Biography of Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond 1622-1685

On 16th May 1620 [her father] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 27] and [her mother] Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 18] were married. She by marriage Countess Buckingham. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland [aged 42] and [her grandmother] Frances Knyvet Lady Bevill. He the son of George Villiers of Brokesby and Mary Beaumont 1st Countess Buckingham [aged 50].

In 1622 Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond was born to [her father] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 29] and [her mother] Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 19].

On 27th March 1622 Edward Wray and Elizabeth Norreys 3rd Baroness Norreys Rycote [aged 19] were married at Church of St Mary Aldermary. [her uncle] Christopher Villiers [aged 29], brother of [her father] George, Duke of Buckingham [aged 29], had, with Royal encouragement, sought her hand. To avoid being forced into a marriage with him she eloped with Edward Wray. She the daughter of Francis Norreys 1st Earl Berkshire and Bridget Vere Baroness Norreys Rycote [aged 37].

On 18th May 1623 [her father] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham [aged 30] was created 1st Duke of Buckingham by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 56] for being his favourite; what favourite means is open to debate. [her mother] Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 21] by marriage Duchess of Buckingham.

On 30th July 1624 Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 45] died. His son [her future husband] James [aged 12] succeeded 4th Duke Lennox, 2nd Earl March.

On 29th November 1628 John Felton [aged 33] was hanged at Tyburn [Map] for having murdered the [her father] Duke of Buckingham.

On 17th December 1632 [her grandfather] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland [aged 54] died at Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire [Map]. On 20th February 1633 he was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire [Map]. His daughter [her mother] Katherine [aged 30] succeeded 18th Baroness Ros Helmsley. His brother George [aged 52] succeeded 7th Earl of Rutland. Frances Carey Countess Rutland [aged 61] by marriage Countess of Rutland.

On 8th January 1634 Charles Herbert [aged 15] and Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond [aged 12] were married. The marriage was short-lived with his dying a year later. She re-married in Aug 1637 to James Stewart 4th Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 21]. She the daughter of George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham and Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 31]. He the son of Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 49] and Susan Vere Countess Montgomery.

In 1635 [her step-father] Randall MacDonnell 1st Marquess Antrim [aged 25] and [her mother] Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 32] were married. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Francis Manners 6th Earl of Rutland and [her grandmother] Frances Knyvet Lady Bevill. He the son of Randal "Arranach" Macdonnell 1st Earl Antrim and Alice O'Neill Countess Antrim.

In January 1635 [her husband] Charles Herbert [aged 16] died in Florence, Tuscany.

On 3rd August 1637 James Stewart 4th Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 25] and Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond [aged 15] were married. She by marriage Duchess Lennox. She the daughter of George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham and Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 35]. He the son of Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox and Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 45]. They were half fifth cousin once removed.

Before 17th September 1637 [her mother-in-law] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox [aged 45] died. She was buried on 17th September 1637. Her son [her husband] James [aged 25] succeeded 3rd Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold in Huntingdonshire.

In 1641 [her husband] James Stewart 4th Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 28] was created 1st Duke Richmond by King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland [aged 40]. Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond [aged 19] by marriage Duchess Richmond.

On 4th October 1646 Thomas Howard 14th or 21st Earl of Arundel 4th Earl of Surrey 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 61] died. His son Henry [aged 38] succeeded 14th or 22nd Earl Arundel, 5th Earl Surrey, 2nd Earl Norfolk, 12th Baron Maltravers, 12th Baron Arundel, 15th Baron Mowbray, 16th Baron Segrave. [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Stewart Countess Arundel and Norfolk [aged 36] by marriage Countess Arundel, Countess Norfolk, Countess Norfolk.

In 1649 [her son] Esmé Stewart 2nd Duke Richmond 5th Duke Lennox was born to [her husband] James Stewart 4th Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 36] and Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond [aged 27]. He died aged eleven in 1660.

In 1649 [her mother] Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham [aged 46] died. Her son [her brother] George [aged 20] succeeded 19th Baron Ros Helmsley

On 10th July 1651 [her daughter] Mary Stewart Countess Arran was born to [her husband] James Stewart 4th Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 39] and Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond [aged 29]. She married September 1664 her half fifth cousin once removed Richard Butler 1st Earl Arran, son of James Butler 1st Duke Ormonde and Elizabeth Preston Duchess Ormonde.

On 30th March 1655 [her husband] James Stewart 4th Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 42] died. His son Esmé [aged 6] succeeded 2nd Duke Richmond, 5th Duke Lennox, 3rd Earl March, 4th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold in Huntingdonshire.

