Waldegrave family
Encyclopedia
Waldegrave, the name of an English family, said to derive from Walgrave
in Northamptonshire
, but who long held the manor of Smallbridge in Bures St. Mary
, Suffolk
.
Sir Richard Waldegrave served as a Knight of the Shire in 1339 in Lincolnshire. He married Agnes Daubeny and they had one child, Sir Richard Waldegrave.
Sir Richard Waldegrave
(or Walgrave), Knt., of Smallbridge, Suffolk
, (d. 2 May 1401), was member of parliament for Lincolnshire in 1335, and Speaker of the House of Commons
in the reign of King Richard II
; his son, Sir Richard Waldegrave
, Knt., (d.2 May 1434), styled Lord of Bures and Silvesters, was the victor of Conquet and the Isle of Rhé in Brittany
in 1402.
Sir William Waldegrave (c. 1415 – 1461), was born in Smallbridge. He married Joane Doreward and they had two sons—Sir Thomas Waldegrave, and Richard Waldegrave.
One of Sir Richard's descendants was Sir Edward Waldegrave
(c. 1517 – 1 September 1561) of Borley
, Essex
, and West Haddon, Northamptonshire
, who was imprisoned during the reign of King Edward VI
for his loyalty to the princess, afterwards Queen Mary
. By Mary he was knighted, and he received from her the manor of Chewton
in Somerset, now the residence of Earl Waldegrave
. He was a member of parliament and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
. After Mary's decease he suffered a reverse of fortune, and he was a prisoner in the Tower of London when he died on the 1st of September 1561.
Sir Edward's descendant, another Sir Edward Waldegrave
was created a baronet in 1643 for his services to King Charles I
; and his descendant, Sir Henry Waldegrave, Bart.
(1661 – 24 January 1689), was created Baron Waldegrave, of Chewton in 1686. Sir Henry married Henrietta FitzJames
(1667 – 3 April 1730), daughter of King James II
by his mistress Arabella Churchill
; their son was James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave
(1684–1741).
Educated in France, James Waldegrave soon crossed over to England, and under King George I
he declared himself a Protestant and took his seat as Baron Waldegrave in the House of Lords
. Having become friendly with Sir Robert Walpole
, he was sent to Paris as ambassador extraordinary in 1725, and from 1727 to 1730 he was British ambassador at Vienna. In 1729 he was created Viscount Chewton and Earl Waldegrave
, and in 1730 he succeeded Sir Horatio Walpole
as ambassador in Paris, filling this post during ten very difficult years. He died in April 1741. Much of his diplomatic correspondence is in the British Museum.
His son James, the 2nd earl
(1715–1763), was perhaps the most intimate friend of King George II
, and was for a time governor of his grandson, the future King George III. He was very much in evidence during the critical years 1755–1757, when the king employed him to negotiate in turn with Newcastle
, Devonshire
, Pitt
and Fox
about the formation of a ministry. Eventually, in consequence of a deadlock, Waldegrave himself was First Lord of the Treasury
for five days in June 1757. He died on the 28th of April 1763, leaving some valuable and interesting Memoirs, which were published in 1821.
His brother John, the 3rd earl
(1718–1784), was a soldier, who distinguished himself especially at the Battle of Minden
and became a general in 1772. He was a member of parliament from 1747 to 1763.
His younger son, William
(1753–1825), entered the British navy in 1766, and after many years of service was third in command at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797. In 1800 he was created an Irish peer as Baron Radstock
, and in 1802 he became an admiral. His son, Granville George
(1786–1857), followed in his father's footsteps, and was made a vice-admiral in 1851. In 1857 his son, Granville Augustus William
(b. 1833), became 3rd Baron Radstock, settling at the Mayfield estate in Woolston and undertaking missionary work in Russia
George Waldegrave, 4th Earl Waldegrave
(1751–1789), the eldest son of the 3rd earl, was a soldier and a member of parliament. His sons, George
(1784–1794) and John James
(1785–1835), were the 5th and 6th earls.
