Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford KG (1 November 1680 – 26 May 1711) was an English nobleman and politician. He was the son of

William Russell, Lord Russell William Russell, Lord Russell (29 September 163921 July 1683) was an English politician. He was a leading member of the Country Party, forerunners of the Whigs, who during the reign of King Charles II, laid the groundwork for opposition in t ...

, and his wife Lady Rachel Wriothesley. From 1683 until 1694, he was styled Lord Russell, and from 1695 until his accession in 1700, Marquess of Tavistock. Russell married the rich heiress Elizabeth Howland, daughter of John Howland of Streatham, on 23 May 1695. Shortly thereafter (13 June 1695), his grandfather, the

Duke of Bedford Duke of Bedford (named after Bedford, England) is a title that has been created six times (for five distinct people) in the Peerage of England. The first and second creations came in 1414 and 1433 respectively, in favour of Henry IV's third so ...

, was created Baron Howland of Streatham to commemorate the marriage. The couple had six children: *William Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (13 August 1703 – December 1703) *William Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (1704 – c. May 1707) *Lady Rachael Russell (c. 1707–1777), married Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgwater, as her first husband, and had issue. She was widowed on 11 January 1744. On 14 December 1745, at St James, Westminster, she married her second husband, Lt-General Sir Richard Lyttelton, KB.''The Register of Marriages in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster. 1723-1754''. 14 December 1745. Lyttleton held the rank of colonel at the time and was listed as the Hon. Colonel Richard Lyttleton. The marriage was by special licence and performed by Dr Charles Lyttleton, later the Bishop of Carlisle, Lyttleton's brother. * Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford (1708–1732) * Lt.-Gen. Sir John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford (1710–1771) * Lady Elizabeth Russell (1704–1784), married William Capell, 3rd Earl of Essex, and had issue. On 13 May 1696, Tavistock, as he then was, matriculated at Magdalen College, Oxford. Around 1698, he began the construction of the Howland Great Wet Dock on the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

, on some of his wife's dowry lands in

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of D ...

. Russell held the offices of

Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire. The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representative in the counties of the United Kingdom. Lord Lieutenants are supported by an appointe ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

and

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

between 1701 and 1711. He was also a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to William III from 1701 to 1702. After William's death, he was invested as a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...

on 14 March 1702 and served as

Lord High Constable of England The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal. This office is now called out of abeyance only for coronations. The Lord High Constable was ...

for the coronation of Queen Anne. Russell died in 1711, aged 30, from

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 ...

and was buried on 30 May 1711 in the 'Bedford Chapel' at St. Michael's Church at

Chenies Chenies is a village and civil parish in south-east Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the border with Hertfordshire, east of Amersham and north of Chorleywood. History Until the 13th century, the village name was Isenhampstead. There were two ...

, Buckinghamshire.

References

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* , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford, Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke Of 1680 births 1711 deaths Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Deaths from smallpox 402 Wriothesley Garter Knights appointed by Anne Lord-Lieutenants of Bedfordshire Lord-Lieutenants of Cambridgeshire Lord-Lieutenants of Middlesex Wriothesley Infectious disease deaths in England