John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers
Encyclopedia
John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers ( – 10 October 1654) was a wealthy royalist from Cheshire
.
, daughter of Thomas Darcy, 1st Earl Rivers. He succeeded to the Savage viscountcy
in 1635 on the death of his father, and succeeded to the Rivers earldom
on the death of his grandfather in 1640, by a remainder to his father and his heirs.
By 1626 he had married Catherine, daughter of William Parker, 13th Baron Morley by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Tresham
, and they had eight children, including: Thomas
, who succeeded as 3rd Earl Rivers; Jane, who married firstly George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos
, secondly Sir William Sidley, 4th Baronet, and thirdly George Pitt;, Elizabeth, who married William Petre, 4th Baron Petre
; Catherine, who married Sir Charles Sedley, 5th Baronet, and Mary.
By 1647, he had married Mary, daughter of Thomas Ogle, and they had one child.
and England
. Oxford educated, he followed into politics and became Member of Parliament
for Cheshire
. The Savage family were lords of the manor of Frodsham
. His coat of arms
, argent, six Lions rampant, sable, 3.2. and 1. Savage. The family crest was a bear paw.
Earl Rivers, the Steward of Halton, lived at Halton Castle
, near Runcorn
. Other properties included manor house of Rocksavage
at Clifton near Runcorn, which was passed down through his family. Rocksavage was similar in appearance to Brereton Hall
, which was built about the same time.
In 1639/40 Earl Rivers was appointed on to a committee investigating complaints against Charles I
. During 1641 his allegiance swung back to Charles. and in 1642 he was given the Kings' commission of Array to raise a Regiment of Foot in Cheshire. Savage raised most of his troops in Cheshire and some in Kent
. It was a large and well-equipped force, well trained and with experienced officers who had seen service in Europe and Ireland. The Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote was there on the day the King raised his standard in Nottingham
, and they served in major battles thereafter.
When Rivers returned to Cheshire he appointed Halton Castle to the command of Captain Walter Primrose, and fortified it. The castle fell to two parliamentary sieges, the first led by Sir William Brereton in 1643. The Parliamentarians held the castle for a while but then, hearing of the approach of superior Royalist forces led by Prince Rupert, they abandoned it. The Royalists declined in turn withdrew from Halton and the Parliamentarians occupied the castle once again. With Halton Castle under Parliamentary control, and with Rocksavage now in ruins, Earl Rivers retired to Frodsham Castle
, and took no other part in the Civil War. There he died on 10 October 1654. A few hours after his death, with his body lying within, the castle was set on fire and burned down. It was completely destroyed. The body was rescued, later to be buried privately two days later in Macclesfield
.
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
.
Family
Savage was the first son of Thomas Savage, 1st Viscount Savage and his wife ElizabethElizabeth Savage, Countess Rivers
Elizabeth Savage, Countess Rivers and Viscountess Savage was an English courtier and a victim of uprisings during the English Civil War...
, daughter of Thomas Darcy, 1st Earl Rivers. He succeeded to the Savage viscountcy
Viscount Savage
Viscount Savage was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1626 for Sir Thomas Savage, 2nd Baronet, husband of Elizabeth Savage and heir-apparent by special remainder to his father-in-law's titles of Baron Darcy of Chiche , Viscount Colchester and Earl Rivers...
in 1635 on the death of his father, and succeeded to the Rivers earldom
Earl Rivers
Earl Rivers was an English title held in succession by the families of Woodville or Wydeville, Darcy and Savage. The first creation was made for Richard Woodville, 1st Baron Rivers in 1466 and remained in this family until 1491...
on the death of his grandfather in 1640, by a remainder to his father and his heirs.
By 1626 he had married Catherine, daughter of William Parker, 13th Baron Morley by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Tresham
Thomas Tresham II
Sir Thomas Tresham was a Catholic recusant politician at the end of the Tudor dynasty and the start of the Stuart dynasty in England....
