{{Infobox noble , name = Lewis Watson , title =

Baron Rockingham 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 knig ...

, image = , caption = , alt = , CoA = WatsonRockinghamArms

, more = no , succession = , reign =

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 ...

, reign-type = , predecessor = , successor =

Edward Watson, 2nd Baron Rockingham {{Infobox noble , name = Edward Watson , title = Baron Rockingham , image = , caption = , alt = , CoA = , more = no , succession = , reig ...

, suc-type = , spouse = {{Plainlist, *Catherine Bertie *Eleanor Manners , spouse-type = , issue-type = , issue = ''with Eleanor:''
{{Plainlist, *Edward Watson, 2nd Baron Rockingham *Grace Watson *Anne Watson *Frances Watson *Elizabeth Watson *Eleanor Watson , issue-link = , issue-pipe = , full name = , native_name = , styles = , other_titles = Baronet of Rockingham Castle , noble family = Watson , house-type = , father = Sir Edward Watson , mother = Anne Digby , birth_name = , birth_date = Before 14 July 1584 , birth_place =

Rockingham Castle Rockingham Castle is a former royal castle and hunting lodge in Rockingham Forest approximately two miles north from the town centre of Corby, Northamptonshire. History 11th – 14th centuries The site on which the castle stands was used in t ...

, christening_date = 14 July 1584 , christening_place = Rockingham church , death_date = {{Death date and age, 1653, 01, 05, 1584, 07, 14, df=y , death_place = , burial_date = 12 January 1653 , burial_place = Rockingham church , occupation = politician , memorials = , website = , module = Lewis Watson, 1st Baron Rockingham (before 14 July 1584 – 5 January 1653) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the

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. ...

from 1621 to 1624. From 1621 to 1645 when he received his peerage he was known as Sir Lewis Watson, 1st Baronet. He supported 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 governme ...

cause in the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

and for his services was created

in 1645.

Life

Watson was the son of Sir Edward Watson ({{circa, 1549 – 1617) of

and Anne Digby, daughter of

Kenelm Digby Sir Kenelm Digby (11 July 1603 – 11 June 1665) was an English courtier and diplomat. He was also a highly reputed natural philosopher, astrologer and known as a leading Roman Catholic intellectual and Blackloist. For his versatility, he is d ...

Stoke Dry Stoke Dry is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England, about three miles (5 km) southwest of Uppingham. The village's name means 'outlying farm/settlement'. The village is positioned on a hill ...

, Rutland.{{sfn, Watson, Sgroi, 2010 He was baptised at Rockingham on 14 July 1584.{{sfn, Watson, Sgroi, 2010 He matriculated 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 ...

, on 24 May 1599, but did not graduate.{{sfn, Bennett, 2004 He was admitted to the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

as a student in 1601.{{sfn, Bennett, 2004 On 19 August 1608, he was knighted at Grafton.{{sfn, Cokayne, 1900,
165
} He succeeded to Rockingham Castle, which was leased from the crown, on the death of his father on 1 March 1617 and later acquired the fee of the castle and its lands from the crown.{{sfn, Bennett, 2004 In 1621, Watson was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

. He was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

on 23 June 1621. In 1624 he was re-elected MP for Lincoln. He was

Sheriff of Northamptonshire This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the respon ...

from 1632 to 1633.{{sfn, Cokayne, 1900,
165
} In 1633 he acquired from the Brocas family the title of "hereditary"

Master of the Buckhounds The Master of the Buckhounds (or Master of the Hounds) was an officer in the Master of the Horse's department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot. The role was to oversee a hunting pack; a ...

which was a

serjeanty Under feudalism in France and England during the Middle Ages, tenure by serjeanty () was a form of tenure in return for a specified duty other than standard knight-service. Etymology The word comes from the French noun , itself from the Latin , ...

associated with the Manor of Little Weldon. In 1638 he became verderer of Rockingham and

Brigstock Brigstock is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire. Administratively it is part of North Northamptonshire. From 2001 to 2011, the parish population increased from 1,329 to 1,357. Toponymy The villages name origi ...

.{{sfn, Cokayne, 1900,
165
} Watson served the King during the Civil War and as a result was created

on 29 January 1645.{{sfn, Watson, Sgroi, 2010{{sfn, Cokayne, 1900,
165
}

Marriages and children

Watson married twice. *Firstly, in 1609, Catherine Bertie (d. 15 February 1611), daughter of Peregrine Bertie, Baron Willoughby de Eresby and

Mary de Vere Mary de Vere (''circa'' 1554-''circa'' 24 June 1624) was a 16th-century English noblewoman who lived a life of extraordinary wealth and privilege. The daughter of John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford, and his second wife Margery Golding, she marrie ...

.{{sfn, Bennett, 2004 She died in childbirth on 15 February 1610, and was buried at

Spilsby Spilsby is a market town, civil parish and electoral ward in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The town is adjacent to the main A16, east of the county town of Lincoln, north-east of Boston and north-west of Skegness. It ...

, Lincolnshire. *Secondly on 3 October 1620, Eleanor Manners (d. 23 October 1679), daughter of Sir George Manners, of

Haddon Hall Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye near Bakewell, Derbyshire, a former seat of the Dukes of Rutland. It is the home of Lord Edward Manners (brother of the incumbent Duke) and his family. In form a medieval manor house, it ...

