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JOHN WILLIAM, eldest son, succeeded Duke Francis on March 8th, 1803, as SEVENTH EARL OF BRIDGEWATER. His Lordship was born April 13th, 1753; and entering into the army, rose to the rank of major-general, February 25th, 1795; and of lieutenant-general, Jan. 1st, 1801. On June 1st, 1797, he was appointed to the command of the fourteenth light dragoons. While a commoner he represented the borough of Brackley in parliament, till his accession to the peerage. He married, January 14th, 1783, Charlotte Catherine Anne, only daughter and heiress of Samuel Haynes, Esq. but has no issue.

Titles. Ellesmere.

Earl of Bridgewater, Viscount Brackley, and Baron of

Creations. Baron of Ellesmere, in com. Salop, July 21st, 1603, 1 James I. Viscount Brackley, in com. Northamp. Nov. 7, 1616, 14 James I. Earl of Bridgewater, in com. Somerset, May 27th, 1617, 15 James I.

Arms. Argent, a lion rampant Gules, between three Phcons heads Sable.

co-heirs of Ferdinando Stanley, Earl of Derby, son and heir of Henry Stanley. Earl of Derby, and of his wife Margaret Clifford (commonly called Lady Margaret Clifford), daughter and only child of Henry Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, by his first wife Eleanor Brandon (commonly called Lady Eleanor Brandon), who was daughter and co-heir of Charles Brandon, Dake of Suffolk, and of his wife the Princess Mary, younger daughter of King Henry the Seventh, and Dowager Queen of France; and that through his deceased mother Anna Sophia Grey (commonly called Lady Anna Sophia Grey), he is grandson, and younger co-heir of Henry Grey, late Duke and Earl of Kent, who was heir male of the body of Sir Edmund Grey, created Earl of Kent in the fifth year of King Edward the Fourth, which Sir Edmond Grey Earl of Kent, was son and heir of Sir John Grey and of his wife Constance Holland, (commonly called Lady Constance Holland) whose father, Sir John Holland, Duke of Exeter and Earl of Huntingdon, was son and heir male of the body of Lady Joan Plantagenet, daughter of King Edward the First's youngest son, Edmund Plantagenet of Woodstock, Earl of Kent, and whose mother, Lady Elizabeth Plantagenet, daughter of King Edward the Third's son, John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, and of his first wife, Lady Blanch Plantagenet, daughter and heir of Henry Plantagenet, Duke of Lancaster, who was grandson and heir of King Henry the Third's second son, Edmond Plantagenet, Earl of Lancaster, has been graciously pleased to ordain and declare, that Francis Henry Egerton, only younger brother, and Dame Amelia Hume, wife of Sir Abraham Hume, Bart. only sister of the said Earl, shall from henceforth have, hold, and enjoy the same titles, place, pre-eminence, and precedence as if their said father John, late Lord Bishop of Durham, had survived his said cousin Francis late Duke of Bridgewater.

And also to order, that this his Majesty's concession and declaration be recorded in his college of arms.

Crest. On a chapeau Gules, turned up ermine, a fion rampant Gules, supporting a pheon Argent.

Supporters. On the dexter side an horse Argent, ducally gorged Or; on the sinister a griffin Or, ducally gorged Azure. Motto. Sic donec.

Chief Seats. At Ashridge in the counties of Bucks and Hertford, which the present Earl is rebuilding.

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THAT this family is denominated from the lordship of Compton in com. Warw. appears from several authorities, being descended from ancestors, who were lords of the place before the conquest. Sir William Dugdale, in treating of the owners of the lordship of Compton, has given no account of their original descent; but from 'the following evidences it plainly appears, that TURCHIL, a the son of ALWNE (cotemporary with King Edward the confessor and William the Conqueror) was the ancestor of this family. The said Turchil resided at Warwick, and had great possessions in the county, when William Duke of Normandy invaded this realm, A. D. 1066; but giving no assistance to King Harold, though he was then a person of especial note and power, being reputed Earl of the county, he found such favour with the Conqueror, as that he continued possessed of his lands; and among them the lordship of Compton, and forty-seven other manors, as is evident from Domesday-Book. He was one of the first in England, who, in imitation of the Normans, assumed a surname; for it appears, that in the reign of King William Rufus, he e wrote himself Turchillus de Eardene, from his residence in Arden (as it is now wrote) in the said county, the said King having dispossessed him of his castle of Warwick. Which Turchil had several sons, as appears from Sir William Dugdale's discourse on Curdworth, part of his possessions. By his first wife he had issue 2 Dugdale's Antiq. of Warw. p. 301. h Ibid. p. 301, 302. Ex Regist. Abend. in Bibl. Cotton. fol. 12 b. 137 n. Antiq. of Warw. p 675.