In 1797 the 6th earl inherited from Horace Walpole his famous residence, Strawberry Hill
, Twickenham
(hence the name of Waldegrave Road, which connects Strawberry Hill with Teddington), but his son, George Edward, the 7th earl
(1816–1846), was obliged in 1842 to sell the valuable treasures collected there. His wife, Frances, Countess Waldegrave (1821–1879), a daughter of the singer John Braham
, was a prominent figure in society. He was her second husband, and after his death she married George Granville Vernon Harcourt
of Nuneham Park, Oxfordshire, and later Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford
.
The 7th earl was succeeded by his uncle William
(1788–1859), a son of the 4th earl, and in 1859 William's grandson, William Frederick
(1851–1930), became the 9th earl.
Walgrave
Walgrave is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 822 people.-Landmarks:...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, but who long held the manor of Smallbridge in Bures St. Mary
Bures St. Mary
Bures St Mary is a civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk, England. In 2005 it had a population of 940.The parish covers the eastern part of the village of Bures, the western part being in the Bures Hamlet parish in Essex....
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
Sir Richard Waldegrave served as a Knight of the Shire in 1339 in Lincolnshire. He married Agnes Daubeny and they had one child, Sir Richard Waldegrave.
Sir Richard Waldegrave
Richard Waldegrave (d. 1402)
Sir Richard Waldegrave was a Member of Parliament for Suffolk and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of King Richard II.-Life:...
(or Walgrave), Knt., of Smallbridge, Suffolk
Smallbridge, Suffolk
Smallbridge is a manor in the English county of Suffolk that has for many years been associated with the Waldegrave family.Smallbridge is located near, and in the parish of, Bures St. Mary on the north bank of the River Stour that, thereabouts, forms the boundary with the county of Essex.- External...
, (d. 2 May 1401), was member of parliament for Lincolnshire in 1335, and Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
in the reign of King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
; his son, Sir Richard Waldegrave
Richard Waldegrave (d. 1436)
Sir Richard Waldegrave was the son of Sir Richard Waldegrave. He had served in the Hundred Years' War and in 1402, was appointed to keep the seas , in which time he landed 10,000 men in Brittany and captured Conquet and the Île de Ré.He married Jane...
, Knt., (d.2 May 1434), styled Lord of Bures and Silvesters, was the victor of Conquet and the Isle of Rhé in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
in 1402.
Sir William Waldegrave (c. 1415 – 1461), was born in Smallbridge. He married Joane Doreward and they had two sons—Sir Thomas Waldegrave, and Richard Waldegrave.
One of Sir Richard's descendants was Sir Edward Waldegrave
Edward Waldegrave
Sir Edward Waldegrave was an English courtier and recusant.-Life:Waldegrave was the son of John Waldegrave and a maternal nephew of Robert Rochester...
(c. 1517 – 1 September 1561) of Borley
Borley
Borley is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located on the River Stour, approximately northwest of Sudbury, Suffolk and is 39km north-northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Braintree and in the parliamentary constituency of Saffron...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, and West Haddon, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, who was imprisoned during the reign of King Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
for his loyalty to the princess, afterwards Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
. By Mary he was knighted, and he received from her the manor of Chewton
Chewton Mendip
Chewton Mendip is a village and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England. It is situated north of Wells, south of Bristol on the Mendip Hills and is the source of the River Chew. The parish includes the hamlet of Bathway.- History :...
in Somerset, now the residence of Earl Waldegrave
Earl Waldegrave
Earl Waldegrave is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1729 for James Waldegrave, 2nd Baron Waldegrave. The Waldegrave family descends from Sir Richard Waldegrave, Speaker of the House of Commons from 1381 to 1382. His son and namesake, Sir Richard Waldegrave, was a soldier...
. He was a member of parliament and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
. After Mary's decease he suffered a reverse of fortune, and he was a prisoner in the Tower of London when he died on the 1st of September 1561.
Sir Edward's descendant, another Sir Edward Waldegrave
Sir Edward Waldegrave, 1st Baronet
Sir Edward Waldegrave, 1st Baronet was an English soldier and Cavalier during the English Civil War and a grandson of Sir Edward Waldegrave....
was created a baronet in 1643 for his services to King 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...
; and his descendant, Sir Henry Waldegrave, Bart.
