James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton
FRS (19 August 1622 – 15 December 1681), was an English
peer
Peer may refer to:
Sociology
* Peer, an equal in age, education or social class; see Peer group
* Peer, a member of the peerage; related to the term "peer of the realm"
Computing
* Peer, one of several functional units in the same layer of a ne ...
, politician and author, who fought for the
Royalists during the
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Angl ...
.
He succeeded his father
Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton
Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton (May 160119 March 1643), styled Lord Compton from 1618 to 1630, was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622. He became a peer by writ of acceleration in 1626 ...
when he was killed in March 1643 at the
Battle of Hopton Heath. After the war ended in Royalist defeat in 1646, he spent the next 14 years living quietly on his estates, although he was arrested several times on suspicion of involvement in conspiracies to restore
Charles II.
Following
The Restoration in 1660, he was rewarded with appointments as
Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire and
Constable of the Tower of London. While he attended the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
on a regular basis, he played little role in active politics; his third son
Spencer briefly became
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
from 1742 to 1743. He died in December 1681.
Although known to have written a number of plays and translated others, the full extent of his output was only revealed when a cache of papers was discovered at the family home of
Castle Ashby House
Castle Ashby House is a country house at Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire, England. It is one of the seats of the Marquess of Northampton. The house, church, formal gardens and landscaped park are Grade I listed.
The original castle, a manor ho ...
in 1977. Based on this, it is suggested "his name should be added to the list of 17th century, or more particularly of Cavalier, playwrights".
Personal details
James Compton was born on 19 August 1622, eldest son of
Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton
Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton (May 160119 March 1643), styled Lord Compton from 1618 to 1630, was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622. He became a peer by writ of acceleration in 1626 ...
(1601–1643) and Mary Beaumont (died 1654). Originally from
Compton Wynyates
Compton Wynyates is a Tudor country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following acti ...
in
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...
, his father was a close personal friend of
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
and extremely wealthy, owning properties in more than eleven counties, including
Castle Ashby House
Castle Ashby House is a country house at Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire, England. It is one of the seats of the Marquess of Northampton. The house, church, formal gardens and landscaped park are Grade I listed.
The original castle, a manor ho ...
which became his main seat.
Compton had five brothers and two sisters; Charles (1624–1661),
William (1625–1663), Spencer (died 1659),
Francis
Francis may refer to:
People
*Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome
* Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Francis (surname)
Places
*Rural ...
(1629–1716),
Henry (1632–1713), Anne (1637–1705) and Penelope (1642–1667). Four of the brothers fought in the
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Angl ...
, including William who during
The Protectorate
The Protectorate, officially the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, refers to the period from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659 during which England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and associated territories were joined together in the Co ...
was a senior member of the
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...
conspiracy group known as the
Sealed Knot. His youngest brother Henry became
Bishop of London
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
and a leading member of the
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...
opposition to
James II of England
James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...
, deposed in
November 1688.
He was twice married, first in 1647 to Isabella (1622–1661), daughter of
Richard Sackville, 3rd Earl of Dorset; of their six children, only one survived to adulthood, his daughter Alethea (1661–1678). His second marriage to Mary Noel (died 1719) produced three sons and two daughters, including his heir
George (1664–1727),
Mary Sackville, Countess of Dorset (1669–1691) and
Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington
Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, (2 July 1743) was a British Whig statesman who served continuously in government from 1715 until his death. He sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1698 and 1728, and was then raised ...
, who was briefly
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
from 1742 to 1743.
Career
Compton was educated at
Eton College
Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...
, before attending
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...
; in 1638, he accompanied his father to
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
in the retinue of Charles' nephew, the
Elector Palatine
The counts palatine of Lotharingia /counts palatine of the Rhine /electors of the Palatinate (german: Kurfürst von der Pfalz) ruled some part of Rhine area in the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire from 915 to 1803. The title was a kin ...
. He spent the next two years travelling in Europe, before returning home to stand for election as
MP for
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...
in November 1640. He was one of 53 MPs to vote against the
Attainder of Charles' chief minister, the
Earl of Strafford, who was executed in May 1641.