, and they had eight children, including: Thomas
Thomas Savage, 3rd Earl Rivers
Thomas Savage, 3rd Earl Rivers was an English peer.He was the first son of John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers by his wife Catherine, daughter of William Parker, 13th Baron Morley. His father was closely involved in the English Civil War on the Royalist side from 1641...
, who succeeded as 3rd Earl Rivers; Jane, who married firstly George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos
George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos
George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos was a supporter of Charles I of England during his struggle with Parliament, and distinguished himself at the first Battle of Newbury in 1643....
, secondly Sir William Sidley, 4th Baronet, and thirdly George Pitt;, Elizabeth, who married William Petre, 4th Baron Petre
William Petre, 4th Baron Petre
William Petre, 4th Baron Petre was an English peer, a victim of the Popish Plot.Petre was the eldest son of Robert Petre, third Baron Petre , and Mary , daughter of Anthony-Maria Browne, second Viscount Montagu, who had been arrested in connection with the Gunpowder Plot in 1605.Petre was openly a...
; Catherine, who married Sir Charles Sedley, 5th Baronet, and Mary.
By 1647, he had married Mary, daughter of Thomas Ogle, and they had one child.
Life
He was from a Catholic family and he and his family owned land in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Oxford educated, he followed into politics and became 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 Cheshire
Cheshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Cheshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentiary constituency for the county of Cheshire. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832.As a county...
. The Savage family were lords of the manor of Frodsham
Frodsham
Frodsham is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Its population is 8,982. It is approximately south of Runcorn, 16 miles south of Liverpool, and approximately south-west of Manchester...
. His coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, argent, six Lions rampant, sable, 3.2. and 1. Savage. The family crest was a bear paw.
Earl Rivers, the Steward of Halton, lived at Halton Castle
Halton Castle
Halton Castle is in the former village of Halton which is now part of the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. The castle is situated on the top of Halton Hill, a sandstone prominence overlooking the village...
, near Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
. Other properties included manor house of Rocksavage
Rocksavage
Rocksavage or Rock Savage was an Elizabethan mansion, now in ruins, at in Clifton , Cheshire, England. Built for Sir John Savage, MP in 1565–8, Rocksavage was one of the great Elizabethan houses of the county; in 1674, it was the second largest house in Cheshire. James I visited in 1617...
at Clifton near Runcorn, which was passed down through his family. Rocksavage was similar in appearance to Brereton Hall
Brereton Hall
Brereton Hall is a country house to the north of the village of Brereton Green, adjacent to St Oswald's Church, in the civil parish of Brereton, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.-History:...
, which was built about the same time.
In 1639/40 Earl Rivers was appointed on to a committee investigating complaints against 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...
. During 1641 his allegiance swung back to Charles. and in 1642 he was given the Kings' commission of Array to raise a Regiment of Foot in Cheshire. Savage raised most of his troops in Cheshire and some 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...
. It was a large and well-equipped force, well trained and with experienced officers who had seen service in Europe and Ireland. The Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote was there on the day the King raised his standard in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, and they served in major battles thereafter.
When Rivers returned to Cheshire he appointed Halton Castle to the command of Captain Walter Primrose, and fortified it. The castle fell to two parliamentary sieges, the first led by Sir William Brereton in 1643. The Parliamentarians held the castle for a while but then, hearing of the approach of superior Royalist forces led by Prince Rupert, they abandoned it. The Royalists declined in turn withdrew from Halton and the Parliamentarians occupied the castle once again. With Halton Castle under Parliamentary control, and with Rocksavage now in ruins, Earl Rivers retired to Frodsham Castle
Frodsham Castle
Frodsham Castle was in the market town of Frodsham, Cheshire, England .Initially it served a military purpose, it then became a manor house and a gaol...
, and took no other part in the Civil War. There he died on 10 October 1654. A few hours after his death, with his body lying within, the castle was set on fire and burned down. It was completely destroyed. The body was rescued, later to be buried privately two days later in Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
.