Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, (20 July 164923 November 1709) was a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

nobleman who became in an early stage the favourite of

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The title ...

, Stadtholder in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and future King of England. He was reportedly steady, sensible, modest and usually moderate. The friendship and cooperation stopped in 1699.

Biography

Early life and nurse to Prince William

Hans Willem was born in

Diepenheim Diepenheim is a small city in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Hof van Twente, about 5 km southwest of Goor. Diepenheim was a separate municipality until 2001, when it became a part of Hof van Twente. ...

Overijssel Overijssel (, ; nds, Oaveriessel ; german: Oberyssel) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name translates to "across the IJssel", from the perspective of the ...

, the son of Bernard, Baron Bentinck, and was descended from an ancient and noble family of Guelders and

. He was appointed first page of honour and

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

. When, in 1675, Prince William was attacked by

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

, his physicians, knowing his sexual preferences, suggested he sleep with one of his pages to absorb "animal spirits" from a young, healthy body. Bentinck was the page and he nursed the prince assiduously back to health. This devotion secured for him the special and enduring friendship of William. From that point on, Bentinck had the Prince's confidence, and in their correspondence, William was very open.

Communicator

In 1677 he was sent to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to solicit for Prince William the hand of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

, daughter of James, Duke of York and future King of England. He was again in England on William's behalf in 1683 and in 1685. Later, in 1688, when William was preparing to assist in the overthrow of (now King) James including an invasion by Dutch troops, Bentinck went to some of the German princes to secure their support, or at least their neutrality. He had also been, since 1687, a medium of communication between his master and his English friends. Bentinck superintended the arrangements for the invasion, including raising money, hiring an enormous transport fleet, organising a propaganda offensive, and preparing the possible landing sites, and also sailed to England with Prince William.

Titles and military service

The revolution accomplished, William (now King of England) made Bentinck

Groom of the Stole The Groom of the Stool (formally styled: "Groom of the King's Close Stool") was the most intimate of an English monarch's courtiers, responsible for assisting the king in excretion and hygiene. The physical intimacy of the role naturally led to ...

, first gentleman of the bedchamber, and a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...

. In April 1689 he was created

Baron Cirencester Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

Viscount Woodstock A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

and, in its second creation,

Earl of Portland Earl of Portland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England, firstly in 1633 and secondly in 1689. What proved to be a long co-held title, Duke of Portland, was created in 1716 and became extinct in 1990 upon the death of t ...

. (The first creation of the earldom had been made for Richard Weston in 1633, but it became extinct in 1688.) He commanded some cavalry at the

Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and J ...

in 1690, and was present at the

Battle of Landen The Battle of Landen, also known as Neerwinden, took place on 29 July 1693, during the Nine Years' War near Landen in modern Belgium. A French army under Marshal Luxembourg defeated an Allied force led by William III. By 1693, all combata ...

, where he was wounded, and at the Siege of Namur in 1695.

Diplomat

Bentinck's main work was of a diplomatic nature. In 1690 he was sent to The Hague to help solve the problem between William and the

burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...

s of Amsterdam. He was caught up in the corruption scandal concerning the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

in 1695; the board was losing its monopoly under pressure from a New Company and was engaging profusely in bribery in an attempt to renew its charter. He was however cleared in the matter. Having thwarted the Jacobite plot to murder the King in 1696, he helped to arrange the

peace of Ryswick The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance, which included England, ...

in 1697. In 1698 he was ambassador to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

for six months. While there, he opened negotiations with

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

for a partition of the Spanish monarchy, and as William's representative, signed the two partition treaties (

Treaty of The Hague (1698) The 1698 Treaty of The Hague, also known as the 1698 Treaty of Den Haag or First Partition Treaty was one of two attempts by France, Great Britain, and the Dutch Republic to achieve a diplomatic solution to the issues that led to the 1701–1714 ...

Resignation and land gifts

William Bentinck had, however, become very jealous of the rising influence of another Dutchman, Arnold van Keppel, and, in 1699, he resigned all his offices in the royal household. He did not forfeit the esteem of the King, who continued to trust and employ him. Portland had been loaded with gifts, and this, together with the jealousy felt for him as a foreigner, made him very unpopular in England. He received 135,000 acres (546 km²) of land in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, and only the strong opposition of a united

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

prevented him obtaining a large gift of crown lands in North

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. For his share in drawing up the partition treaties, he was impeached in 1701, but the case against him did not proceed. He was occasionally employed on public business under Queen Anne until his death at his residence,

Bulstrode Park Bulstrode is an English country house and its large park, located to the southwest of Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. The estate spreads across Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross and Fulmer, and predates the Norman conquest. Its name may ori ...

in Buckinghamshire. Portland's eldest son

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

succeeded him as earl, and was granted the titles of

Marquess of Titchfield A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...

and

Duke of Portland Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

in 1716.

