William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh (died 9 August 1613) was an English nobleman, politician, peer, and knight. He was the younger son of
Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford
Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, KG ( – 28 July 1585) of Chenies in Buckinghamshire and of Bedford House in Exeter, Devon, was an English nobleman, soldier, and politician. He was a godfather to the Devon-born sailor Sir Francis Drake ...
and his first wife Margaret St. John. His birthdate is uncertain, with some records showing that he was born as early as 1553, some as late as 1563. He was educated at
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...
. After spending a few years abroad, he went to Ireland in 1580, and having seen some service in that country, he was knighted in September 1581.
Russell began his active military career 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 ...
in 1585, being made lieutenant-general of cavalry. In September 1586 he distinguished himself at the
Battle of Zutphen
The Battle of Zutphen was fought on 22 September 1586, near the village of Warnsveld and the town of Zutphen, the Netherlands, during the Eighty Years' War. It was fought between the forces of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, aided ...
and was noted for maintaining an effective fighting force in difficult circumstances. He was appointed to the office of Governor of Flushing in 1587, but was recalled on his own initiative the following year. In 1594 he was appointed to the office of
Lord Deputy
The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland. The plural form is '' ...
of
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 ...
, where he served with flamboyance.
At the time, Ireland was on the point of rebellion, and there were two opinions in government on how to preserve the peace. One faction sought negotiation with the Irish rebels, while the other – including Russell – favoured military force. Russell's faction prevailed, and the rebellion grew into a general revolt, which lasted through the
Nine Years War
The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...
and ended with the
Treaty of Mellifont
The Treaty of Mellifont ( ga, Conradh na Mainistreach Móire), also known as the Articles of Mellifont, was signed in 1603 and ended the Nine Years' War which took place in the Kingdom of Ireland from 1594 to 1603.
End of war
Following the Engl ...
in 1603. He successfully relieved the northern town of
Enniskillen
Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , 'Cethlenn, Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of ...
,
which had been under siege for several months, but failed to capture the Irish leaders.
During his time in Ireland, Russell fell into dispute with his chief military commander, Sir
John Norris. The dispute proved harmful to the crown government, and Russell was recalled to England in 1597, but only after he had defeated and killed the rebel
Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne
Fiach Mac Aodha Ó Broin (anglicised as Feagh or Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne) (1534 – 8 May, 1597) was Chief of the Name of Clann Uí Bhroin (Clan O'Byrne) and Lord of Ranelagh during the Elizabethan wars against the Irish clans.
Arms
Backg ...
.
In 1599, Russell was named as leader of the forces defending western England in anticipation of a
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
invasion. However, the invasion plans were thwarted.
Russell built the mansion of
Woburn. In the 1590s, he consulted with three Dutchmen as to the potential for draining his manor of Thorney Abbey in Cambridgeshire; his son,
Francis Russell, famously continued the family interest in drainage and led the undertakers in the first attempt to drain the Great Level of the Fens, later known as the
Bedford Level.
Russell was created 1st Baron Russell of
Thornhaugh
Thornhaugh is a civil parish and village in the city of Peterborough unitary authority, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. For electoral purposes it forms part of Glinton and Wittering ward in North West Cambridgeshire constituency.
Thornh ...
in 1603 by the new king
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
, but he lost influence at court and retired to his estates, where he died on 9 August 1613.
Russell married on 13 February 1585 at
Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
,
London
London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, Elizabeth Long, only daughter and sole heiress of Henry Long of Shingay,
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
, and granddaughter of
Sir Richard Long. They had one son,
Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford
Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford PC (1587 – 9 May 1641) was an English nobleman and politician. He built the square of Covent Garden, with the piazza and church of St. Paul's, employing Inigo Jones as his architect. He is also known fo ...
. The church registers of St Mary's Church Watford record that the child was baptized in 1587.
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell of Thornhaugh, William Russell, 1st Baron
16th-century births
1613 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
English soldiers
16th-century English soldiers
17th-century English soldiers
People of Elizabethan Ireland
William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh
William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh (died 9 August 1613) was an English nobleman, politician, peer, and knight. He was the younger son of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford and his first wife Margaret St. John. His birthdate is un ...
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 ...
Younger sons of earls
17th-century English nobility
16th-century English nobility
People of the Nine Years' War (Ireland)
Lords Lieutenant of Ireland