Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent
Encyclopedia
Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent (24 November 1594– 28 May 1651), known as Lord Ruthin from 1639 to 1643, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
in 1640 and succeeded to the title Earl of Kent
in 1643.
Grey was the eldest son of Rev. Anthony Grey, 9th Earl of Kent
and his wife Magdalene Purefoy, daughter of William Purefoy of Caldecote, Warwickshire. His father was rector of Aston Flamville
, Leicestershire. Grey became Lord Ruthin on 21 November 1639. In April 1640 he was elected Member of Parliament
for Leicestershire
for the Short Parliament
but did not sit in the Long Parliament
.
On 4 June 1642 Grey was chosen by the parliament as first commissioner of the militia in Leicestershire. He inherited the title as Earl of Kent
on the death of his father in 1643. On 16 August 1644 he became a commissioner of martial law and on 24 August be became Lord Lieutenant of Rutland
. He became speaker of the House of Lords on 13 February 1645. He was resworn first commissioner of the great seal on 20 March 1645, and continued in office until 30 October 1646, when the seal was given to the speakers of the two houses. He was Custos Rotulorum of Bedfordshire
and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire
by parliament on the Long Parliament
on 2 July 1646 and held the position until his death.
Grey became speaker of the House of Lords on 6 September 1647 and became a member of the committee of the navy and customs on 17 December 1647. He was one of the lords commissioners who took the four bills to the king at the Isle of Wight, and had to bring them back unsigned. In January 1648, he was selected to replace Earl of Essex
as one of the seven peers on the Derby House Committee soon after it replaced the Committee of Both Kingdoms
as Parliament's principal proto-executive body. On 17 March 1648, he was renominated chief commissioner of the great seal together with another lord and two commoners, but took no part in the trial or death of the king. He remained in office until the commons voted the abolition of the House of Lords on 6 February 1649, and two days after placed the seal in other hands.
Grey died aged 56 and a monument to his memory was erected by his widow in Flitton Church, Bedfordshire. The title descended to his son Anthony
.
Grey married firstly Mary Courteen, daughter of Sir William Courteen and had a son Henry Grey who is believed to have died young. Mary died on 9 March 1644 and he married secondly on 1 August 1644 Annabel Fane, widow of Anthony Fane and daughter of Sir Anthony Benn. They had two children: Anthony
, who inherited the earldom, and Elizabeth, who married Banastre Maynard, 3rd Baron Maynard
.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1640 and succeeded to the title Earl of Kent
Earl of Kent
The peerage title Earl of Kent has been created eight times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.See also Kingdom of Kent, Duke of Kent.-Earls of Kent, first creation :*Godwin, Earl of Wessex...
in 1643.
Grey was the eldest son of Rev. Anthony Grey, 9th Earl of Kent
Anthony Grey, 9th Earl of Kent
Anthony Grey was Earl of Kent from 1639 to his death.He was a son on George Grey and Margery Salvaine. His paternal grandfather Anthony Grey was a son of George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent and his second wife Catherine Herbert....
and his wife Magdalene Purefoy, daughter of William Purefoy of Caldecote, Warwickshire. His father was rector of Aston Flamville
Aston Flamville
Aston Flamville is a village and civil parish in the Blaby district in Leicestershire, England. It is situated near Hinckley, but on the other side of the M69...
, Leicestershire. Grey became Lord Ruthin on 21 November 1639. In April 1640 he was elected 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 Leicestershire
Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicestershire was a county constituency in Leicestershire, represented in the House of Commons. It elected two Members of Parliament , traditionally called Knights of the Shire, by the bloc vote system of election, to the Parliament of England until 1707, to the Parliament of Great Britain from...
for the Short Parliament
Short 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....
but did not sit in 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...
.
On 4 June 1642 Grey was chosen by the parliament as first commissioner of the militia in Leicestershire. He inherited the title as Earl of Kent
Earl of Kent
The peerage title Earl of Kent has been created eight times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.See also Kingdom of Kent, Duke of Kent.-Earls of Kent, first creation :*Godwin, Earl of Wessex...
on the death of his father in 1643. On 16 August 1644 he became a commissioner of martial law and on 24 August be became Lord Lieutenant of Rutland
Lord Lieutenant of Rutland
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland. The post was abolished on 31 March 1974, with the area coming under the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, but revived in 1997...
. He became speaker of the House of Lords on 13 February 1645. He was resworn first commissioner of the great seal on 20 March 1645, and continued in office until 30 October 1646, when the seal was given to the speakers of the two houses. He was Custos Rotulorum of Bedfordshire
Custos Rotulorum of Bedfordshire
This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Bedfordshire.* John Mordaunt, 1st Baron Mordaunt bef. 1544 – aft. 1547* Oliver St John, 1st Baron St John of Bletso bef. 1558 – 1582* John St John, 2nd Baron St John of Bletso bef...
and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire
Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire. Since 1711, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Bedfordshire.*William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton 1549–1551...
by parliament on 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...
on 2 July 1646 and held the position until his death.
Grey became speaker of the House of Lords on 6 September 1647 and became a member of the committee of the navy and customs on 17 December 1647. He was one of the lords commissioners who took the four bills to the king at the Isle of Wight, and had to bring them back unsigned. In January 1648, he was selected to replace Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
as one of the seven peers on the Derby House Committee soon after it replaced the Committee of Both Kingdoms
Committee of Both Kingdoms
The Committee of Both Kingdoms, , was a committee set up during the English Civil War by the Parliamentarian faction in association with representatives from the Scottish Covenanters, to oversee the conduct of the War and Foreign Policy...
as Parliament's principal proto-executive body. On 17 March 1648, he was renominated chief commissioner of the great seal together with another lord and two commoners, but took no part in the trial or death of the king. He remained in office until the commons voted the abolition of the House of Lords on 6 February 1649, and two days after placed the seal in other hands.
Grey died aged 56 and a monument to his memory was erected by his widow in Flitton Church, Bedfordshire. The title descended to his son Anthony
Anthony Grey, 11th Earl of Kent
Anthony Grey was Earl of Kent from 1651 to his death.He was the only son of Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent and his second wife Amabel Benn. His sister Elizabeth Grey married Banastre Maynard, 3rd Baron Maynard...
.
Grey married firstly Mary Courteen, daughter of Sir William Courteen and had a son Henry Grey who is believed to have died young. Mary died on 9 March 1644 and he married secondly on 1 August 1644 Annabel Fane, widow of Anthony Fane and daughter of Sir Anthony Benn. They had two children: Anthony
Anthony Grey, 11th Earl of Kent
Anthony Grey was Earl of Kent from 1651 to his death.He was the only son of Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent and his second wife Amabel Benn. His sister Elizabeth Grey married Banastre Maynard, 3rd Baron Maynard...
, who inherited the earldom, and Elizabeth, who married Banastre Maynard, 3rd Baron Maynard
Banastre Maynard, 3rd Baron Maynard
Banastre Maynard, 3rd Baron Maynard was a peer and politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Essex 17 Mar 1663 - 25 Feb 1679 and Baron Maynard....
.