Duke of Bedford
Encyclopedia
Duke of Bedford is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England
. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's
third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time and was made Earl of Richmond later the same year. The titles became extinct on his death in 1435. The second creation came in 1470 in favour of George Neville, nephew of Warwick the Kingmaker. He was deprived of the title by Act of Parliament in 1478. The third creation came 1478 in favour of George
, the third son of Edward IV
. He died the following year at the age of two. The fourth creation came in 1485 in favour of Jasper Tudor, half-brother of Henry VI
and uncle of Henry VII
. He had already been created Earl of Pembroke in 1452. However, as a Lancastrian, his title was forfeited between 1461 and 1485 during the predominance of the House of York
. He regained the earldom in 1485 when his nephew Henry VII came to the throne and was elevated to the dukedom the same year. He had no legitimate children and the titles became extinct on his death in 1495.
The Russell family currently holds the titles of Earl and Duke of Bedford. John Russell, a close advisor of Henry VIII
and Edward VI
, was granted the title of Earl of Bedford in 1551, and his descendant William, 5th Earl, was created Duke following the Glorious Revolution
.
The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Bedford, all in the Peerage of England
, are: Marquess of Tavistock (created 1694), Earl of Bedford (1550), Baron Russell, of Cheneys (1539), Baron Russell of Thornhaugh in the County of Northampton
(1603), and Baron Howland, of Streatham
in the County of Surrey
(1695) (and possibly the Barony of Bedford
, which was merged into it in 1138, 1366 or 1414). The courtesy title
of the Duke of Bedford's eldest son and heir is Marquess of Tavistock.
The family seat is Woburn Abbey
, Bedfordshire
. The private mausoleum and chapel of the Russell Family and the Dukes of Bedford is at St. Michael’s Church in Chenies
, Buckinghamshire
.
The heir apparent
is the present holder's only son Henry Robin Charles Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (b. 2005)
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time and was made Earl of Richmond later the same year. The titles became extinct on his death in 1435. The second creation came in 1470 in favour of George Neville, nephew of Warwick the Kingmaker. He was deprived of the title by Act of Parliament in 1478. The third creation came 1478 in favour of George
George Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford was the eighth child and third son of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville....
, the third son of Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
. He died the following year at the age of two. The fourth creation came in 1485 in favour of Jasper Tudor, half-brother of Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
and uncle of Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. He had already been created Earl of Pembroke in 1452. However, as a Lancastrian, his title was forfeited between 1461 and 1485 during the predominance of the House of York
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
. He regained the earldom in 1485 when his nephew Henry VII came to the throne and was elevated to the dukedom the same year. He had no legitimate children and the titles became extinct on his death in 1495.
The Russell family currently holds the titles of Earl and Duke of Bedford. John Russell, a close advisor of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
and Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, was granted the title of Earl of Bedford in 1551, and his descendant William, 5th Earl, was created Duke following the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
.
The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Bedford, all in the Peerage of England
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
, are: Marquess of Tavistock (created 1694), Earl of Bedford (1550), Baron Russell, of Cheneys (1539), Baron Russell of Thornhaugh in the County of Northampton
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
(1603), and Baron Howland, of Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
in the County of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(1695) (and possibly the Barony of Bedford
Barony of Bedford
-First creation:*Created for Paine de Beauchamp, by William Rufus*William de Beauchamp - forfeit for rebelling in the First Barons' War*Faukes de Brent - sent by King John of England to enforce William's forfeit, forfeit himself for rebellion under Henry III of EnglandExtinct? Merged?Merged to...
, which was merged into it in 1138, 1366 or 1414). The courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
of the Duke of Bedford's eldest son and heir is Marquess of Tavistock.
The family seat is Woburn Abbey
Woburn Abbey
Woburn Abbey , near Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the seat of the Duke of Bedford and the location of the Woburn Safari Park.- Pre-20th century :...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. The private mausoleum and chapel of the Russell Family and the Dukes of Bedford is at St. Michael’s Church in Chenies
Chenies
Chenies is a village in the very eastern part of south Buckinghamshire, England, near the border with Hertfordshire. It is situated to the east of Chesham and the Chalfonts. Chenies is also a civil parish within Chiltern district....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
.
Dukes of Bedford, first Creation (1414, for life)
- subsidiary title: Earl of Kendal (1414); also Earl of RichmondEarl of RichmondThe now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was held by various Bretons, Normans, the royal families of Plantagenet, Capet, Savoy, Tudor and Stuart.-History:...
(1414)- John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of BedfordJohn of Lancaster, 1st Duke of BedfordJohn of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, KG , also known as John Plantagenet, was the third surviving son of King Henry IV of England by Mary de Bohun, and acted as Regent of France for his nephew, King Henry VI....
(1389–1435), third son of Henry IVHenry IV of EnglandHenry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, surrendered his dukedom
- John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
Dukes of Bedford, second Creation (1433)
- also Earl of Kendal (1414) and Earl of Richmond (1414)
- John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford (1389–1435), regranted his dukedom with the standard remainder, died without issue
Dukes of Bedford, third Creation (1470)
- also Marquess of MontaguMarquess of MontaguThe title of Marquess of Montagu was created in 1470 for John Neville, 1st Earl of Northumberland, younger brother of Warwick the Kingmaker. Montagu was killed at the Battle of Barnet in 1471, and was attainted and the peerage forfeit....