Henry Waldegrave, 1st Baron Waldegrave
Henry Waldegrave, 1st Baron Waldegrave was an English peer and Jacobite supporter.The son of Sir Charles Waldegrave, 3rd Baronet, Waldegrave inherited his father's title in about 1684. A year earlier, on 29th November, he had married Henrietta FitzJames, an illegitimate daughter of King James II...
(1661 – 24 January 1689), was created Baron Waldegrave, of Chewton in 1686. Sir Henry married Henrietta FitzJames
Henrietta FitzJames
Henrietta FitzJames , the Dowager Lady Waldegrave and titular Countess of Newcastle, was an illegitimate daughter of James Stuart, Duke of York, afterward James II, King of Great Britain, by his mistress, Arabella Churchill, herself sister of the Duke of Marlborough.Henrietta was sister to the...
(1667 – 3 April 1730), daughter of King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
by his mistress Arabella Churchill
Arabella Churchill (royal mistress)
Arabella Churchill was the mistress of King James II, and the mother of four of his children...
; their son was James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave
James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave
James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave KG PC was a British ambassador.Waldegrave was the son of the 1st Baron Waldegrave and Henrietta FitzJames, the illegitimate daughter of James II and Arabella Churchill....
(1684–1741).
Educated in France, James Waldegrave soon crossed over to England, and under King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
he declared himself a Protestant and took his seat as Baron Waldegrave 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....
. Having become friendly with Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, he was sent to Paris as ambassador extraordinary in 1725, and from 1727 to 1730 he was British ambassador at Vienna. In 1729 he was created Viscount Chewton and Earl Waldegrave
Earl Waldegrave
Earl Waldegrave is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1729 for James Waldegrave, 2nd Baron Waldegrave. The Waldegrave family descends from Sir Richard Waldegrave, Speaker of the House of Commons from 1381 to 1382. His son and namesake, Sir Richard Waldegrave, was a soldier...
, and in 1730 he succeeded Sir Horatio Walpole
Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton
Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole, PC , English diplomatist, was a son of Robert Walpole of Houghton, Norfolk, and a younger brother of the Prime Minister of Great Britain Sir Robert Walpole....
as ambassador in Paris, filling this post during ten very difficult years. He died in April 1741. Much of his diplomatic correspondence is in the British Museum.
His son James, the 2nd earl
James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave
James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave KG PC FRS was a British statesman.The eldest son of the 1st Earl Waldegrave, Waldegrave was educated at Westminster and Eton and he inherited his father's titles in 1741...
(1715–1763), was perhaps the most intimate friend of King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
, and was for a time governor of his grandson, the future King George III. He was very much in evidence during the critical years 1755–1757, when the king employed him to negotiate in turn with Newcastle
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served...
, Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC , styled Lord Cavendish before 1729 and Marquess of Hartington between 1729 and 1755, was a British Whig statesman who was briefly nominal Prime Minister of Great Britain...
, Pitt
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
and Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
about the formation of a ministry. Eventually, in consequence of a deadlock, Waldegrave himself was First Lord of the Treasury
First Lord of the Treasury
The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, and is now always also the Prime Minister...
for five days in June 1757. He died on the 28th of April 1763, leaving some valuable and interesting Memoirs, which were published in 1821.
His brother John, the 3rd earl
John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave
John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave was a British politician and soldier.Waldegrave was the youngest son of the 1st Earl Waldegrave. He joined the 1st Regiment of Foot in 1735, rising to the rank of Captain in 1739...
(1718–1784), was a soldier, who distinguished himself especially at the Battle of Minden
Battle of Minden
The Battle of Minden—or Thonhausen—was fought on 1 August 1759, during the Seven Years' War. An army fielded by the Anglo-German alliance commanded by Field Marshal Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, defeated a French army commanded by Marshal of France Louis, Marquis de Contades...
and became a general in 1772. He was a member of parliament from 1747 to 1763.
His younger son, William
William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock
William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock GCB was the Governor of Newfoundland and an Admiral in the Royal Navy.Waldegrave was the second son of John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave and Elizabeth...
