Which WALTER had issue a son

WALTER, who, by Anne, his wife, daughter of Simon Holcombe, of the county of Devon, Esq. had issue four sons.

First, Walter, who died on April 5th, 1677.

Second, William, fifth Earl of Coventry.

Third, Thomas, who first married Mary, daughter and heir of John Green, of Millen in the parish of Hambleton, in com. Bucks, Esq. by whom he had issue one son, Thomas, counsellor at law, and a director of the South Sea company, who was returned to parliament for Bridport in Dorsetshire, 1762, 1768, and 1774, and married Margaret, daughter to Thomas Savage, of Elmleycastle in Worcestershire. Esq. The said Thomas had also, by his wife, Mary, a daughter, called after her mother, successively wedded to Henry Barker, of Chiswick in Middlesex, Esq. and to Philip Bearcroft, D. D. and master of the Charter-house. He took to his second wife, Anne-Maria, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Brown, of Polston in com. Wilts, and by her (who died December 17th, 1726, aged thirty-two, and was buried at Hambleton) had issue two sons; the Rev. Francis Coventry, author of Pompey the Little, &c. who died unmarried; George, an officer in the first regiment of foot-guards; and three daughters, Maria, Anne-Margaret, and Elizabeth-Anne.

Henry, youngest son of Walter Coventry and Anne Holcombe, married Anne, daughter of Mr. Coles, of the city of Oxford, and had issue one son, Henry Coventry, Esq. also an ingenious author, who died December 29th, 1753.

WILLIAM, FIFTH EARL OF COVENTRY, was elected a member for the borough of Bridport in Dorsetshire, in the three last parliaments of Queen Anne, as also to the first parliament of Geo. I. On April 15th, 1717, he was constituted one of the clerks comptroller of the green-cloth; in which post, 1719, he attended his Majesty to Hanover; and the same year succeeded to the title of Earl of Coventry. On March 22d, 1719-20, he was sworn of the privy-council, and took his place at the board. He was at the same time sworn lord-lieutenant of the county of Worcester, and custos rotulorum of the same; and likewise, on March 2d, 1727-8, upon his late Majesty's accession. His Lordship married Elizabeth, daughter to Mr. John Allen, of the city of Westminster, by whom he had issue three sons.

First, Thomas Henry, Viscount Deerhurst, deceased.

Bill Signet. Geo. II.

Second, George-William, late Earl of Coventry.

Third, John Bulkeley Coventry, who, by virtue of an act of parliament, took the additional name of Bulkeley, and was denominated John Bulkeley Coventry Bulkeley. He died 1801.

Her Ladyship died Nov. 23d, 1738. And his Lordship, departing this life March 18th, 1750-1, was succeeded by his eldest surving son,

GEORGE, WILLIAM, SIXTH EARL OF COVENTRY, who, on June 17th, 1751, was appointed lord-lieutenant of the county and city of Worcester, and custos rotulorum of the same: and took the oaths and his seat in the house of Peers, January 19th, 1753. He was lord of the bed-chamber to his late Majesty and was continued in that office by the present King, (but resigned it in January 1770); as also in those of lord lieutenant and custos rotulorum of the county and city of Worcester which he held till near his death.

His Lordship, on March 5th, 1752, first, married Maria, eldest daughter of John Gunning, Esq. by his wife Bridget, daughter of John Bourk, Lord Viscount Mayo, in Ireland, and sister to Elizabeth, the late Duchess of Argyll, and Baroness of Hamilton in her own right.

By her Ladyship (who died on October 1st, 1760) his Lordship had issue one son.

George-William, Lord Viscount Deerhurst.

Also two daughters, viz. Mary-Alicia, born December 9th, 1754; married, June 29th, 1777, Andrew Bayntun, Esq. of Spye Park, Wilts, now Sir Andrew Bayntun, Bart. (by whom she had issue a daughter who is married to the Rev. Mr. Starkey) which marriage was dissolved by act of parliament in 1783, and she died January 8th, 1784; Anne-Margaret, born March 18th, 1757, married, October 20th, 1778, Edward, second son of Thomas Lord Foley, by whom she has no surviving issue. This marriage was dissolved by act of parliament in 1787, and she re-martied, July 15th, 1788, Capt. Samuel Wright.