, Derbyshire and Grace Pierrepont, daughter of Sir Henry Pierrepont. They had six children, a son and five daughters:{{sfn, Bennett, 2004{{sfn, Wise, 1891, p
558392
} ::*

Edward Watson, 2nd Baron Rockingham {{Infobox noble , name = Edward Watson , title = Baron Rockingham , image = , caption = , alt = , CoA = , more = no , succession = , reig ...

(30 June 1630 – 22 June 1689) ::*Grace Watson (b. 1623) married Sir Edward Barkham of

West Acre West Acre is a village and civil parish in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk district of the county of Norfolk, England. It covers an area of and had a population of 187 in 83 households at the 2001 census, the population increasing to 260 at th ...

, Norfolk. ::*Anne Watson (1625 – 1697) ::*Frances Watson (b. 1626) married Edward Dingley of

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...

. ::*Elizabeth Watson (1627 – 1658) ::*Eleanor Watson (b. 1629) married Sir Charles Dymock of Scrivelsby, Lincolnshire.

Gallery

WatsonRockinghamArms.svg, Arms of Watson, of

: ''Argent, on a chevron engrailed azure between three martlets sable as many crescents or'' Rockingham Castle entrance.jpg,

, Northamptonshire, seat of the Watson family Neale(1818) p3.172 - Rockingham Castle, Northamptonshire.jpg, Rockingham Castle, Northamptonshire Memorial in St Leonard's Church, Rockingham.JPG, Memorial in St Leonard's Church, Rockingham, erected by Lewis Watson, 1st Baron Rockingham (1584-1653) after the Civil War

Death

He died on 5 January 1653 and was buried in Rockingham church a week later. His widow died in

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 ...

on 23 October 1679 and was buried with her husband at Rockingham on 8 November.{{sfn, Watson, Sgroi, 2010{{sfn, Bennett, 2004 He was succeeded by his son

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

.{{sfn, Cokayne, 1900,
165
}

References

{{Reflist

Sources

*{{cite odnb , last1=Bennett , first1=Martyn , title=Watson, Lewis, first Baron Rockingham (bap. 1584, d. 1653), landowner , date=23 September 2004 , doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/28853 *{{cite book , editor1-last=Cokayne , editor1-first=George Edward , editor1-link=George Edward Cokayne , title=Complete Baronetage , volume=1: 1611–1625 , date=1900 , publisher=William Pollard & Co. , location=Exeter , url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924092524374/page/n187/mode/2up?view=theater , oclc=3986751 *{{cite book , editor1-last=Metcalfe , editor1-first=Walter C. , title=The Visitations of Northamptonshire Made in 1564 and 1618-19, with Northamptonshire Pedigrees from Various Harleian MSS. , date=1887 , publisher=Mitchell and Hughes , location=London , oclc=807194019 , pages=17, 37, 114-115 , url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t3514149k&view=1up&seq=88 *{{cite book , last1=Owen , first1=David , author1-link=David Owen , editor1-last=Hasler , editor1-first=P. W. , title=The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603 , date=1981 , chapter-url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/watson-edward-1549-1617 , chapter=Watson, Edward (c.1549-1617), of Rockingham, Northants , publisher=

British History Online ''British History Online'' is a digital library of primary and secondary sources on medieval and modern history of Great Britain and Ireland. It was created and is managed as a cooperative venture by the Institute of Historical Research, Universi ...

*{{cite book , last1=Watson , first1=Paula , last2=Sgroi , first2=Rosemary , editor1-last=Thrush , editor1-first=Andrew , editor2-last=Ferris , editor2-first=John P. , title=The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604-1629 , date=2010 , edition=Online , chapter-url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1604-1629/member/watson-sir-lewis-1584-1653 , chapter=Watson, Sir Lewis (1584-1653), of Rockingham Castle, Northants , publisher=

*{{cite book , last1=Wise , first1=Charles , title=Rockingham Castle and the Watsons , date=1891 , publisher=Elliot Stock , location=London , url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=gri.ark:/13960/t70w1vt9h&view=1up&seq=87 , oclc=902976023

External links

{{DNB poster, Watson, Lewis, Lewis Watson
Rockingham Castle
{{S-start {{s-par, en {{succession box , title=

for

, before= Sir Thomas Grantham , before2= Edward Bash , with= Sir Edward Ayscough 1621–1622 , with2=

Thomas Hatcher Thomas Hatcher (''c.'' 1589 – 1677) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1659. He fought on the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War. Hatcher was the son of Sir John Hatcher of ...

1624 , years=1621–1624 , after= Sir Thomas Grantham , after2= Sir John Monson {{s-reg, en {{s-new, Creation {{s-ttl , title=

, years=1645–1653 {{s-aft , after=Edward Watson {{s-reg, en-bt {{s-new, Creation {{s-ttl, title=

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

(of Rockingham Castle) , years=1621–1653 {{s-aft, after=Edward Watson {{s-end {{DEFAULTSORT:Rockingham, Lewis Watson, 1st Baron 1584 births 1653 deaths Cavaliers English MPs 1621–1622 English MPs 1624–1625 Deputy Lieutenants of Northamptonshire High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire Barons in the Peerage of England