392 BUCKINGHAM 1606, at Goadby, co. Leicester, Sir William Rayner, of Orton Longueville, CO. Huntingdon, who d. four months afterwards. She ;«., 3rdly, Sir Thomas CoMPTON (br. of William, ist Earl of Northampton). On i July 1618 she was cr. COUNTESS OF BUCKINGHAM for life. Sir Thomas Compton d. Apr. 1626. She d. aged 62, at the Gate House, Whitehall, 19, and was bur. 21 Apr. 1632, in Westm. Abbey. M.I. On her death her life Peerage became extinct. Will, dat. 12 Apr. 1631 to 4 Apr. 1632, pr. 7 May i632.() EARLDOM. I. George Villiers, 4th s. of Sir George Viluers, VTTT A (^ °^ Brokesby, co. Leicester, being 2nd s. by his '■^ ' 2nd wife, Mary, cr. in 161 8, Countess of Bucking- MAROTTFSSATF "^'^ (^^^ ante)., was b. 28 Aug. 1592, at Brokesby. ' He was ed. at Billesden School, co. Leicester, and I. 1 6 1 8. subsequently in Paris, whence coming to Court, " the handsomeness of his person " and his various accom- DUKEDOM. plishments (seconded by the favour of the Queen ,vr /- Consort and of Archbishop Abbot, who desired to ■3' supplant Robert (Carr), Earl of Somerset in the Royal favour), ingratiated him extremely with the King. He was made Cupbearer, 16 14; Gent, of the Bedchamber, 161 5; was knighted 24 Apr. 161 5; Master of the Horse, 161 6 till his death; nom. K.G., 24 Apr. and inst. 7 July 1616; Keeper of Whaddon Park and Chase, 1616; Ch. Justice in Eyre, north of Trent, 1 616-19; Master of the King's Bench Office, tfc. On 27 Aug. 1616 he was cr. BARON WHADDON OF WHADDON, Bucks, and VISCOUNT VILLIERS.(^) Joint Commissioner for the office of Earl Marshal 16 16; Lord Lieut, of Bucks, 1 61 6, till his death. On 5 Jan. 16 16/7 he was cr. EARL OF BUCKINGHAM. C^) On 14 Mar. following he obtained a patent granting the reversion of the said Earldom., Viscountcy and Barony, failing the heirs male of his body, to his brothers of the whole blood, " John Villiers, (^) Her Fun. Cert, is given in Coll. Top. et Gen., vol. viii, p. 22. Roger Coke says she was kitchenmaid to old Sir George Villiers, but Arthur Wilson's state- ment is probably more accurate, that she was " allied and yet a servant " to Lady Beaumont of Cole Orton. The suspicion that she poisoned the King Qames I), though not proved, is possibly justifiable. See Jesse's Court under the Stuarts. C") See note "f" on previous page. C^) The following note is given in Courthope, p. 492: — Extract of a letter from Sir Francis Bacon to Villiers, 12 Aug. 1616 {Cabala, p. 57, 3rd ed.) : "I have sent now your patent of creation of Lord Bletchly of Bletchly and of Viscount Villirs. Bletchly is your own, and I liked the sound of the name better than Whaddon; but the name will be hid, for you will be called Viscount Villirs. I have put them in a patent after the manner of the patent for Earls where Baronies are joined; but the chief reason was because I would avoid double prefaces, which had not been fit; nevertheless, the ceremony of robing and otherwise must be double." C^) Sir Edward Walker (Garter) gives an account of the ceremonial of his Investi- ture (WA 2oh), which was done " uppon short notice both to the Attorney-Generall and the Lord Chauncellor."
