William Widdrington, 4th Baron Widdrington (167819 April 1743) was an English peer who was stripped of his titles by

the Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

for being involved in the

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland ...

Background

Widdrington was the son of William Widdrington, 3rd Baron Widdrington, by the Honourable Alethea Fairfax, daughter of

Charles Fairfax, 5th Viscount Fairfax of Emley Charles Fairfax, 5th Viscount Fairfax of Emley (died 6 July 1711), was an English peer. Fairfax was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 2nd Viscount Fairfax of Emley, by Alathea Howard, daughter of Sir Philip Howard, son of Lord William Howard. He succee ...

, and succeeded to his father's title and estates in 1695. His family was staunchly

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

and he was educated at a

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

college in Paris. He became a supporter of the Stuart claim to the Crowns of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Political activity

Widdrington took part in the

, and with two of his brothers was taken prisoner after the Battle of Preston. Along with Henry Oxburgh he counselled the commander of the English rising Thomas Forster to seek what terms he could from the army commander Charles Wills. He was convicted of

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...

and condemned to death, but was reprieved after an intervention by his wife, Catherine Graham. Although his title and estates were forfeited, he was not executed but was allowed to retire to

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

Family

Widdrington married Jane Tempest in 1700 and resided at the property she brought, Stella Hall, Blaydon-on-Tyne, near Newcastle. Jane died in 1714, and in 1718 he married Catherine Graham, the daughter of

Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston Richard Graham, 1st Viscount Preston PC (24 September 1648 – 22 December 1695) was an English diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1675 and 1689. He became a Jacobite conspirator, but his reputation ...

. In 1739, Catherine and her sister Mary inherited the estate at

Nunnington Hall Nunnington Hall is a country house situated in the English county of North Yorkshire. The river Rye, which gives its name to the local area, Ryedale, runs past the house, flowing away from the village of Nunnington. A stone bridge over the ...

, Yorkshire, from their nephew Charles, third and last Viscount Preston, who died without issue. After Widdrington's death on 19 April 1743, he was interred in his wife's family vault at Nunnington parish church.Memorial Tablet in Nunnington Church. A memorial tablet was erected, commemorating his life and virtues; it refers to his part in the Jacobite rising by speaking obliquely of 'the affair at Preston'. When his son Henry Francis Widdrington, who claimed the barony, died in September 1774, this branch of the family appears to have become extinct. His brother Peregrine and sister-in-law Maria, Duchess of Norfolk, were both staunch Jacobites as well.

Notes

References

Northumbrian Jacobites
1678 births 1743 deaths Barons Widdrington English Jacobites People of the Jacobite rising of 1715 {{England-baron-stub