John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough (died 18 June 1642) was an English peer.

Life

He was the eldest son of Henry Mordaunt, 4th Baron Mordaunt, a Roman Catholic kept for a year in the

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on suspicion of complicity in the

Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was an unsuccessful attempted regicide against James VI and I, King James VI of Scotland and I of England by a group of English ...

, who died in 1610. The widow, Lady Margaret, daughter of Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton, also a Catholic, was deprived by

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� ...

of the custody of her child John. He was made a ward of Archbishop George Abbot, and educated at Oxford. Taken to court by the king, who was struck by his beauty and intelligence, John was made a K.B. on the occasion of

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

being created

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

, 3 November 1616, and was remitted an unpaid fine of £10,000 which had been imposed on his father. By Charles I, he was created

Earl of Peterborough Earl of Peterborough was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for John Mordaunt, 5th Baron Mordaunt (see Baron Mordaunt for earlier history of the family). He was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry, the second Earl. He was ...

, by

letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

of 9 March 1628. On the outbreak of 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. An estimated 15% to 20% of adult males in England and Wales served in the military at some point b ...

he adhered to the parliament, and held the commission of general of the ordnance under the

Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...

, but he died of

consumption Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...

, on 18 June 1642. By his wife Elizabeth, daughter of

William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Effingham William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Effingham (27 December 1577 – 28 November 1615) was an English nobleman, the eldest son of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham (who as Lord Howard of Effingham famously led the English fleet against the S ...

, he left two sons:

Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough (15 November 1621 – 19 June 1697) was an English soldier, peer and courtier. Early life Styled Lord Mordaunt from 1628, he was the eldest son of John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough. He was educ ...

and

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, afterwards Lord Mordaunt of Reigate and Viscount Mordaunt of Avalon; and a daughter, Elizabeth, who married Thomas, son and heir to

Edward Howard, 1st Lord Howard of Escrick Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick (died 24 April 1675) was an English nobleman and Member of parliament, Parliamentarian. Howard was the youngest son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk. He was knighted Order of the Bath, KB in 1616, w ...

. Lady Peterborough was a noted beauty but was also famed for piety: she was a close friend of

James Ussher James Ussher (or Usher; 4 January 1581 – 21 March 1656) was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656. He was a prolific Irish scholar and church leader, who today is most famous for his ...

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, who spent his last years in her house. She died in 1671.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peterborough, John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of 1642 deaths Knights of the Bath Lord-lieutenants of Northamptonshire Roundheads Year of birth unknown 17th-century deaths from tuberculosis Earls of Peterborough Tuberculosis deaths in England 5