Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford
Encyclopedia
Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford PC
(1593 – 9 May 1641) was an English politician
. About 1631 he built the square of Covent Garden
, with the piazza and church of St. Paul's, employing Inigo Jones
as his architect. He is also known for his pioneering project to drain The Fens
of Cambridgeshire
.
and his wife Elizabeth Long, to which barony he succeeded in August 1613. For a short time previously he had been Member of Parliament
for the borough of Lyme Regis
. In 1623 he was made Lord Lieutenant of Devon
and in May 1627 became Earl of Bedford on the death of his cousin Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford
.
In 1621 Russell was one of the thirty-three peers who petitioned James I on the prejudice caused to the English peerage by the lavish grant of Irish and Scottish titles of nobility. In 1628, during the debates on the Petition of Right
, he supported the demands of the House of Commons, and was a member of the committee which reported against the king's right to imprison. In May he was sent down to Devon, ostensibly to assist in refitting the fleet returned from Rochelle, but according to report, on account of his opposition in the House of Lords. Bedford was one of the three peers implicated in the circulation of Sir Robert Dudley
's Proposition for His Majesty s Service (the others being William Seymour, Earl of Hertford
and John Holles, 1st Earl of Clare
), was arrested on 5 November 1629, and was brought before the Star-chamber. The prosecution, however, was dropped when the real nature of the paper was discovered, and Bedford was quickly released.
meeting in April 1640 found the earl as one of the King Charles I leading opponents. He was greatly trusted by John Pym
and Oliver St John
, and is mentioned by Clarendon
as among the “great contrivers and designers” in the House of Lords
. In July 1640 he was among the peers who wrote to the Scottish leaders refusing to invite a Scottish army into England, but promising to stand by the Scots in all legal and honourable ways. His signature was afterwards forged by Thomas, Viscount Savile
, in order to encourage the Scots to invade England. In the following September he was among those peers who urged Charles to call a parliament, to make peace with the Scots, and to dismiss his obnoxious ministers; and was one of the English commissioners appointed to conclude the Treaty of Ripon
.
When the Long Parliament
met in November 1640, Bedford was generally regarded as the leader of the parliamentarians. In February 1641 he was made a privy councillor
, and during the course of some negotiations was promised the office of Lord High Treasurer. He was essentially a moderate man, and seemed anxious to settle the question of the royal revenue in a satisfactory manner. He did not wish to alter the government of the church, was on good terms with Archbishop Laud
, and, although convinced of the guilt of Strafford
, was anxious to save his life. In the midst of the parliamentary struggle Bedford died of smallpox on 9 May 1641.
Clarendon described him as "a wise man, and of too great and plentiful a fortune to wish the subversion of the government," and again referring to his death, said that "many who knew him well thought his death not unseasonable as well to his fame as his fortune, and that it rescued him as well from some possible guilt as from those visible misfortunes which men of all conditions have since undergone."
, with the piazza and church of St. Paul's, employing Inigo Jones
as his architect. He was threatened with a Star-chamber suit for contravening the proclamation against new buildings, but the matter seems to have been resolved by compromise.
Bedford was the head of those who undertook to drain the great level of The Fens
of Cambridgeshire
, which were renamed the "Bedford Level" in his honour. He and the other undertakers were to receive ninety-five thousand acres of land, of which twelve thousand were to be set apart for the king, and the profits of forty thousand were to serve as a security for keeping up the drainage works. He spent a large sum of money over this work, and received 43,000 acres (174 km²) of land; but the project involved him in great difficulties. By 1637 he had spent £100,000 on the undertaking, but after to various jealousies and difficulties, the king took the work into his own hands in 1638, making a further grant of land to the earl. The work was not declared finished till March 1653, twelve years after Bedford's death.
. They had eight children:
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
(1593 – 9 May 1641) was an English politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. About 1631 he built the square of Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, with the piazza and church of St. Paul's, employing Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
as his architect. He is also known for his pioneering project to drain The Fens
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
of Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
.
