughter of the cabinetmaker Giles Grendey, and is said to have acquired a ‘singularly haughty character’, strutting ‘in full dress of the most superb and costly...
.
South Carolina
The AshleyAshley River (South Carolina)
The Ashley River is a blackwater / tidal river in South Carolina, rising from the Wassamassaw and Great Cypress Swamps in western Berkeley County. It consolidates its main channel about five miles west of Summerville, widening into a tidal estuary just south of Fort Dorchester...
and Cooper
Cooper River (South Carolina)
The Cooper River is a mainly tidal river in the U.S. state of South Carolina. These cities are located along the river, Mt. Pleasant, Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek and Hanahan. Short and wide, it is joined first by the blackwater East Branch, then farther downstream, the tidal Wando River...
Rivers in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
were named for the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, who was the Chief Lord Proprietor
Lords Proprietor
Lords Proprietor was the name for the chief or highest owners or proprietors of certain English proprietary colonies in America, such as Carolina, New Jersey and Barbados....
of the Carolina Colony. Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
was founded on the western bank of the Ashley in 1670 (at Charles Towne Landing
Charles Towne Landing
Charles Towne Landing is a park at the original site of the first permanent English settlement in South Carolina. Originally opened in 1970 to commemorate Charleston, South Carolina's tricentennial, this state park showcases animals indigenous to the state in 1670, with exhibits designed by...
), before moving across to its current peninsular location ten years later.
Cooper Baronets, of Rockbourne (1622)
- Sir John Cooper, 1st BaronetSir John Cooper, 1st BaronetSir John Cooper, 1st Baronet , was an English landowner in the counties of Dorset and Somerset. After earlier being knighted, he was created a Baronet in 1622....
(died 1631) - Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 2nd Baronet (1621–1683) (created Baron Ashley in 1661, and Earl of Shaftesbury in 1672)
Earls of Shaftesbury (1672)
- Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury (1621–1683)
- Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 2nd Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 2nd Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 2nd Earl of Shaftesbury , known as Lord Ashley from 1672 to 1683, was an English peer and Member of Parliament....
(1652–1699) - Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury was an English politician, philosopher and writer.-Biography:...
(1671–1713) - Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 4th Earl of Shaftesbury (1711–1771)
- Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 5th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 5th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper FRS was the 5th Earl of Shaftesbury. He succeeded to the title on the death of his father, in 1771....
(1761–1811) - Cropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of ShaftesburyCropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of ShaftesburyCropley Ashley-Cooper, 6th Earl of Shaftesbury , styled The Honourable Cropley Ashley-Cooper until 1811, was a British politician. He was the father of the social reformer Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury....
(1768–1851) - Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury KG , styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was an English politician and philanthropist, one of the best-known of the Victorian era and one of the main proponents of Christian Zionism.-Youth:He was born in London and known informally as Lord Ashley...
(1801–1885) - Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury , styled Lord Ashley between 1851 and 1885, was a British peer, the son of the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury....
(1831–1886) - Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury, KP, PC, GCVO, CBE, was the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury and Lady Harriet Augusta Anna Seymourina Chichester , the daughter of George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall and Lady Harriet Anne Butler.-Family life:On 15 July...
(1869–1961)- Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord AshleyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord AshleyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley was an English nobleman, descended from the Earls of Shaftesbury. He was the eldest son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury and Lady Constance Sibell Grosvenor. His courtesy title "Lord Ashley", was used as the eldest son of the Earl of...
(1900-1947)
- Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley
- Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of ShaftesburyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury styled Lord Ashley between 1947 and 1961, and Earl of Shaftesbury from 1961 until his death, was a British peer from Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, located in South West England on the coast of the English Channel...
(1938–2004) - Anthony Nils Christian Ashley-Cooper, 11th Earl of Shaftesbury (1977–2005)
- Nicholas Edmund Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of ShaftesburyNicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of ShaftesburyNicholas Edmund Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, also known as Nick Ashley-Cooper, succeeded his brother as Earl of Shaftesbury...
(born 1979)
The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Anthony Francis Wolfgang Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley (born 2011).
Further reading
- Kidd, Charles & Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.