Earl of Coventry
Encyclopedia
Earl of Coventry is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England
. It was created for the first time in 1623 in favour of George Villiers, 1st Marquess of Buckingham
. He was made Duke of Buckingham
at the same time. For more information on this creation of the earldom, see the latter title. It was created for a second time in 1697 in favour of Thomas Coventry, 5th Baron Coventry
. The Coventry family descends from John Coventry who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1426. His descendant Sir Thomas Coventry
was a noted early 17th century lawyer and politician. He served as Solicitor General
, as Attorney General
and as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
. In 1628 he was raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Coventry, of Aylesborough in the County of Worcester. He was succeeded by his son from his first marriage, the second Baron. He represented Droitwich
and Worcester
in the House of Commons.
His eldest son, the third Baron, served as Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire
. His son, the fourth Baron, died unmarried and was succeeded by his uncle, the aforementioned fifth Baron. He sat as Member of Parliament
for Droitwich, Camelford
and Warwick
. In 1697 he was made Viscount Deerhurst, of the hundred of Deerhurst in the County of Gloucester, and Earl of Coventry, with remainder, failing heirs male of his own, to 1) the heirs male of his deceased uncle the Hon. Francis Coventry (1612–1680), failing which to 2) his three second cousins William Coventry, Thomas Coventry and Henry Coventry, grandsons of his deceased great-uncle Walter Coventry (d. 1640), younger brother of the first Baron Coventry. The titles were in the Peerage of England.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He was Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire. His son, the third Earl, died as a child and was succeeded by his uncle, the fourth Earl. He had no sons and on his death in 1719 the barony of Coventry became extinct. He was succeeded in the viscountcy and earldom according to the special remainders by his second cousin once removed William Coventry, the fifth Earl. He was the grandson of the aforementioned Walter Coventry, youngest brother of the first Baron. Lord Coventry had earlier represented Bridport
in Parliament and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire
. He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the sixth Earl. He sat as Tory
Member of Parliament for Bridport and for Worcestershire
and served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire.
His son from his first marriage, the seventh Earl, was also Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. On his death the titles passed to his eldest son, the eighth Earl. He represented Worcester in the House of Commons and served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. He was succeeded by his grandson, the ninth Earl. He was the son of George William Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst (1808–1838). Lord Coventry was a Conservative
politician and held office under Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Salisbury
as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and as Master of the Buckhounds
. He also held the honorary post of Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. He was succeeded by his grandson, the tenth Earl, the son of George William Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst (1865–1927), eldest son of the ninth Earl. Lord Coventry was killed in action in France
in 1940.
He was succeeded by his only son, the eleventh Earl. He died without surviving male issue in 2002 and was succeeded by his 89-year-old first cousin once removed, the twelfth Earl. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Colonel the Hon. Charles John Coventry
, second son of the ninth Earl. He had one daughter but no sons and was succeeded by a distant kinsman, the thirteenth and (as of 2009) present holder of the titles. He is the fourth but eldest surviving son of the Hon. Thomas George Coventry
, sixth and youngest son of the ninth Earl. Lord Coventry lives in Canada
.
Several other members of the Coventry family may be mentioned. The Hon. Henry Coventry
(1618–1686), a son from the second marriage of the first Baron, was Member of Parliament for Droitwich. Another son from the second marriage of the first Baron, Sir William Coventry
(d. 1686), represented Great Yarmouth
in the House of Commons and became an influential politician. Sir John Coventry
(c. 1636–1685), son of the Hon. John Coventry, a son from the second marriage of the first Baron, sat as Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
. Thomas Henry Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst
(1721–1744), eldest son and heir apparent of the fifth Earl, briefly represented Bridport in Parliament before his premature death.
The ancestral seat of the Coventry family is Croome Court, near Pershore
in Worcestershire
.
Croome Court was sold in 1949 and the family moved to the smaller, half-timbered, somewhat confusingly named Earls Croome Court on the estate, while still retaining most of the 15000 acres (60.7 km²) Coventry agricultural and forestry estate. Earls Croome Court remained as the seat of the family until 2007, when it was sold by Rachel, Countess of Coventry, the widow of the 11th Earl who died in 2002. The park at Croome Court was handed over to the National Trust
in 1996 but the house itself remains private and is now owned by the Croome Heritage Trust. The National Trust hope to lease the house and open it to the public.
The heir presumptive
is the present holder's nephew - David Duncan Sherwood Coventry (b. 1973). He is a great-great-great-grandson of the 7th Earl.
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 for the first time in 1623 in favour of George Villiers, 1st Marquess of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
. He was made Duke of Buckingham
Duke of Buckingham
The titles Marquess and Duke of Buckingham, referring to Buckingham, have been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been Earls of Buckingham.-1444 creation:...
at the same time. For more information on this creation of the earldom, see the latter title. It was created for a second time in 1697 in favour of Thomas Coventry, 5th Baron Coventry
Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry
Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry , known as the Hon. Thomas Coventry from 1640 to 1687 and as the Lord Coventry from 1687 to 1697, was an English politician....
