George Sondes, 1st Earl of Feversham
Encyclopedia
George Sondes, 1st Earl of Feversham KB (Nov 1599 – 16 April 1677) was an English peer
and member of the House of Lords
.
, near Feversham
in Kent
, the son of Sir Richard Sondes (1571–1645) of Throwley
, by his wife Susan, daughter of Sir Edward Montagu (1532–1602) of Boughton. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
, where he entered in 1615, and where his tutor was John Preston
; but he does not appear to have proceeded to a degree.
Sondes was created a Knight of the Bath at the coronation of Charles I
on 2 February 1626. He sat in the House of Commons
for Higham Ferrers
from 1628 to 1629 and was High Sheriff of Kent
in 1636. He was made a deputy lieutenant
of Kent
in 1642. On the outbreak of the First English Civil War
he was named a deputy lieutenant for Kent, and was on the royalist
committee for the county in 1643. When the parliamentary side proved triumphant, he suffered greatly in his estate, and was imprisoned from 1645, first in Upnor Castle
and then in the Tower of London
.
He was released from the Tower in May 1650, but not finally discharged until 25 June following, after compounding for his estate by a payment of £3,350. On his release he began rebuilding Lees Court from the plans of Inigo Jones
. On 7 August 1655 in that year, his younger son, Freeman, aged eighteen or nineteen, apparently actuated by jealousy, killed his elder brother George, while asleep in an upper room in Lees Court, by a blow on the back of the head with a cleaver. The murderer, who at once told his father of his crime, was taken to Maidstone
next day and arraigned at Maidstone assize on 9 August. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to death, and was hanged at Maidstone on 21 August. The fratricide proved a theme for the pulpit: Robert Boreman
at once issued ‘A Mirrour of Mercy and Judgment, or an exact true narrative of the Life and Death of Freeman Sonds, Esq.,’ 1655. Other ministers blamed Sondes's own moral remissness. He had failed (it was said) to continue the endowment of Throwley free school as purposed by his father, had improperly executed the will of his father-in-law, Sir Ralph Freeman, and had generally mismanaged his sons' education. Sir George answered the charges in a ‘Plaine Narrative to the World, of all Passages upon the Death of his Two Sonnes’ (London, 1655). There followed from other pens ‘The Devils Reign upon Earth, being a Relation of several sad and bloudy Murthers lately committed, especially that of Sir George Sonds his son upon his own brother ....’ London, 1655; and ‘A Funeral Elegie upon the Death of George Sonds, Esq. … by William Annand Junior of Throwllgh, whereunto is annexed a Prayer compiled by his sorrowful Father,’ 1655..
At the English Restoration
in 1660, he was again made deputy lieutenant of Kent, and in 1661, was returned to the House of Commons for Ashburton
. He sat for that constituency until 1676, when he was created Earl of Feversham, Viscount Sondes, and Baron of Throwley. He died at Lees Court, without male issue, on 16 April 1677. Thomas Southouse dedicated his Monasticon Favershamiense to Sondes in 1671.
, the husband of his daughter, Lady Mary Sondes. His other daughter, Lady Catherine Sondes, married Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham
.
Feversham was twice married: first, in 1632, to Jane, daughter and heiress of Ralph Freeman
of Aspeden, Hertfordshire
, Lord Mayor of London
in 1633–4, by whom he had three sons: Freeman, who died an infant, and the George who was murdered by his younger brother, also named Freeman. He married, secondly, on 25 February 1656, at St. Paul's, Covent Garden, Mary, daughter of Sir William Villiers, of Brooksby
. By his second wife he had two daughters: Mary, baptised in Sheldwich church on 15 March 1656–7, who married, on 9 March 1675–6, Louis Duras, baron Duras of Holdenby, and subsequently Earl of Feversham; and Katharine, baptised on 20 April 1658, who married, on 17 July 1677, Lewis Watson; the latter in 1689 became Baron Rockingham, and upon the death of the second Earl of Feversham, was created Baron Throwley, Viscount Sondes of Lees Court, and Earl of Rockingham (19 October 1714).
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and member 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....
.
Life
He was born at Lees Court, in the parish of SheldwichSheldwich
Sheldwich is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England.-Geography:It is situated 3 miles south of the market town of Faversham, and 10 miles north of Ashford...
, near Feversham
Feversham
Feversham may refer to:* Baron Feversham, a title that has been created twice* Earl of Feversham* HMS Feversham, a 32-gun fifth rate warship...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, the son of Sir Richard Sondes (1571–1645) of Throwley
Throwley
Throwley is a village in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England.Throwley lies on top of the kent North Downs in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, by his wife Susan, daughter of Sir Edward Montagu (1532–1602) of Boughton. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
, where he entered in 1615, and where his tutor was John Preston
John Preston (clergyman)
John Preston D.D. was an English puritan minister of the church, and master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.-Upbringing:John Preston was the son of Thomas Preston, a farmer, was born at Upper Heyford in the parish of Bugbrook, Northamptonshire, and was baptised at Bugbrook church on 27 October...
; but he does not appear to have proceeded to a degree.
