John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath
PC, 29 August 1628 – 22 August 1701, was an English landowner who served in 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 ...
army 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 ...
and was rewarded for his services after the 1660
Stuart Restoration with a title and various appointments.
Personal details
John was born 29 August 1628 at
Kilkhampton in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
, third son of Sir
Bevil Grenville (1596–1643) and Grace Smythe (died 1647). His aunt Elizabeth Smythe was the mother of
George Monck who played a leading role in the 1660
Stuart Restoration and it was this connection that later resulted in Grenville being raised to the peerage as
Earl of Bath
Earl of Bath was a title that was created five times in British history, three times in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is now extinct.
Earls of Bath; First cre ...
.
One of thirteen children, John's two elder brothers died prematurely, making him heir to his father's considerable estates when Sir Bevil was killed at the
Battle of Lansdowne in 1643.
Career
During the 1638 to 1651
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, then separate entities united in a personal union under Charles I. They include the 1639 to 1640 Bi ...
, Granville fought in the regiment raised by his father for
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 ...
(1625–1649).
Created a
knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
after the
Storming of Bristol in 1643, he was appointed
Gentleman of the Bedchamber to
the future Charles II and accompanied him into exile. When the
Second English Civil War
The Second English Civil War took place between February to August 1648 in England and Wales. It forms part of the series of conflicts known collectively as the 1639-1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which include the 1641–1653 Irish Confed ...
began in 1648, Charles appointed him
Governor of the Scilly Isles, which had rebelled against its Parliamentary garrison. As a base for Royalist privateers attacking English and Dutch vessels in the Western Approaches, this was a vital source of funding for the exiled Court; in May 1651, Parliamentary forces under
Robert Blake retook the islands and Granville was captured.
On his release, Granville remained in England and continued to be active in Royalist conspiracies. In 1660, he served as an intermediary in the negotiations between Charles and his distant relative
George Monck that led to the
Restoration. To his disappointment, the
Duchy of Albemarle went to Monck, whom Charles also rewarded with the then enormous pension of £7,000 per year. Instead, he was created
Baron Granville,
Viscount Granville and
Earl of Bath
Earl of Bath was a title that was created five times in British history, three times in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is now extinct.
Earls of Bath; First cre ...
in 1661, and a
Privy Council
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 ...
lor in 1663.
In 1665, he was appointed
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, although he never went there and spent large sums of time and money on rebuilding the family home of
Stowe House
Stowe House is a grade I listed country house in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is the home of Stowe School, an independent school and is owned by the Stowe House Preservation Trust who have to date (March 2013) spent more than £25m on t ...
in Cornwall. Widely admired, it was dismantled in 1739, although many of its ornamental features, including entire rooms, can be seen at the Guildhall in
South Molton, Devon. Albemarle also expanded his own ancestral seat of
Potheridge
Potheridge (''alias'' Great Potheridge, Poderigge, Poderidge or Powdrich) is a former Domesday Book estate in the parish of Merton, in the historic hundred of Shebbear, 3 miles south-east of Great Torrington, Devon, England. It is the site ...
, about 18 miles to the east; unfinished on his death, it was badly damaged by fire and demolished in 1734.
Granville was a signatory to ''The Several Declarations of The Company of Royal Adventurers of England Trading into Africa'', a document published in 1667 which led to the creation of the
Royal Africa Company. This is speculated to have been influenced by the fact that Granville was close friends with the
Royal African Company
The Royal African Company (RAC) was an English mercantile ( trading) company set up in 1660 by the royal Stuart family and City of London merchants to trade along the west coast of Africa. It was led by the Duke of York, who was the brother ...
's leader, the
Duke of York (and future King James II), who was brother to Charles II.
Under
James II, Granville served as
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
of the
Earl of Bath's Regiment, later 10th Foot, first during the June 1685
Monmouth Rebellion and again in 1688. During the November 1688
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
, he commanded the key ports of
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
and
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...
but defected to
William III on 18 November.
He was rewarded by being made
Lord Lieutenant of Devon but again failed to gain the title of Albemarle and the legal dispute over the Albemarle estate almost bankrupted him. Two weeks after his death in August 1701, his son
Charles shot himself, apparently overwhelmed by the debts he had inherited.
Marriage and progeny
In October 1652 at Kilkhampton John Granville married
Jane Wyche, a daughter of Sir
Peter Wyche, English ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
.
[ By his wife, he had five children:
]
Sons
* Charles Granville, 2nd Earl of Bath (1661-1701), eldest son and heir. He died from a gunshot wound during the preparations for his father's funeral, possibly suicide. He was twice married, firstly to Lady Martha Osborne, daughter of Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds (d. 11 September 1689, aged 25), and secondly, on 10 March 1691, to Isabella van Nassau (bapt. 20 April 1668, d. in childbirth on 30 January 1692 at London), sister of Henry Nassau d'Auverquerque, 1st Earl of Grantham. He had no children by his first wife, but by his second wife was the father of:
**William Henry Granville, 3rd Earl of Bath
William Henry Granville, 3rd Earl of Bath (30 January 1692 – 17 May 1711) was an English nobleman.
