COVENTRY. 391 dpt. of the Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arais, 1877-80, and again June 18S5 to 1886 ; P.O., 1880 ; Master of the Buckhounds, 1886. He m. 25 Jan. 1865, at St. Geo. Han. Si]., Blanche, 3rd da. of William (Craven), 2nd Earl of Craven, by Emily Mary, da. of James Walter (Grimstoh), 1st Earl ok Veryjlah. She was b. 24 Dee. 1842. [George William Coventry, styled Viscount Deeriiurst, s. and h. ap., b. 15 Nov. 1865 ; ed. at Eton ; sometime A.D.C. to the Gov. of Victoria; Stockbroker in London, 1888 .] Family estates. — These, in 1883, consisted of 13,021 acres in Worcestershire and 1,398 in Gloucestershire. Total— 14,4 19 acres, worth £24,878 a year. Principal Residence. — Croome Court, near Severn Stoke, co. Worcester. COVENTRY OF AYLESBOROUGH. Barony. I. "Thomas Coventry, Knt., Keeper of the Groat j ,n.) H Seal of England," was, on 10 April 162S, bp. "BARON COVENTRY ' OF AYLESBOROUGH, co. Worcester." He was a and h. of Sir Thomas Coventry, one of the Justices of the Common Pleas, by Margaret, da. and h. of ( — ) Jkfkehiks, of Croombe Dabitot, co. Worcester ; was b. 157S at Croome afsd. ; matric. at Oxford (Ball. Coll.), 15 Dec. 1592, being then 14 ; entered the Inner Temple, 1594 ; Barrister, Nov. 1603, joining the Oxford circuit ; Bencher, 1614 ; Autumn Reader, 1616 ; Treasurer, 1617-23 ; Recorder of Loudon, 17 Nov. 1616; Solicitor Gen., 1617-21, Knighted at Theobalds, 16 March 1616/7: M.P.for Droitwich, 1621-22 ; Attorney Gen., 1620-25. On 30 Oct. 1625 he was made P.C. and Lord Keeper ok the Great Seal (an office he retained till his death 15 years after- wards), lx,'iug, in 1626, made High Steward of Cambridge, and in 1628, being raised to the pecraye as above stated. He presided as Lord High Steward, 25 April 1631, at the tri;j of Lord Aucllcy. High Steward of Kingstou-ou-Hull and Recorder of Boston, both in 1633 ; High Steward of St. Albans, '&c. He m. firstly, before 1606, Sarah, sister of Sir Edward Sebright, Bart, (so cr. 1626), da. of Johu S., of Besford, co. Wore., by Anne, da. of Richard Bullingham. He in. secondly, before 1610, Elizabeth, widow of William PnCHJOBD, da. of John Alckuslky, of Spivraton, to. Chester. He d. at Durham House, in the Strand, 14 Jan. 1639/40, whence lie was conveyed in great state, 17 Feb., being, "by reason of his great office, bur. in the qualitie of an Earle " (near his parents), 1 March, at Croome.( b ) Fun. certifi. Will dat. 26 July 1638 to 12 Jau. 1639/40, pr. 18 Jan. 1639/40. His widow was bur. 25 May 1653, at St, Gregory's, London. Will dat. 20 May, pr. 24 June 1653 by her son Francis Coventry. II. 1640. 2. Thomas (Coventry), Baron Coventry of Ayles- borough, s. and h. by 1st wife, b. 1606 ; Councillor of Wales, 1633 ; Joint Commissioner of Array, in co. Wore, 1642 and signed the engagement with the King at York, 1642. M.P. for Droitwich, 1625 and 1626 ; for co. Worcester, 1628-29. He m. 2 April 1627, Mary, sister to William, Earl ok Craven, da. of Sir William Craven, Lord Mayor [1610-11], by Elizabeth, da. of William Whit.mohe. She d. 18 Oct. 1634, in childbed, aged 29. He d. 27 Oct. 1661, at Lincoln's Inn fields, Midx. Both bur. at Croome. M.I. His will pr. Feb. 1662. III. 1661. 3. George (Coventry), Baron Coventry op Ayles- BOROUGH, 1st s. and h., b. 1628 ; Custos Rot. co. Wore, 1660. He m. 18 July 1653, Margaret,' da. of John (Tufton), 2nd Earl of Thanet, by Margaret, da. of Richard (Sackville), Earl of Dorset. He d. 15 Dec. 1680, at Lincoln's Inn fields afsd, aged 52, and was bur. at Croome. Admon. 17 Jan. 1680/1. His widow living July 1687. (*) See " Creations, 1483-1646," in ap. 47th Rep. D.K. Pub. Records. ( b ) Lord Clarendon writes of him that "he discharged all the offices he went through with great abilities and singular reputation of integrity," which last good quality appears to have been generally acknowledged by his contemporaries. He was, however, more of ft lawyer than a politician, and appeal's to have had little influence at Court. Lord Hardwick states that he " was very able, and contributed a great deal towards modelling the Court of Chancery."