Siward de Arden, ancestor to the family of Arden; and by Leverunia, his second wife, he had issue OSBERT, who wrote himself of Compton in 16 Hen. II. and is without doubt the ancestor of this family. Which Osbert had issue three sons, Osbert, Philip, and Peter; the eldest whereof left only two daughters his coheirs. But PHILIP, second son, writing himself Philip de Compton, was a witness, about 5 King John, with Walter Poer, to a grant of lands lying in Tishoe, made by Richard de Bereford, and Cecilia his wife, to the canons of Kenilworth. In 20 Hen. III. he was certified to hold half a knight's fee in Compton and to him succeeded Thomas de Compton his son and heir, who in 36 Hen. III. was i certified to hold half a knight's fee in Compton, of Thomas de Arden, lineal heir to Turchil before-mentioned, and he of the Earl of Warwick, whose ancestors, as my author writes, had the greatest part of Turchil's lands made over to them by King William Rufus.

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This THOMAS DE COMPTON had issue three sons,' Philip, Henry, and William; whereof Philip de Compton, the eldest, was certified in 7 Edward I. to be lord of the manor of Compton, and that he held it of Thomas de Arden, by the service of half a knight's fee. At which time the said Philip also held there two carucates of land in demesne, and had freeholders, who held of him six yard-land by several rents as also five tenants holding three yard-land, paying certain rent, and performing divers servile labours. He was succeeded by Robert de Compton his son and heir, who, in 8 Edw. I. " granted, to Roger de Vallibus, right of common in his manor of Hawton, com. Nott. so that neither his servants, freeholders, villains, nor cottagers did common. He gave to Theophania, daughter of Adam de Vavasor, one messuage and two bovats of land, &c. in Hawton, paying yearly half a pound of Wax at Christmas; to which charter, on a triangular shield, were three helmets (the arms of this family) circumscribed with his name; which arms are on all the seals of this family, in the reigns of several Kings, though differing sometimes in the shape of the helmets. He was knighted before 1303, P and being

Antiq. of Warw. p. 676.

Regist. de Kenilworth, p. 158.
i Ibid.

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f Rot. Pipe, 16 Hen. II.
h Testa. de Neville.
Dugdale in com. Warw. p. 302, 303.
m Inq. per H. Nott &c. fol. 71. b.
• Ibid. p. 180, 181.

Ex Stem. hujus Fam. ■ Thoroton's Antiq of Nott. p. 175. Ibid.

patron of the church of Compton, he presented thereto on March 2d, 33 Edw. I.

The said Sir Robert de Compton left issue a son Robert de Compton, who was commissioned to negotiate certain affairs for Mary Countess of Fyfe; and thereupon in 14 Edw. II. had the King's letters of protection, requiring all officers not to stay, molest, or injure him. In 15 Edw. II. he was in the wars against the Welsh, and in 5 Edw. III. he presented Roger Herbelot' to the church of Compton. He was also living in 39 Edw. III, and had issue, by Margaret his wife, Thomas de Compton, and John de Compton, who was one of the knights for Warwickshire in the parliament held in 6 Edw. III. " and with Adam de Stynynton the other knight, had 67. allowed for their expenses for ten days attendance. And was also returned the same year to another parliament with Nicholas de Stratford, wherein they attended twelve days, and 47. 16s. were levied for their expenses.

THOMAS DE COMPTON succeeded his father at Compton, and presented Thomas de Clipston, clerk, to the church of that place, in 18 Edw. III. He was one of the coroners for Warwickshire in 23 Edw. III. an office of very great account in those days (which he held till 50 Edw. III.) and in the same 23d year of Edw. III. was joined in commission with other persons of quality, for assessing and collecting a fifteenth and tenth in com. Warwick. He left issue by Christian his wife, Edmund his son and heir.

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Which EDMUND DE COMPTON was likewise coroner of Warwickshire, both in the beginning and latter end of the reign of King Richard the Second, and deceased before the 13th of King Henry the Fourth, in which year Agnes his widow presented Thomas de Compton, clerk, to the church of Compton. They had issue six sons, William, Thomas, John, Robert, Edmund, and Richard; whereof William de Compton, eldest son, succeeded at Compton, and presented John Norton to the church of Compton in 1414. He married Joan, daughter to John Hobby, Esq. and departing this life about 10 Hen. VI. was succeeded by Robert

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Dugdale præd, p. 425.
Pat. 15 Edw. II. p. 2, m. 13.
"Pryn's fourth part of a Brief Register, p. 117, 120.
* Claus 50 Edw. III. p. 1. m. 20.

Rymer's Fœd tom. iii. p. 885, 886.
Dugdale, p. 425.

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y Rot. Fin. 23 Edw. III. p. 2, m, 13.

Claus. 12 Rich. II. m. 22. Claus. 22 Rich. II. p. 2. m. 8.

VOL. III.

a Visit. de com. Northamp.

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