On 15th September 1657 [her brother] George Villiers 2nd Duke of Buckingham [aged 29] and [her sister-in-law] Mary Fairfax Duchess Buckingham [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Duchess of Buckingham. He the son of [her father] George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham and [her mother] Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham. They were half fifth cousins.

On 10th August 1660 [her son] Esmé Stewart 2nd Duke Richmond 5th Duke Lennox [aged 11] died of smallpox at Paris [Map]. He was buried in on 04 Sep 1660 in the Richmond Vault, Westminster Abbey. His first cousin Charles [aged 21] succeeded 6th Duke Lennox, 3rd Duke Richmond, 4th Earl March. Elizabeth Rogers Duchess Richmond by marriage Duchess Richmond. His sister [her daughter] Mary [aged 9] succeeded 5th Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold in Huntingdonshire.

In September 1664 [her son-in-law] Richard Butler 1st Earl Arran [aged 25] and Mary Stewart Countess Arran [aged 13] were married. She by marriage Countess Arran. She the daughter of James Stewart 4th Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond and Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond [aged 42]. He the son of James Butler 1st Duke Ormonde [aged 53] and Elizabeth Preston Duchess Ormonde [aged 49]. They were half fifth cousin once removed.

In November 1664 Captain Thomas Howard [aged 33] and Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond [aged 42] were married. She the daughter of George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham and Katherine Manners Duchess Buckingham. They were fifth cousin once removed.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 12th July 1667. And so Sir H. Cholmly [aged 34] tells me they did all argue for peace, and so he do believe that the King [aged 37] hath agreed to the three points Mr. Coventry [aged 39] brought over, which I have mentioned before, and is gone with them back. He tells me further that the [her brother] Duke of Buckingham [aged 39] was before the Council the other day, and there did carry it very submissively and pleasingly to the King; but to my Lord Arlington [aged 49], who do prosecute the business, he was most bitter and sharp, and very slighting. As to the letter about his employing a man to cast the King's nativity, says he to the King, "Sir", says he, "this is none of my hand, and I refer it to your Majesty whether you do not know this hand". the King answered, that it was indeed none of his, and that he knew whose it was, but could not recall it presently. "Why", says he, "it is my sister of Richmond's [aged 45], some frolick or other of hers of some certain person; and there is nothing of the King's name in it, but it is only said to be his by supposition, as is said". the King, it seems, seemed not very much displeased with what the Duke had said; but, however, he is still in the Tower, and no discourse of his being out in haste, though my Baroness Castlemayne [aged 26] hath so far solicited for him that the King and she are quite fallen out: he comes not to her, nor hath for some three or four days; and parted with very foul words, the King calling her a whore, and a jade that meddled with things she had nothing to do with at all: and she calling him fool; and told him if he was not a fool, he would not suffer his businesses to be carried on by fellows that did not understand them, and cause his best subjects, and those best able to serve him, to be imprisoned; meaning the Duke of Buckingham.

On 4th July 1668 [her daughter] Mary Stewart Countess Arran [aged 16] died. Her first cousin Charles [aged 29] succeeded 6th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold in Huntingdonshire.

In July 1678 [her husband] Captain Thomas Howard [aged 47] died.

In November 1685 Mary Villiers Duchess Lennox Duchess Richmond [aged 63] died.

Survey London Volume 4 Chelsea Part II. Cecil does not seem to have carried out his larger schemes and he sold the house to Henry Clinton, second Earl of Lincoln, in 1599.

Lincoln settled the estate on Sir Arthur Gorges, who had married his daughter. He lived in the house just mentioned, adjoining the great house, built for him by his father-in-law, and some four years after the latter's death in 1615, he sold Sir Thomas More's house to Lionel Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex. [See Close Roll, 18 Jas. I., pt. 18.] The new owner purchased several additions to the property, including "Brick Barn Close" and "The Sandhills," both north of the King's Road. These he converted into the Park, which is shown in Kip's view and was not built upon until after 1717. Cranfield fell under the displeasure of the King, and in consequence forfeited his property, which Charles I. granted in 1627 to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. After the Duke's assassination, the family continued to reside here until the outbreak of the Civil War, when the house was seized by the Parliament, and Mr. Randall Davies has referred to the record in the Perfect Occurrences of the petition in 1646 of the Duchess of Lennox, Buckingham's daughter, for leave to come to London, or to her house in Chelsea, to be under Dr. Mayerne's hands for her health. The great physician was then living at Lindsey House, the old farmhouse belonging to the estate.