William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (1591 – 19 December 1636) was an English nobleman, politician, and peer from the

Spencer family The Spencer family is an Aristocracy (class), aristocratic British family. From the 16th century, its members have held numerous titles, including the dukedom of Marlborough, the earldoms of Earl of Sunderland, Sunderland and Earl Spencer (title) ...

Life

Spencer was the second son of

Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton KG (157025 October 1627) was an English nobleman, peer, politician, landowner, and MP from the Spencer family. Life He was born in Althorp, Northamptonshire, the son of John Spencer and ...

, and his wife, Margaret Willoughby, and was baptised on 4 January 1591 at

Brington, Northamptonshire Brington is a civil parish in West Northamptonshire in England. At the time of the 2001 United Kingdom census, 2001 census, the parish population was 482 people, increasing to 496 at the 2011 census. It contains three villages: *Great Brington ...

. He matriculated at

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

with his elder brother John in October 1607. In the autumn of 1610 he traveled to France with his brother. On John's death at Blois in 1612, he became the heir to the barony. He became a Member of Parliament for

Brackley Brackley is a market town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. It is on the borders with Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, east-southeast of Banbury, north-northeast of Oxford, and ...

in 1614, but left no trace in the records. As the member for

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

(1620–1622 & 1624–1627) he was an active participant in parliamentary sessions. From 6 May 1618 to 1621, Spencer held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. On 25 October 1627, he succeeded his father as 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton.

Family

Spencer married Lady Penelope Wriothesley, daughter of

Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, (pronunciation uncertain: "Rezley", "Rizely" (archaic), (present-day) and have been suggested; 6 October 1573 – 10 November 1624) was the only son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Sou ...

and Elizabeth Vernon in 1615. The couple had a number of children, including: * Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland *

Robert Spencer, 1st Viscount Teviot Robert Spencer, 1st Viscount Teviot (baptised 2 February 1629 – 20 May 1694), styled The Honourable Robert Spencer until 1685, was an English politician from the Spencer family who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679. Biography Spe ...

*William (1630–88) married Elizabeth Gerard, daughter of Dutton, lord Gerard of Gerard's Bromley. *Elizabeth married

John Craven, 1st Baron Craven of Ryton John Craven, 1st Baron Craven of Ryton (baptised 10 June 1610 at St Andrew Undershaft, London – 1648), was an English peer and founder of the Craven scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge. Background Craven was the younger surviving son of Sir W ...

*Anne married Sir Robert Townshend, gentleman of the privy chamber to Charles II *Margaret married

Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury PC, FRS (22 July 1621 – 21 January 1683), was an English statesman and peer. He held senior political office under both the Commonwealth of England and Charles II, serving as Chancellor of the ...

*Alice, married

Henry Moore, 1st Earl of Drogheda Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

He died on 19 December 1636, aged 44.

Ancestry

References

1591 births 1636 deaths Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford 2 Deputy lieutenants of Northamptonshire William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer English MPs 1614 English MPs 1621–1622 English MPs 1624–1625 English MPs 1625 English MPs 1626 {{1626-England-MP-stub