Sondes was created a Knight of the Bath at the coronation of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
on 2 February 1626. He sat 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...
for Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers (UK Parliament constituency)
Higham Ferrers was a parliamentary borough in Northamptonshire, which was represented in the House of Commons from 1558 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act...
from 1628 to 1629 and was High Sheriff of Kent
High Sheriff of Kent
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
in 1636. He was made a 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 Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 1642. On the outbreak of the First English Civil War
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
he was named a deputy lieutenant for Kent, and was on the royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
committee for the county in 1643. When the parliamentary side proved triumphant, he suffered greatly in his estate, and was imprisoned from 1645, first in Upnor Castle
Upnor Castle
Upnor Castle is an Elizabethan artillery fort located in the village of Upnor, Kent, England. Its purpose was to defend ships moored "in ordinary" on the River Medway outside Chatham dockyards....
and then in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
.
He was released from the Tower in May 1650, but not finally discharged until 25 June following, after compounding for his estate by a payment of £3,350. On his release he began rebuilding Lees Court from the plans of 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...
. On 7 August 1655 in that year, his younger son, Freeman, aged eighteen or nineteen, apparently actuated by jealousy, killed his elder brother George, while asleep in an upper room in Lees Court, by a blow on the back of the head with a cleaver. The murderer, who at once told his father of his crime, was taken to Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
next day and arraigned at Maidstone assize on 9 August. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to death, and was hanged at Maidstone on 21 August. The fratricide proved a theme for the pulpit: Robert Boreman
Robert Boreman
Robert Boreman or Bourman D.D, was a Church of England clergyman who supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.-Biography:...
at once issued ‘A Mirrour of Mercy and Judgment, or an exact true narrative of the Life and Death of Freeman Sonds, Esq.,’ 1655. Other ministers blamed Sondes's own moral remissness. He had failed (it was said) to continue the endowment of Throwley free school as purposed by his father, had improperly executed the will of his father-in-law, Sir Ralph Freeman, and had generally mismanaged his sons' education. Sir George answered the charges in a ‘Plaine Narrative to the World, of all Passages upon the Death of his Two Sonnes’ (London, 1655). There followed from other pens ‘The Devils Reign upon Earth, being a Relation of several sad and bloudy Murthers lately committed, especially that of Sir George Sonds his son upon his own brother ....’ London, 1655; and ‘A Funeral Elegie upon the Death of George Sonds, Esq. … by William Annand Junior of Throwllgh, whereunto is annexed a Prayer compiled by his sorrowful Father,’ 1655..
At the English Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
in 1660, he was again made deputy lieutenant of Kent, and in 1661, was returned to the House of Commons for Ashburton
Ashburton (UK Parliament constituency)
Ashburton was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament at Westminster, for one Parliament in 1298 and regularly from 1640 until it was abolished for the 1868 general election. It was one of three Devon borough constituencies newly enfranchised in the Long...
. He sat for that constituency until 1676, when he was created Earl of Feversham, Viscount Sondes, and Baron of Throwley. He died at Lees Court, without male issue, on 16 April 1677. Thomas Southouse dedicated his Monasticon Favershamiense to Sondes in 1671.
Family
He was succeeded in his titles by special remainder by his son-in-law, Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of FevershamLouis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham
Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham KG was a French nobleman who became Earl of Feversham in Stuart England.Born in France, he was marquis de Blanquefort and sixth son of Guy Aldonce , Marquis of Duras and Count of Rozan, from the noble Durfort family...
, the husband of his daughter, Lady Mary Sondes. His other daughter, Lady Catherine Sondes, married Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham
Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham
Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham was an English peer and politician.Rockingham was the eldest son of Edward Watson, 2nd Baron Rockingham and his wife, the former Lady Anne Wentworth, daughter of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford. In 1677, he married Lady Catherine Sondes, a daughter of...
.
Feversham was twice married: first, in 1632, to Jane, daughter and heiress of Ralph Freeman
Ralph Freeman (Lord Mayor)
Ralph Freeman was an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of London in 1633.Freeman was a city of London merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers. He was on the committee of the East India Company from 1608 to 1611 and from 1612 to 1615...
of Aspeden, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1633–4, by whom he had three sons: Freeman, who died an infant, and the George who was murdered by his younger brother, also named Freeman. He married, secondly, on 25 February 1656, at St. Paul's, Covent Garden, Mary, daughter of Sir William Villiers, of Brooksby
Brooksby
Brooksby is a village in Leicestershire, England. Brooksby Melton College offers apprenticeships and further education training courses in animal care, countryside, equine, fisheries, and land based service engineering....
. By his second wife he had two daughters: Mary, baptised in Sheldwich church on 15 March 1656–7, who married, on 9 March 1675–6, Louis Duras, baron Duras of Holdenby, and subsequently Earl of Feversham; and Katharine, baptised on 20 April 1658, who married, on 17 July 1677, Lewis Watson; the latter in 1689 became Baron Rockingham, and upon the death of the second Earl of Feversham, was created Baron Throwley, Viscount Sondes of Lees Court, and Earl of Rockingham (19 October 1714).