. The Coventry family descends from John Coventry who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1426. His descendant Sir Thomas Coventry
Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry
Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry was a prominent English lawyer, politician and judge during the early 17th century.-Education and early legal career:...
was a noted early 17th century lawyer and politician. He served as Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
, as Attorney General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
and as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This evolved into one of the Great Officers of State....
. In 1628 he was raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Coventry, of Aylesborough in the County of Worcester. He was succeeded by his son from his first marriage, the second Baron. He represented Droitwich
Droitwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Droitwich was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of England in 1295, and again from 1554, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918...
and Worcester
Worcester (UK Parliament constituency)
Worcester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885 it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election; from 1295 to 1885 it elected two MPs....
in the House of Commons.
His eldest son, the third Baron, served as Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire
Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire.* Sir John Pakington 1544–1551* William Sheldon bef. 1558–1570* Sir Thomas Russell bef. 1573–1574* Sir John Lyttelton bef. 1577–1590...
. His son, the fourth Baron, died unmarried and was succeeded by his uncle, the aforementioned fifth Baron. He sat as 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 Droitwich, Camelford
Camelford (UK Parliament constituency)
Camelford was a rotten borough in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1552 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
and Warwick
Warwick (UK Parliament constituency)
Warwick was a parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Warwick, within the larger Warwickshire constituency of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then to the...
. In 1697 he was made Viscount Deerhurst, of the hundred of Deerhurst in the County of Gloucester, and Earl of Coventry, with remainder, failing heirs male of his own, to 1) the heirs male of his deceased uncle the Hon. Francis Coventry (1612–1680), failing which to 2) his three second cousins William Coventry, Thomas Coventry and Henry Coventry, grandsons of his deceased great-uncle Walter Coventry (d. 1640), younger brother of the first Baron Coventry. The titles were in the Peerage of England.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He was Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire. His son, the third Earl, died as a child and was succeeded by his uncle, the fourth Earl. He had no sons and on his death in 1719 the barony of Coventry became extinct. He was succeeded in the viscountcy and earldom according to the special remainders by his second cousin once removed William Coventry, the fifth Earl. He was the grandson of the aforementioned Walter Coventry, youngest brother of the first Baron. Lord Coventry had earlier represented Bridport
Bridport (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridport was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-History:...
in Parliament and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire
Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. Since 1719, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire.-Lord Lieutenants of Worcestershire to 1974:...
. He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the sixth Earl. He sat as Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Member of Parliament for Bridport and for Worcestershire
Worcestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
Worcestershire was a county 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. It was represented until 1832 by two Members of Parliament, traditionally referred...
and served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire.
His son from his first marriage, the seventh Earl, was also Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. On his death the titles passed to his eldest son, the eighth Earl. He represented Worcester in the House of Commons and served as Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. He was succeeded by his grandson, the ninth Earl. He was the son of George William Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst (1808–1838). Lord Coventry was a Conservative
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...
politician and held office under Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and as Master of the Buckhounds
Master of the Buckhounds
The Master of the Buckhounds was an officer in the Master of the Horse's department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot. It was a political office, so the holder, who was always a nobleman, changed with every change of government. The office...
. He also held the honorary post of Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire. He was succeeded by his grandson, the tenth Earl, the son of George William Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst (1865–1927), eldest son of the ninth Earl. Lord Coventry was killed in action in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1940.
He was succeeded by his only son, the eleventh Earl. He died without surviving male issue in 2002 and was succeeded by his 89-year-old first cousin once removed, the twelfth Earl. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Colonel the Hon. Charles John Coventry
Charles Coventry
Colonel Charles John Coventry, CB played cricket for England in the first two Test matches they played against South Africa....
, second son of the ninth Earl. He had one daughter but no sons and was succeeded by a distant kinsman, the thirteenth and (as of 2009) present holder of the titles. He is the fourth but eldest surviving son of the Hon. Thomas George Coventry
Thomas George Coventry
Thomas George Coventry was an English-born agent and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Saanich in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1924 to 1928 as a Conservative....
, sixth and youngest son of the ninth Earl. Lord Coventry lives in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Several other members of the Coventry family may be mentioned. The Hon. Henry Coventry
Henry Coventry
The Honourable Henry Coventry was an English politician, who was Secretary of State for the Northern Department between 1672 and 1674 and the Southern Department between 1674 and 1680.-Origins and education:...
(1618–1686), a son from the second marriage of the first Baron, was Member of Parliament for Droitwich. Another son from the second marriage of the first Baron, Sir William Coventry
William Coventry
-Early life and Civil War:William was the son of the lord keeper Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, by his second wife Elizabeth Aldersley. Coventry matriculated at Queens College, Oxford, at the age of fourteen...
(d. 1686), represented Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Great Yarmouth is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in the House of Commons and became an influential politician. Sir John Coventry
John Coventry
Sir John Coventry was son of John Coventry , the second son of lord keeper Thomas Coventry.Between 1655 and 1659, he travelled in the continent with his tutor the poet Edward Sherburne...