(1753–1825), entered the British navy in 1766, and after many years of service was third in command at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797. In 1800 he was created an Irish peer as Baron Radstock
Baron Radstock
Baron Radstock, of Castletown in the Queen's County, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Vice-Admiral the Honourable William Waldegrave. He was the second son of John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave . He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Baron. He was a...
, and in 1802 he became an admiral. His son, Granville George
Granville Waldegrave, 2nd Baron Radstock
Vice-Admiral Granville George Waldegrave, 2nd Baron Radstock CB was a British naval officer.-Royal Navy:...
(1786–1857), followed in his father's footsteps, and was made a vice-admiral in 1851. In 1857 his son, Granville Augustus William
Granville Waldegrave, 3rd Baron Radstock
Granville Augustus William Waldegrave, 3rd Baron Radstock was a British missionary and a Peer of Ireland....
(b. 1833), became 3rd Baron Radstock, settling at the Mayfield estate in Woolston and undertaking missionary work in Russia
George Waldegrave, 4th Earl Waldegrave
George Waldegrave, 4th Earl Waldegrave
George Waldegrave, 4th Earl Waldegrave, PC, ADC was a British statesman.The eldest son of the 3rd Earl of Waldegrave, he was educated at Eton and was commissioned into the 3rd Foot Guards in 1768. He purchased a Lieutenantcy in 1773. In 1778 he transferred to the Coldstream Guards as a...
(1751–1789), the eldest son of the 3rd earl, was a soldier and a member of parliament. His sons, George
George Waldegrave, 5th Earl Waldegrave
George Waldegrave, 5th Earl Wadegrave was the son of the 4th Earl Waldegrave and his wife, Elizabeth Waldegrave, Countess Waldegrave....
(1784–1794) and John James
John Waldegrave, 6th Earl Waldegrave
Lieutenant-Colonel John James Waldegrave, 6th Earl Waldegrave was a British peer and soldier.Waldegrave was the second son of the 4th Earl Waldegrave and was educated at Eton...
(1785–1835), were the 5th and 6th earls.
In 1797 the 6th earl inherited from Horace Walpole his famous residence, Strawberry Hill
Strawberry Hill House
Strawberry Hill is the Gothic Revival villa of Horace Walpole which he built in the second half of the 18th century in what is now an affluent area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in Twickenham, London...
, Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
(hence the name of Waldegrave Road, which connects Strawberry Hill with Teddington), but his son, George Edward, the 7th earl
George Waldegrave, 7th Earl Waldegrave
George Edward Waldegrave, 7th Earl Waldegrave was a British peer.The eldest legitimate child of the 6th Earl Waldegrave, he was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford...
(1816–1846), was obliged in 1842 to sell the valuable treasures collected there. His wife, Frances, Countess Waldegrave (1821–1879), a daughter of the singer John Braham
John Braham
John Braham was a tenor opera singer born in London, England. His long career led him to become one of Europe's leading opera stars. He also wrote a number of songs, of minor importance, although The Death of Nelson is still remembered...
, was a prominent figure in society. He was her second husband, and after his death she married George Granville Vernon Harcourt
George Harcourt
George Granville Harcourt was a British Whig and then Conservative Party politician.-Political career:...
of Nuneham Park, Oxfordshire, and later Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford
Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford
Chichester Samuel Parkinson-Fortescue, 2nd Baron Clermont and 1st Baron Carlingford KP, PC , known as Chichester Fortescue until 1863 and as Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue between 1863 and 1874, Lord Carlingford from 1874 to 1887 and Lord Clermont after 1887, was a British statesman and Liberal...
.
The 7th earl was succeeded by his uncle William
William Waldegrave, 8th Earl Waldegrave
Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave, 8th Earl Waldegrave, CB was a British naval commander and politician.Waldegrave was the son of the 4th Earl Waldegrave and was educated at Eton. In 1802, he became a Midshipman in the Royal Navy, rising to the ranks of Lieutenant in 1806 and Commander in 1809...
(1788–1859), a son of the 4th earl, and in 1859 William's grandson, William Frederick
William Waldegrave, 9th Earl Waldegrave
William Frederick Waldegrave, 9th Earl Waldegrave VD, PC , styled Viscount Chewton between 1854 and 1859, was a British Conservative politician...
(1851–1930), became the 9th earl.