(1470) and Baron MontaguBaron MontaguThe titles Baron Montacute or Baron Montagu were created three and two times respectively in the Peerage of England.-Montacute:The first creation was for John de Montacute who was summoned to parliament on 29 December 1299. The third baron was created Earl of Salisbury in 1337. On the death of the...
(1461)- George Neville, 1st Duke of Bedford (1457–1483), nephew of Warwick the Kingmaker, succeeded as Marquess of Montagu and Baron Montagu in 1471, deprived of all of his honours in 1478
Dukes of Bedford, fourth Creation (1478)
- George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford (1477–1479), third son of Edward IVEdward IV of EnglandEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, died in infancy
Dukes of Bedford, fifth Creation (1485)
- also Earl of PembrokeEarl of PembrokeEarl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
(1452)- Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford (1431–1495), uncle of Henry VIIHenry VII of EnglandHenry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, regained his earldom a few months after his nephew's accession. He died without legitimate issue.
- Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford (1431–1495), uncle of Henry VII
Earls of Bedford (1551)
- also Baron Russell (1538)
- John Russell, 1st Earl of BedfordJohn Russell, 1st Earl of BedfordJohn Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, KG, PC, JP was an English royal minister in the Tudor era. He served variously as Lord High Admiral and Lord Privy Seal....
(c. 1485–1554/5), a close advisor of Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, was later created Earl of Bedford, by then a close advisor of Henry's son Edward VIEdward VI of EnglandEdward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, was further honoured by him - Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of BedfordFrancis Russell, 2nd Earl of BedfordFrancis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, KG was an English nobleman, soldier and politician and godfather to Sir. Francis Drake.-Early life:...
(1527–1585), son of the 1st Earl- Edward Russell, Lord Russell (1551–1572), eldest son of the 2nd Earl
- John Russell, 3rd Baron Russell (c.1553–1584), second son of the 2nd Earl, summoned to Parliament by writ of accelerationWrit of accelerationA writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, was a type of writ of summons to the British House of Lords that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with multiple peerage titles to attend the British House of Lords or Irish House of Lords, using one of his father's...
- Francis Russell, Lord Russell (c.1554–1585), third son of the 2nd Earl
- Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of BedfordEdward Russell, 3rd Earl of BedfordEdward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford was the son of Sir Francis Russell, Lord Russell and the grandson of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford....
(1572–1627), son of Francis, Lord Russell
- John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
- 4th Earl onwards: Baron Russell of ThornhaughBaron Russell of ThornhaughThe title Baron Russell of Thornhaugh was created in the Peerage of England in 1603 for the English military leader, Sir William Russell. His son succeeded as Earl of Bedford in 1627 and the barony has been united with the earldom ever since....
(1603)- Francis Russell, 4th Earl of BedfordFrancis Russell, 4th Earl of BedfordFrancis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford PC was an English politician. About 1631 he built the square of Covent Garden, with the piazza and church of St. Paul's, employing Inigo Jones as his architect...
(1593–1641), cousin of the 3rd Earl and son of Lord Russell of ThornhaughWilliam Russell, 1st Baron Russell of ThornhaughWilliam Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh was a younger son of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford. His birthdate is uncertain, with some records showing that he was born as early as 1553, some as late as 1563...
(fourth son of the 2nd Earl) - William Russell, 5th Earl of BedfordWilliam Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordWilliam Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford KG PC was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 until 1641 when he inherited his Peerage and sat in the House of Lords...
(1616–1700), eldest son of the 4th Earl, was created Duke of Bedford in 1694- Francis Russell, Lord Russell (1638–1679), eldest son of the 5th Earl and 1st Duke, died unmarried
- Rt. Hon. William Russell, Lord RussellWilliam Russell, Lord RussellWilliam Russell, Lord Russell was an English politician. He was a leading member of the Country Party, forerunners of the Whigs, who opposed the succession of James II during the reign of Charles II, ultimately resulting in his execution for treason.-Early life and marriage:Russell was the third...
(1639–1683), second son of the 5th Earl and 1st Duke, father of the 2nd Duke, was attainted and executed in 1683
- Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford
Dukes of Bedford, sixth Creation (1694)
- subsidiary titles Marquess of Tavistock and Baron Howland; also Earl of Bedford (1551), Baron Russell (1538) and Baron Russell of Thornhaugh (1603)
- William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordWilliam Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordWilliam Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford KG PC was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 until 1641 when he inherited his Peerage and sat in the House of Lords...
(1616–1700), was created Duke of Bedford in 1694, after the Glorious RevolutionGlorious RevolutionThe Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
- Francis Russell, Lord Russell (1638–1679), eldest son of the 1st Duke, died unmarried
- Rt. Hon. William Russell, Lord RussellWilliam Russell, Lord RussellWilliam Russell, Lord Russell was an English politician. He was a leading member of the Country Party, forerunners of the Whigs, who opposed the succession of James II during the reign of Charles II, ultimately resulting in his execution for treason.-Early life and marriage:Russell was the third...