When the
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Angl ...
began in 1642, his father was appointed
Commissioner of Array
A commission of array was a commission given by English sovereigns to officers or gentry in a given territory to muster and array the inhabitants and to see them in a condition for war, or to put soldiers of a country in a condition for military ...
for
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...
,
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by
two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It ...
and
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of ...
; Compton was slightly wounded in one of the first actions of the war, an attack on
Warwick Castle. He and his three younger brothers served at
Edgehill in October 1642, before capturing
Banbury Castle
Banbury Castle was a medieval castle that stood near the centre of the town of Banbury, Oxfordshire. Historian John Kenyon notes that the castle is "remarkable for its early concentric shape".Kenyon, p. 68.
History
Banbury Castle was built in 1 ...
in November, which they used as a base for operations.
In March 1643, a Royalist cavalry force including Compton and led by his father the Earl of Northampton clashed with a
Parliamentarian army under
Sir John Gell at
Hopton Heath. One Royalist charge over-ran the Parliamentarian artillery, in the course of which the Earl was unhorsed, then killed after refusing to surrender; Gell offered to hand over his body if Compton returned the captured artillery, a suggestion he refused.
His father's death meant Compton inherited his titles and regiments; he fought at the
First Battle of Newbury in September 1643, then
Cropredy Bridge
Cropredy Bridge is a bridge in north Oxfordshire, England, that carries the minor road between Cropredy and the hamlet of Williamscot. It spans the River Cherwell, which is also the boundary between the civil parishes of Wardington (which includ ...
in June 1644, before being routed by
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three ...
at
Islip, Oxfordshire in April 1645. He was present at
Naseby in June, a defeat that destroyed the last major Royalist field army, and accompanied Charles on the attempt to link up with
Montrose in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
that ended at
Rowton Heath in September. He returned to
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and surrendered to the
Committee of Both Kingdoms in February 1646, shortly before the war ended in June.
After paying a fine, he resumed ownership of his estates in 1651 and most of his literary output dates from this period, which includes several plays and poems, as well as translations of French and Italian works. He also supported a number of minor poets and playwrights, the most significant being
Cosmo Manuche, a former Royalist officer. While his brother William was involved in the Royalist underground as a member of the Sealed Knot, Compton remained largely undisturbed by the authorities, although he was briefly arrested for his part in the 1659
Booth's Uprising.
Following
The Restoration in 1660, Compton was rewarded by
Charles II with appointments as
Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire and
Recorder
Recorder or The Recorder may refer to:
Newspapers
* ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper
* ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
* ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
of
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
, which he held until his death. He attended the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
on a regular basis, his most significant act being to propose the banishment of
Clarendon, former advisor to Charles I and
Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...
from 1660 to 1667. The diarist
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...
described this as a "thing of vanity and insult...which is mighty poor I think, and so doth everyone else". He was made a
Privy Councillor
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...
in 1673, then
Constable of the Tower of London in 1675, before being removed from both posts during the 1679
Exclusion Crisis.
After his death on 15 December 1681, he was buried in the family vault at
Compton Wynyates
Compton Wynyates is a Tudor country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following acti ...
, next to his first wife and succeeded as fourth
Earl of Northampton
Earl of Northampton is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created five times.
Earls of Northampton, First Creation (1071)
* Waltheof (d. 1076)
* Maud, Queen of Scotland (c.1074–1130/31)
*Simon II de Senlis (1103–1153)
*Simon II ...
by his son George.
Literary works
A founding member of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
in 1660, Compton is best known as a patron of the arts. In 1977, the discovery of manuscripts held in the family archives at Castle Ashby showed he wrote at least four original plays, including one on
Caracalla
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor ...
, and an unfinished draft of a drama on Strafford. He also translated
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli ( , , ; 3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527), occasionally rendered in English as Nicholas Machiavel ( , ; see below), was an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian who lived during the Renaissance. ...
's comedy "La Mandragola" and one of the earliest English versions of the French tragedian
Pierre Corneille.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Northampton, James Compton, 3rd Earl of
1622 births
1681 deaths
03
04
Lord-Lieutenants of Warwickshire
People from Northamptonshire
Constables of the Tower of London
Compton, James Compton, Lord
James
Compton, James
Cavaliers
Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge
Parents of prime ministers of the United Kingdom
17th-century English dramatists and playwrights
People educated at Eton College