Codex Bentingiana

While living in the Netherlands, Bentinck maintained a garden boasting many botanical rarities. Illustrations of these plants were collected under the name ''Codex Bentingiana''. This work has since disappeared from the botanical scene.

Family

Lord Portland was married twice. On 1 February 1678, he married his first wife, Anne Villiers (died 30 November 1688), daughter of Sir Edward Villiers and his wife Lady Frances Howard, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Suffolk. They had seven children: * Lady Mary Bentinck (20 August 167920 August 1726), who married, firstly, the 2nd Earl of Essex on 28 February 1692 and had one son and two daughters. She married, secondly, Sir Conyers D'Arcy (died 1 December 1758), circa August 1714 and had no issue. * Willem Bentinck (3 March 168126 May 1688) *

Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland (17 March 1682 – 4 July 1726), of Titchfield, Hampshire, styled Viscount Woodstock from 1689 until 1709, was a British Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1705 until 17 ...

(17 March 16824 July 1726) *Lady Anna Margaretha Bentinck (19 March 16833 May 1763), who married Arent van Wassenaar, Baron van Wassenaar circa 1701 and had at least one daughter. *Lady Frances Wilhelmina Bentinck (18 February 168431 March 1712), who married the 4th Baron Byron (4 January 16708 August 1736) on 19 December 1706 and had four children. * Lady Eleonora Sophia Bentinck (born 8 April 1687) * Lady Isabella Bentinck (4 May 168823 February 1728), who married the 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull on 2 August 1714. He married on 12 May 1700, his second wife, Jane Martha Temple (167226 May 1751), daughter of Sir John Temple, and widow of John Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of Stratton. They had the following children: * Lady Sophia Bentinck (4 April 17015 June 1741), who married the 1st Duke of Kent on 24 March 1729 and had issue. *Lady Elizabeth Adriana Bentinck (27 June 17031765), who married Rev. The Hon.

Henry Egerton Henry Egerton (10 February 1689 – 1 April 1746) was a British clergyman from the Egerton family. He was Bishop of Hereford between 1723 and his death in 1746. Life Egerton was a younger son of John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater, by his secon ...

(died 1 April 1746) on 18 December 1720 and had issue. *The Hon. William Bentinck, 1st Count Bentinck (6 November 170413 October 1774), who married Charlotte Sophie, Countess von Aldenburg (4 August 17155 February 1800) on 1 June 1733 and had two sons. In 1990, after the extinction of the male line from his half-brother the 1st Duke of Portland, his descendant Henry Bentinck, 7th Count Bentinck became the 11th Earl of Portland. One of his sons, Captain John Albert Bentinck,

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, of Terrington St Clement in Norfolk, a Count of the Empire, founded the line of Bentinck of

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in the parish of

Bovey Tracey Bovey Tracey () is a small town and civil parish in Devon, England, on the edge of Dartmoor, its proximity to which gives rise to the "slogan" used on the town's boundary signs, "The Gateway to the Moor". It is often known locally as "Bovey". ...

in Devon. * Lady Harriet Bentinck (12 November 170510 June 1792), who married

James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Clanbrassill James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Clanbrassil PC(I) (14 August 1694 – 17 March 1758) was a British politician and peer. Hamilton was the son of James Hamilton and Hon. Anne Mordaunt, the daughter of The 1st Viscount Mordaunt. He first stood for el ...

(bef. 169717 March 1758) on 15 October 1728 and had two children. *The Hon. Charles John Bentinck (2 June 170818 March 1779), who married Lady Margaret Cadogan on 11 January 1738. * Lady Barbara Bentinck (20 October 17091 April 1736), who married the 2nd Baron Godolphin (170725 May 1785) on 18 February 1734; no issue. In 1718, as the Dowager Countess of Portland, Jane was appointed Governess to the daughters of George Augustus, Prince of Wales (later King George II), with a salary of £2000 a year.

References

External links

* N. Japikse, ed.,
van Willem III en van Hans Willem Bentinck, eersten graaf van Portland
'.
Biography of the 1st Earl, with links to online catalogues, from Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham

The Invasion of England in 1688: a learning resource based on the 1st Earl's papers, developed by Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham
* David Onnekink,
The Anglo-Dutch Favourite - The career of Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709)
' (Ashgate Publishing, 2007) , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Portland, William Bentinck, 1st Earl of 1649 births 1709 deaths People from Hof van Twente

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, (20 July 164923 November 1709) was a Dutch and English nobleman who became in an early stage the favourite of William, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder in the Netherlands, and future King of England. He ...

British and English royal favourites Peers of England created by William III 17th-century Dutch diplomats Dutch nobility Garter Knights appointed by William III Pages of Honour Diplomatic peers Bentinck 17th-century English diplomats Dutch emigrants to the Kingdom of England Members of the Privy Council of England Grooms of the Stool Earls of Portland