(c. 1636–1685), son of the Hon. John Coventry, a son from the second marriage of the first Baron, sat as Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (UK Parliament constituency)
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis was a parliamentary borough in Dorset represented in the English House of Commons, later in that of Great Britain, and finally in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed by an Act of Parliament of 1570 which amalgamated the existing boroughs of Weymouth and...
. Thomas Henry Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst
Thomas Henry Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst
Thomas Henry Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst was a British Tory Member of Parliament.Deerhurst was the eldest son of William Coventry, 5th Earl of Coventry, and his wife Elizabeth , and was educated at Winchester and University College, Oxford...
(1721–1744), eldest son and heir apparent of the fifth Earl, briefly represented Bridport in Parliament before his premature death.
The ancestral seat of the Coventry family is Croome Court, near Pershore
Pershore
Pershore is a market town in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. Pershore is in the Wychavon district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
Croome Court was sold in 1949 and the family moved to the smaller, half-timbered, somewhat confusingly named Earls Croome Court on the estate, while still retaining most of the 15000 acres (60.7 km²) Coventry agricultural and forestry estate. Earls Croome Court remained as the seat of the family until 2007, when it was sold by Rachel, Countess of Coventry, the widow of the 11th Earl who died in 2002. The park at Croome Court was handed over to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1996 but the house itself remains private and is now owned by the Croome Heritage Trust. The National Trust hope to lease the house and open it to the public.
Barons Coventry (1628)
- Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron CoventryThomas Coventry, 1st Baron CoventryThomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry was a prominent English lawyer, politician and judge during the early 17th century.-Education and early legal career:...
(d. 1640) - Thomas Coventry, 2nd Baron CoventryThomas Coventry, 2nd Baron CoventryThomas Coventry, 2nd Baron Coventry was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1626 and 1629 and was subsequently a member of the House of Lords. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War....
(1606–1661) - George Coventry, 3rd Baron CoventryGeorge Coventry, 3rd Baron CoventryGeorge Coventry, 3rd Baron Coventry was an English nobleman, the eldest son of Thomas Coventry, 2nd Baron Coventry and Mary Craven....
(d. 1680) - John Coventry, 4th Baron Coventry (1654–1687)
- Thomas Coventry, 5th Baron CoventryThomas Coventry, 1st Earl of CoventryThomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry , known as the Hon. Thomas Coventry from 1640 to 1687 and as the Lord Coventry from 1687 to 1697, was an English politician....
(d. 1699) (created Earl of Coventry in 1697)
Earls of Coventry (1697)
- Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of CoventryThomas Coventry, 1st Earl of CoventryThomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry , known as the Hon. Thomas Coventry from 1640 to 1687 and as the Lord Coventry from 1687 to 1697, was an English politician....
(d. 1699) - Thomas Coventry, 2nd Earl of CoventryThomas Coventry, 2nd Earl of CoventryThomas Coventry, 2nd Earl of Coventry was an English peer and member of the House of Lords, styled Hon. Thomas Coventry from 1685 to 1697 and Viscount Deerhurst until 1699....
(d. 1711) - Thomas Coventry, 3rd Earl of Coventry (1702–1712)
- Gilbert Coventry, 4th Earl of Coventry (d. 1719) (barony extinct)
- William Coventry, 5th Earl of CoventryWilliam Coventry, 5th Earl of CoventryWilliam Coventry, 5th Earl of Coventry PC , known as William Coventry until 1719, was a British politician.Coventry was the son of Walter Coventry and his wife Anne . His grandfather Walter Coventry was the youngest brother of Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry...
(d. 1751) - George William Coventry, 6th Earl of CoventryGeorge Coventry, 6th Earl of CoventryGeorge William Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry , known as Viscount Deerhurst from 1744 to 1751, was a British peer and Tory politician....
(1722–1809) - George William Coventry, 7th Earl of CoventryGeorge Coventry, 7th Earl of CoventryGeorge William Coventry, 7th Earl of Coventry was a British peer and Member of Parliament, styled Viscount Deerhurst until 1809....
(1758–1831) - George William Coventry, 8th Earl of CoventryGeorge Coventry, 8th Earl of CoventryGeorge William Coventry, 8th Earl of Coventry , known as Viscount Deerhurst from 1809 to 1831, was a British peer and Tory Member of Parliament....
(1784–1843) - George William Coventry, 9th Earl of CoventryGeorge Coventry, 9th Earl of CoventryGeorge William Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry PC , styled Viscount Deerhurst until 1843, was a British Conservative politician...
(1838–1930)- George William Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst (1865–1927)
- George William Reginald Victor Coventry, 10th Earl of Coventry (1900–1940)
- George William Coventry, 11th Earl of Coventry (1934–2002)
- Edward George William Oscar Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst (1957–1997)
- Francis Henry Coventry, 12th Earl of Coventry (1912–2004)
- George William Coventry, 13th Earl of Coventry (b. 1939)
The heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
is the present holder's nephew - David Duncan Sherwood Coventry (b. 1973). He is a great-great-great-grandson of the 7th Earl.