Origins
He was the only son of Charles Granville, 2nd Earl of Bath, by his second wife Isabella de Nassau d'Auverquerque, sister of Henry de Nass ...
(30 January 1692 – 1711) who died of smallpox aged 19 without progeny when the earldom became extinct.
*John Granville, 1st Baron Granville of Potheridge
Colonel John Granville, 1st Baron Granville of Potheridge PC (12 April 1665 – 3 December 1707), styled The Honourable John Granville until 1703, was an English soldier, landowner and politician.
Background and education
Granville was the secon ...
(1665–1707). Potheridge
Potheridge (''alias'' Great Potheridge, Poderigge, Poderidge or Powdrich) is a former Domesday Book estate in the parish of Merton, in the historic hundred of Shebbear, 3 miles south-east of Great Torrington, Devon, England. It is the site ...
in Devon was the ancient seat of the Monck family, where the 1st Earl of Bath's cousin, close friend and collaborator in the Restoration of the Monarchy, George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608–1670) had built a grand mansion. It was settled on the 1st Earl of Bath by the Duke's childless son Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle
Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle (14 August 1653 – 6 October 1688) was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1667 to 1670 when he inherited the Dukedom and sat in the House of Lords.
Origins
Mon ...
(1653–1688), and eventually passed to the Leveson-Gower family (see below).
Daughters
*Lady Jane Granville (d. 27 February 1696), wife of Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet and mother of John Leveson-Gower, 1st Baron Gower
John Leveson-Gower, 1st Baron Gower PC (7 January 1675 – 31 August 1709) was a member of the Leveson-Gower family. He was the son of Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet and his wife Jane Granville.[Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford
Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford, KG PC (4 August 172126 October 1803), known as Viscount Trentham from 1746 to 1754 and as The Earl Gower from 1754 to 1786, was a British politician from the Leveson-Gower family.
Background ...]
(1721–1803) one of whose younger sons was Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville
Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville, (12 October 1773 – 8 January 1846), styled Lord Granville Leveson-Gower from 1786 to 1815 and The Viscount Granville from 1815 to 1833, was a British Whig statesman and diplomat from the Leveson-G ...
(1773–1846).
*Lady Catherine Granville, wife of Craven Peyton
Craven Peyton ( – 25 December 1738) of Stratton Street, Westminster, was an English politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1718 and Warden of the Mint from 1708 until his removal in 1714.
Early life
Born ...
, Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge 1705–1713. Without progeny.
*Lady Grace Granville, ''suo jure'' 1st Countess Granville (3 September 1654 – 18 October 1744), wife of George Carteret, 1st Baron Carteret
George Carteret, 1st Baron Carteret (July 1667 – 22 September 1695) was son of Sir Philip Carteret (died 1672) and the grandson of Vice Admiral Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet (died 1680). His mother was Lady Jemima Montagu, a daughter of Edw ...
of Haynes Park
Haynes Park is a Georgian country house which stands in parkland at Haynes Church End, Bedfordshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
Originally known as Hawnes Park it was built c.1725 for John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, a prominen ...
, Bedfordshire, and mother of John Carteret, 2nd Baron Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville. The progeny of this marriage, Barons Carteret, Earls Granville, and Marquesses of Bath (Thynne), were co-heirs to the 3rd Earl of Bath.
Death
He died in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in 1701.
Armorials
The armorials of the family of Granville / Grenville of Glamorgan, Devon and Cornwall is of certain form but uncertain blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...
. The charges appear in the form of musical pipes of a wind-instrument, similar to pan-pipes
A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been ...
. Authoritative sources on heraldry suggest the charges to be variously "clarions" (used by Guillim (d.1621)), the most usual blazon, which are however generally defined as a form of trumpet; "rests" is another common blazon, denoting lance-rests supposedly used by a mounted knight; "organ-rests" is also met with, a seemingly meaningless term (Gibbon (1682)). Other terms are "clavicymbal", "clarichord" and "sufflue" (used by Leigh in his Armory of 1562 and by Boswell, 1572),[Boswell, Armorie of 1572, vol. 2, p. 124] the latter being a device for blowing (French: souffler) air into an organ., Guillim suggested the charge may be a rudder, but in which case it is shown upside down, when compared to that charge used for example on the tomb at Callington
Callington ( kw, Kelliwik) is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about north of Saltash and south of Launceston.
Callington parish had a population of 4,783 in 2001, according to the 2001 census. This had ...
of Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke. Certainly in the brasses on the chest tomb of Sir John Bassett (d.1529) in Atherington Church, Devon, the charges are engraved in tubular forms with vents or reeds as used in true organ pipes.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bath, John Granville, 1st Earl Of
1628 births
1701 deaths
Granville, John
1
Peers of England created by Charles II
Lord-Lieutenants of Cornwall
Lord-Lieutenants of Devon
Members of the Privy Council of England
People from Kilkhampton
Royal Lincolnshire Regiment officers
John
Grooms of the Stool
Court of Charles II of England
Royalist military personnel of the English Civil War
Governors of the Isles of Scilly