Sir Edward Villiers
Encyclopedia
Sir Edward Villiers was an English politician, diplomat and office-holder.
, by his first wife Audrey Saunders, making him half-brother to the court favourite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
, Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey
and John Villiers, 1st Viscount Purbeck. He was knighted on 7 September 1616, and in October 1617 succeeded Sir Richard Martin as Master of the Mint
, and in November 1618 became comptroller
of the Court of Wards.
On 30 December 1620 he was returned to the House of Commons
as member
for Westminster
. In the same month he was sent Frederick III, Elector Palatine
to say that assistance would be rendered him, but only on condition that he entered into an agreement to relinquish the crown of Bohemia
. He returned before May and took his seat in parliament, but was in that month temporarily excluded from the house for attempting to speak on the question of a patent, in which he was personally interested (the gold and silver patent in which Villiers had invested £4,000 in 1617, and from which he derived an income of £500 annually). His conduct was vindicated in the inquiry by the House of Lords in June, and Villiers was allowed to resume his seat in the Commons. In September he was again sent to the Elector Frederick, then serving with the Dutch army, to persuade him to withdraw from it and submit to the Holy Roman Emperor
. On 23 September 1622 he was granted a lease of the customs and subsidies on gold and silver thread on condition of surrendering the mastership of the mint, but the latter office was restored to him in July 1624. He was re-elected for Westminster on 22 January 1624, and on 25 April 1625; in August of the latter year he asked the commons to prevent a dissolution by desisting from their attack on Buckingham.
Meanwhile James I, in January 1625, appointed Villiers Lord President of Munster
; the appointment was confirmed by Charles I on 6 May, and in August Villiers went to Ireland to assume his duties. He held the post little over a year, and was absent for several months during that period. He died in the college of Youghal, which he made his official residence, on 7 September 1626; he was buried in St. Mary's, Youghal.
; his viscountcy was specially entailed on his niece's issue. Consequently her eldest son by Sir Edward Villiers, William, succeeded St. John as 2nd Viscount Grandison in 1630; he was father of Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland. Sir Edward's second and third sons, George and John, succeeded as 3rd Viscount Grandison and 4th Viscount Grandison; the fourth son, Sir Edward (1620–1689), was father of Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey
.
Life
He was the eldest son of Sir George VilliersGeorge Villiers (of Brokesby)
Sir George Villiers, of Brokesby was a minor member of the English gentry, notable as the father of the royal favourite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham...
, by his first wife Audrey Saunders, making him half-brother to the court favourite George Villiers, 1st Duke 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...
, Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey
Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey
Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey , known at court as Kit Villiers, was an English courtier, Gentleman of the Bedchamber and later Master of the Robes to King James I...
and John Villiers, 1st Viscount Purbeck. He was knighted on 7 September 1616, and in October 1617 succeeded Sir Richard Martin as Master of the Mint
Master of the Mint
Master of the Mint was an important office in the governments of Scotland and England, and later Great Britain, between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Master was the highest officer in the Royal Mint. Until 1699, appointment was usually for life. Its holder occasionally sat in the cabinet...
, and in November 1618 became comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
of the Court of Wards.
On 30 December 1620 he was returned to the House of Commons
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...
as member
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 Westminster
Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster was a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of England to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain 1707-1800 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter....
. In the same month he was sent Frederick III, Elector Palatine
Frederick III, Elector Palatine
Frederick III of Simmern, the Pious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach, branch Palatinate-Simmern-Sponheim. He was a son of John II of Simmern and inherited the Palatinate from the childless Elector Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine in 1559...
to say that assistance would be rendered him, but only on condition that he entered into an agreement to relinquish the crown of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. He returned before May and took his seat in parliament, but was in that month temporarily excluded from the house for attempting to speak on the question of a patent, in which he was personally interested (the gold and silver patent in which Villiers had invested £4,000 in 1617, and from which he derived an income of £500 annually). His conduct was vindicated in the inquiry by the House of Lords in June, and Villiers was allowed to resume his seat in the Commons. In September he was again sent to the Elector Frederick, then serving with the Dutch army, to persuade him to withdraw from it and submit to the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
. On 23 September 1622 he was granted a lease of the customs and subsidies on gold and silver thread on condition of surrendering the mastership of the mint, but the latter office was restored to him in July 1624. He was re-elected for Westminster on 22 January 1624, and on 25 April 1625; in August of the latter year he asked the commons to prevent a dissolution by desisting from their attack on Buckingham.
Meanwhile James I, in January 1625, appointed Villiers Lord President of Munster
Lord President of Munster
The post of Lord President of Munster was the most important office in the English government of the Irish province of Munster from its introduction in the Elizabethan era for a century, to 1672, a period including the Desmond Rebellions in Munster, the Nine Years' War, and the Irish Rebellion of...
; the appointment was confirmed by Charles I on 6 May, and in August Villiers went to Ireland to assume his duties. He held the post little over a year, and was absent for several months during that period. He died in the college of Youghal, which he made his official residence, on 7 September 1626; he was buried in St. Mary's, Youghal.
Family
Villiers married Barbara, eldest daughter of Sir John St. John and niece of Oliver St John, 1st Viscount GrandisonOliver St John, 1st Viscount Grandison
Sir Oliver St John, 1st Viscount Grandison was an English soldier who became Lord Deputy of Ireland.-Early years:He was the second son of Nicholas St John of Lydiard Park in Wiltshire and Purley Park in Berkshire, by his wife Elizabeth , daughter of Sir Richard Blount of Mapledurham House in...
; his viscountcy was specially entailed on his niece's issue. Consequently her eldest son by Sir Edward Villiers, William, succeeded St. John as 2nd Viscount Grandison in 1630; he was father of Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland. Sir Edward's second and third sons, George and John, succeeded as 3rd Viscount Grandison and 4th Viscount Grandison; the fourth son, Sir Edward (1620–1689), was father of Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey
Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey
Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey son of Sir Edward Villiers of Richmond and Frances Howard, the youngest daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk and Elizabeth Hume, was created Baron Villiers and Viscount Villiers in 1691 and Earl of Jersey in 1697.His grandfather, Sir Edward...
.