His Lordship remained a widower till September 27th, 1764, when he took to his second wife, Barbara, sister to John, Lord St. John, of Bletsoe, and daughter to John, Lord St. John, of Bletsoe, by his Lady Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Ambrose Crawley, Knight, alderman of London, by whom he had,

First, John, born June 20th, 1765.

r See Mason's Elegy on this celebrated Beauty in his Poems.

Second, Lady Babara, born 1776, and died an infant.

Third, Thomas-William, born December 24th, 1778, married, 1801, Miss Clarke, of Evesham com. Worc. and by her, who died 1806, has had issue, first, Thomas; second, Laura; third, Augusta; fourth, Julia; fifth, Barbara.

Her Ladyship died November 25th, 1804; and his Lordship dying, September, 1809, aged eighty-seven, was succeeded by his eldest son,

GEORGE, present and SEVENTH EARL OF COVENTRY.

His Lordship was born April 25th, 1758; married first, March 18th, 1777, Catharine, daughter of Robert late Earl of Northington, which Lady dying without issue, January 9th, 1779.

His Lordship married, secondly, January, 1783, Peggy, second daughter of the late Sir Abraham Pitches, Knight, of Streatham, Surry, by whom he has had issue,

First, a still-born child, born October 17th, 1783.

Second, George-William, Viscount Deerhurst, born October 16th, 1784, married, January 15th, 1808, Emma-Susanna, second daughter of William Lord Beauchamp, of Powyke. He is lieutenant-colonel of the Worcestershire militia.

Third, Augusta-Margaret, born September 11th, 1785, married, May, 1806, captain Willoughby Cotton, only son of the late admiral Cotton, and has issue, first, Willoughby, born September, 1807; second, Corbet, born August, 1808.

Fourth, Georgiana-Catharine, born September 13th, 1786, married, December, 1806, Mr. Barnes, of Ryegate, by whom she has issue a daughter, born 1808.

Fifth, Emily-Elizabeth, died an infant.

Sixth, John, born June 30th, 1789.

Seventh, Thomas-Henry, died an infant.

Eighth, Thomas-Henry, born September 18th, 1792.

Ninth, Jane-Emily, born June 3d, 1794.

Tenth, William-James, born January 1st, 1797.

Eleventh, Barbara, born July 15th, 1799.

Twelth, Sophia.

His Lordship is lord lieutenant of Worcestershire, to which

he was appointed on his father's resignation.

Titles. George-William, Earl of Coventry, and Viscount Deerhurst.

Creations. Viscount Deerhurst, and Earl of Coventry, April 26th, 1697, 9 William III.

Arms. Sable, a fess ermine, between three crescents, Or.

Crest. On a wreath; a garb, Or, and thereon a dunghill. cock perched, Gules, comb, wattles and legs, Or.

Supporters. Two eagles, wings expanded, Argent, membered and beaked, Or.

Motto. CANDIde et Constanter,

Chief Seats, At Croome-d'Abitot, and Spring Hill, in Worcestershire.

THE name of this family, variously written Villers, Villiers, Vileres, Vylers, &c. is doubtless descended of the ancient noble house of Villers, a Seigniours of Lisle Adam, in Normandy, and came into England at the time of the conquest, in 1066; b for soon after

а

PAGAN de Villars was lord of Crosby, in com. Lanc. and was also possessed of Newbold, in com. Nottingh. which his posterity held till the reign of Edw. III. He gave to the church of St. Peter, and to Roger, archbishop of York, the titles and church of Kinalton, to the use of the household of the archbishop, temp.

Hen. II. But Crosby went away to the Molineuxes, by Beatrix, a daughter and heir of Sir Robert, third son of Allan, son of the above named Pagan de Villars, married, about the time of King John, to Robert Molineux, of Sefton in Lancashire, from

a of that house were the renowned Pierre de Villiers, and Jaques de Vilfiers; the first Grand Master of France, in 1390, under Charles VI. and the latter, Provost of Paris, in the same reign; besides divers other eminent per

sons.

b Aymer de Villiers, by birth a Frenchman, Sewer to King Philip, first of that name, King of France, was slain by four of the soldiers of William the Conqueror, King of England, in Normandy, anno 1076; his great great grandson, Sir Adam de Villiers, Knight, lived in 1228. Nichols's Leic, vol. iii. p. 197.

< Nichols makes him son of Arnold de Villiers, who was one of the witnesses to a deed made by the Lady Gundred, wife to Nigel de Albencio, to the hospital of St. Peter of York.

Thoroton's Antiq. of Nott,

• Ex Stem. Famil. Molineux, in Visit. in Lane.