(1639–1683), second son of the 1st Duke
- Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of BedfordWriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of BedfordWriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford KG was the son of William Russell, Lord Russell and his wife Lady Rachel Wriothesley...
(1680–1711), only son of Rt. Hon. William Russell, Lord RussellWilliam Russell, Lord RussellWilliam Russell, Lord Russell was an English politician. He was a leading member of the Country Party, forerunners of the Whigs, who opposed the succession of James II during the reign of Charles II, ultimately resulting in his execution for treason.-Early life and marriage:Russell was the third...
(whose attainder had been reversed in 1688), second son of the 1st Duke - William Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (1703), eldest son of the 2nd Duke, died in infancy
- William Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (1704–c. 1707), second son of the 2nd Duke, died young
- Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of BedfordWriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of BedfordWriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford was the son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford.Russell married his sister's stepdaughter, Lady Anne Egerton, daughter of Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgwater, on 22 April 1725.He died in 1732, aged 24 at Corunna, Spain, without issue...
(1708–1732), third son of the 2nd Duke, died without issue - John Russell, 4th Duke of BedfordJohn Russell, 4th Duke of BedfordJohn Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, FRS was an 18th century British statesman. He was the fourth son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey...
(1710–1771), fourth and youngest son of the 2nd Duke - John Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (1732), eldest son of the 4th Duke, died in infancy
- Francis Russell, Marquess of TavistockFrancis Russell, Marquess of TavistockFrancis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock was a British politician and the eldest son of the 4th Duke of Bedford....
(1739–1767), second son of the 4th Duke and father of 5th and 6th Dukes - Francis Russell, 5th Duke of BedfordFrancis Russell, 5th Duke of BedfordFrancis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford was an English aristocrat and Whig politician, responsible for much of the development of central Bloomsbury.-Life:...
(1765–1802), eldest son of Lord Tavistock, died without issue - John Russell, 6th Duke of BedfordJohn Russell, 6th Duke of BedfordJohn Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, LLD, FSA , known as Lord John Russell until 1802, was a British Whig politician and notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Ministry of All the Talents...
(1766–1839), second son of Lord Tavistock - Francis Russell, 7th Duke of BedfordFrancis Russell, 7th Duke of BedfordFrancis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford KG, PC , styled Marquess of Tavistock from 1802 to 1839, was a British peer and Whig politician.-Background and education:...
(1788–1861), eldest son of the 6th Duke - William Russell, 8th Duke of BedfordWilliam Russell, 8th Duke of BedfordWilliam Russell, 8th Duke of Bedford was a British Whig politician. He was the son of Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford and his wife Anna Maria Stanhope....
(1809–1872), only son of the 7th Duke, died unmarried - Francis Charles Hastings Russell, 9th Duke of BedfordFrancis Russell, 9th Duke of BedfordFrancis Charles Hastings Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford KG was an English politician and agriculturalist.-Life:...
(1819–1891), eldest son of Maj.-Gen. Lord George RussellLord George RussellMajor-General Lord George William Russell was a British soldier, politician and diplomat.The second son of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford and brother of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Lord Russell, he sat as Member of Parliament for Bedford from 1812 until 1830.Russell married Elizabeth...
, second son of the 6th Duke - George William Francis Sackville Russell, 10th Duke of BedfordGeorge Russell, 10th Duke of BedfordGeorge William Francis Sackville Russell, 10th Duke of Bedford DL was the son of Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford....
(1852–1893), eldest son of the 9th Duke, died without issue - Herbrand Arthur Russell, 11th Duke of BedfordHerbrand Russell, 11th Duke of BedfordHerbrand Arthur Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford KG KBE DL LLD FRS FSA was the son of Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford.-Family:...
(1858–1940), second son of the 9th Duke - Hastings William Sackville Russell, 12th Duke of BedfordHastings Russell, 12th Duke of BedfordHastings William Sackville Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford MA , nicknamed Spinach Tavistock, was the son of Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford....
(1888–1953), only son of the 11th Duke - John Ian Robert Russell, 13th Duke of BedfordJohn Russell, 13th Duke of BedfordJohn Ian Robert Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford was a British peer and writer, the son of Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1985.- Biography :...
(1917–2002), eldest son of the 12th Duke - Henry Robin Ian Russell, 14th Duke of BedfordRobin Russell, 14th Duke of BedfordHenry Robin Ian Russell, 14th Duke of Bedford, DL was a British peer. He became better known to the public than most of his ancestors by appearing in three series of the reality television programme Country House, made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC Two, which in turn inspired Monarch of the...
(1940–2003), eldest son of the 13th Duke - Andrew Ian Henry Russell, 15th Duke of BedfordAndrew Russell, 15th Duke of BedfordAndrew Ian Henry Russell, 15th Duke of Bedford , is the son of Henry Robin Ian Russell, 14th Duke of Bedford and his wife, Henrietta Joan Tiarks.-Biography:...
(b. 1962), eldest son of the 14th Duke
- William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford
The heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's only son Henry Robin Charles Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (b. 2005)