Early life
He was the only son of William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of ThornhaughWilliam Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh
William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh was a younger son of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford. His birthdate is uncertain, with some records showing that he was born as early as 1553, some as late as 1563...
and his wife Elizabeth Long, to which barony he succeeded in August 1613. For a short time previously he had been Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the borough of Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis (UK Parliament constituency)
Lyme Regis was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1868, when the borough was abolished.-1295-1629:...
. In 1623 he was made Lord Lieutenant of Devon
Lord Lieutenant of Devon
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Devon. Since 1711, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Devon.*John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1555*John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–1561...
and in May 1627 became Earl of Bedford on the death of his cousin Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford
Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford
Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford was the son of Sir Francis Russell, Lord Russell and the grandson of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford....
.
In 1621 Russell was one of the thirty-three peers who petitioned James I on the prejudice caused to the English peerage by the lavish grant of Irish and Scottish titles of nobility. In 1628, during the debates on the Petition of Right
Petition of right
In English law, a petition of right was a remedy available to subjects to recover property from the Crown.Before the Crown Proceedings Act 1947, the British Crown could not be sued in contract...
, he supported the demands of the House of Commons, and was a member of the committee which reported against the king's right to imprison. In May he was sent down to Devon, ostensibly to assist in refitting the fleet returned from Rochelle, but according to report, on account of his opposition in the House of Lords. Bedford was one of the three peers implicated in the circulation of Sir Robert Dudley
Robert Dudley, styled Earl of Warwick
Sir Robert Dudley was an English explorer and cartographer. In 1594, he led an expedition to the West Indies, of which he wrote an account. The illegitimate son of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, he inherited the bulk of the Earl's estate in accordance with his father's will, including...
's Proposition for His Majesty s Service (the others being William Seymour, Earl of Hertford
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Sir William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War....
and John Holles, 1st Earl of Clare
John Holles, 1st Earl of Clare
John Holles, 1st Earl of Clare was an English nobleman.He was the son of Denzel Holles of Irby upon Humber and Eleanor Sheffield...
), was arrested on 5 November 1629, and was brought before the Star-chamber. The prosecution, however, was dropped when the real nature of the paper was discovered, and Bedford was quickly released.
Politician of the parliamentary crisis
The Short ParliamentShort Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
meeting in April 1640 found the earl as one of the King Charles I leading opponents. He was greatly trusted by John Pym
John Pym
John Pym was an English parliamentarian, leader of the Long Parliament and a prominent critic of James I and then Charles I.- Early life and education :...
and Oliver St John
Oliver St John
Sir Oliver St John , was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War.- Early life :...
, and is mentioned by Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
as among the “great contrivers and designers” in 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....
. In July 1640 he was among the peers who wrote to the Scottish leaders refusing to invite a Scottish army into England, but promising to stand by the Scots in all legal and honourable ways. His signature was afterwards forged by Thomas, Viscount Savile
Thomas Savile, 1st Earl of Sussex
Thomas Savile, 1st Earl of Sussex Thomas Savile was born on 14 September 1590, the son of John Savile, 1st Baron Savile of Pomfret and Elizabeth Cary. He was baptised at Doddington-Pigot in the English county of Cheshire....
, in order to encourage the Scots to invade England. In the following September he was among those peers who urged Charles to call a parliament, to make peace with the Scots, and to dismiss his obnoxious ministers; and was one of the English commissioners appointed to conclude the Treaty of Ripon
Treaty of Ripon
The Treaty of Ripon was an agreement signed by Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Scottish Covenanters on 26 October 1640, in the aftermath of the Second Bishops' War...
.
When the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
met in November 1640, Bedford was generally regarded as the leader of the parliamentarians. In February 1641 he was made a privy councillor
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
, and during the course of some negotiations was promised the office of Lord High Treasurer. He was essentially a moderate man, and seemed anxious to settle the question of the royal revenue in a satisfactory manner. He did not wish to alter the government of the church, was on good terms with Archbishop Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
, and, although convinced of the guilt of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland...
