Complete Baronetage Vol. 1/Shirley (1611)

by George Edward Cokayne

SHIRLEY

cr. 22 May 1611,

sometime, 1677—1711, Lord Ferrers [of Chartley],

and subsequently, since 1711, Earls Ferrers.

I. 1611. "George Shirley, of Stanton, co. Leicester, Esq.," s. and h. of John Shirley, by Jane, da. and sole h. of Thomas Lovett, of Astwell, co. Northampton, which John (who d. v. p. 12 Sep. 1570) was s. and h. ap. of Francis Shirley, of Staunton Harold aforesaid; was b. 23 April 1559, at Staunton; suc. his said grandfather, 27 July 1571; matric. at Oxford (Hart Hall), 1573, aged 15; served in Holland, under the Earl of Leicester, in 1585; was Sheriff of Northamptonshire, 1603, and was cr. a Bart., as above, at the institution of that Order, 22 May 1611. He m. firstly (settlm. 21 Feb. 1586/7, her portion being £2,500), Frances, 2d da. of Henry (Berkeley), Lord Berkeley, by Katharine, da. of (the celebrated) Henry Howard, styled Earl of Surrey. She d. 29 Dec. 1595, aged 31, and was bur. at Bredon on the Hill, co. Leicester. M.I. He m. secondly, Dorothy, widow of Sir Henry Unton, of Farringdon, Berks (who d. 23 March 1596), da. of Sir Thomas Wroughton, of Wilcot, Wilts. He d. at Astwell aforesaid, 27 April 1622, aged 63, bur. 28 at Bredon. M.I. Orig. will (never proved) dat. 20 Jan. (1599/600), 42 Eliz. His widow, by whom he had no issue, was living at Astwell, 1633. Her will pr. 1635.

II. 1622. Sir Henry Shirley, Bart. [1611], of Staunton Harold aforesaid,, 1st surviving s. and h.^[1], by 1st wife; b. about 1588, being 34 years old at his father's death, when he suc. to the Baronetcy, 27 April 1622; Sheriff of Leicestershire, 1624-25, when he proclaimed Charles I as King. He m. 1 Aug. 1616, at Staunton Harold, Dorothy, youngest sister (whose issue became coheir) of Robert (Devereux), 3d Earl of Essex, 4th Viscount Hereford, and 12th Lord Ferrers of Chartley (who d. s.p. 14 Sep. 1646), da. of Robert, 2d Earl of Essex, by Frances, da. and h. of Sir Francis Walsingham. Her jointure was £3,000. He d. 8 Feb. 1632/3, and was bur. at Bredon. Inq. p.m., at Leicester, 18 April 1633. Will dat. 5 Sep. 1629, to 9 Aug. 1632, proved 2 April 1633. His widow m. 1634, William Stafford, of Blatherwick, co. Northampton (who d. 6 July 1637), by whom she had no issue. She d. 30 March and was bur. 5 April 1636, at Blatherwick.

III. 1633. Sir Charles Shirley, Bart. [1611], of Staunton Harold, and of Astwell aforesaid, s. and h., b. 9 Sep. 1623; suc. to the Baronetcy, 8 Feb. 1632/3 matric. at Oxford (Merton Coll.), 2 March 1639/40. By an ordnance of Parl., 12 Aug. 1645, he had to pay a fine of £600 for his estate. He d., unm., aged 23, at Essex House, Strand, Middlesex, 7 June and was bur. 3 July 1646, at Bredon. Admon. 14 Aug. and 26 Nov. 1646, and again 1 June 1650.

IV. 1646. Sir Robert Shirley, Bart. [1611], of Staunton Harold, and of Astwell aforesaid, and of Chartley Castle, co. Stafford, br. and h., matric. at Oxford (Corpus Christi), 12 Aug. 1645, as a Gentleman Commoner; suc. to the Baronetcy, 7 June 1646. On the death (14 Sep. 1646) of his uncle, the 3d Earl of Essex (above mentioned), he suc. to a moiety of the estates of the Devereux family, including Chartley Castle. He was the first Protestant of his race, and rebuilt the church at Staunton Harold. He was a zealous Royalist, and was imprisoned no less than seven times, dying a prisoner, "not without suspicion of poison," in the Tower of London. He m. 1647, Catharine, da. of Humphrey Okeover, of Okeover, co. Stafford, by Martha, da. of Sir Oliver Cheney. He d., as aforesaid, 6 Nov. 1656, and was bur. 22 Dec. at Bredon, but, in 1661, his remains were removed to Staunton Harold. Will dat. 29 Nov. 1654, pr. 1657. His widow d. 18 Oct. 1672, at Astwell, and was bur. 20 at Staunton. Her will proved 1673.

V. 1656. Sir Seymour Shirley, Bart. [1611], of Staunton Harold and of Chartley Castle aforesaid, s. and h., b. 23 Jan. 1646/7; suc. to the Baronetcy, 6 Nov. 1656; matric. at Oxford (Ch. Ch.), 20 March 1660; M.A., 12 Sep. 1661. He m., 29 Jan. 1666, Diana, da. of Robert (Bruce), 1st Earl of Ailesbury, by Diana, da. of Henry (Grey), 1st Earl of Stamford. He d. 16 July 1667 in his 20th year, and was bur. at Staunton. Admon. 13 March 1666/7. His widow m. 10 Nov. 1671, at the chapel at Ampthill, Beds, (as the 2d of his 3 wives) John Manners, styled Lord de Ros, then s. and h. ap. of John, 8th Earl of Rutland. She d. s.p.s. 15 July 1672 at Belvoir Castle, and was bur. at Bottesford, co. Leicester. Her husband, who in 1679, after her death, suc. as 9th Earl of Rutland, and was cr., 29 March 1703, Duke of Rutland, d. 10 Jan. 1710/1, aged 72.

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VI. 1668. Sir Robert Shirley, Bart. [1611], posthumous and only child, s. and h., b. Jan. 1667/8, and suc. to the Baronetcy on his birth; d. an infant, aged 14 months, and was bur. 11 March 1668/9 at Staunton Harold. Admon. 8 April 1669.

VII. 1669. Sir Robert Shirley, Bart. [1611], of Staunton Harold and of Chartley Castle aforesaid, uncle and h., b. at East Sheen, Surrey, during his father's imprisonment, and bap. 20 Oct. 1650 at Mortlake; matric. at Oxford (Ch.Ch.) 3 May 1667, and was M.A. 15 July 1669, having meanwhile suc. to the Baronetcy in March 1668/9. He m. firstly, 28 Dec. 1671, at her age of 15, Elizabeth, da. and h. of Laurence Washington, of Garesden, Wilts, by Eleanor, da. of William Guise, of Elmore, co. Gloucester. She was living when, on 14 Dec. 1677, the abeyance of the Barony of Ferrers [of Chartley] (of which, in right of his grandmother abovenamed, he represented a moiety) was terminated in his favour. He, accordingly, on 28 Jan. 1677/8, took his place in the House of Lords as Lord Ferrers in the precedency of the writ of summons issued to the first Lord, 6 Feb. (27 Ed. I) 1298/9. On 3 Sep. 1711 he was cr. EARL FERRERS. In that Barony and, subsequently, in that Earldom this Baronetcy then merged, and in the latter still so continues. See Peerage.

1. His youngest br. was Sir Thomas Shirley, the celebrated antiquary.