, was anxious to save his life. In the midst of the parliamentary struggle Bedford died of smallpox on 9 May 1641.
Clarendon described him as "a wise man, and of too great and plentiful a fortune to wish the subversion of the government," and again referring to his death, said that "many who knew him well thought his death not unseasonable as well to his fame as his fortune, and that it rescued him as well from some possible guilt as from those visible misfortunes which men of all conditions have since undergone."
Estate development
About 1631 he built the square of Covent GardenCovent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, with the piazza and church of St. Paul's, employing Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
as his architect. He was threatened with a Star-chamber suit for contravening the proclamation against new buildings, but the matter seems to have been resolved by compromise.
Bedford was the head of those who undertook to drain the great level of The Fens
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
of Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, which were renamed the "Bedford Level" in his honour. He and the other undertakers were to receive ninety-five thousand acres of land, of which twelve thousand were to be set apart for the king, and the profits of forty thousand were to serve as a security for keeping up the drainage works. He spent a large sum of money over this work, and received 43,000 acres (174 km²) of land; but the project involved him in great difficulties. By 1637 he had spent £100,000 on the undertaking, but after to various jealousies and difficulties, the king took the work into his own hands in 1638, making a further grant of land to the earl. The work was not declared finished till March 1653, twelve years after Bedford's death.
Children
Bedford married Catherine Brydges (d. 1657), daughter of Giles Brydges, 3rd Baron ChandosGiles Brydges, 3rd Baron Chandos
Giles Brydges, 3rd Baron Chandos of Sudeley was an English courtier in the reign of Elizabeth I.He was born at Sudeley Manor, Gloucestershire, the son of Edmund Brydges, 2nd Baron Chandos and his wife Dorothy Bray...
. They had eight children:
- William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordWilliam Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordWilliam Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford KG PC was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 until 1641 when he inherited his Peerage and sat in the House of Lords...
(August 1616 – 7 September 1700). - Francis Russell.
- Colonel John RussellJohn Russell (royalist)John Russell was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1641 to 1644. He fought in the Royalist army in the English Civil War....
- Edward Russell (d. 21 September 1665). Father of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of OrfordEdward Russell, 1st Earl of OrfordAdmiral of the Fleet Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford, PC was the First Lord of the Admiralty under King William III.-Naval career:...
. - Catherine Russell (d. 1 December 1676). Married Robert Greville, 2nd Baron BrookeRobert Greville, 2nd Baron BrookeRobert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke was an English Civil War Roundhead General.Greville was the cousin and adopted son of Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, and thus became 2nd Lord Brooke, and owner of Warwick Castle. He was born in 1607, and entered parliament for Warwickshire in 1628...
. - Margaret Russell (d. 1676). Married first James Hay, 2nd Earl of CarlisleJames Hay, 2nd Earl of CarlisleJames Hay, 2nd Earl of Carlisle was the Earl of Carlisle , succeeding James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle. Hay was the second son of the 1st Earl, a Scottish nobleman, and his wife Honoria, heir to Edward Denny, 1st Earl of Norwich.James Hay was Colonel of a Regiment of Foot in Germany, and was...
and secondly Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of ManchesterEdward Montagu, 2nd Earl of ManchesterEdward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester KG, KB, FRS was an important commander of Parliamentary forces in the First English Civil War, and for a time Oliver Cromwell's superior.-Life:...
. - Diana Russell (d. 30 January 1695). Married Francis Newport, 1st Earl of BradfordFrancis Newport, 1st Earl of BradfordFrancis Newport, 1st Earl of Bradford PC , styled The Honourable between 1642 and 1651, was an English soldier, courtier and Whig politician.-Background:...
. - Anne Russell (d. 26 January 1697). Married George Digby, 2nd Earl of BristolGeorge Digby, 2nd Earl of BristolGeorge Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 until 1641 when he was raised to the House of Lords...
.