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, 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 creation came in 1414 for Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of Fran ...

, 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 – May 1707) *Lady Rachael Russell ( 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) *

John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford (30 September 17105 January 1771) was a British Whigs (British political party), Whig statesman and peer who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1757 to 1761. A leading member of the Whig party durin ...

(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 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 ...

. 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 th ...

, on some of his wife's dowry lands in

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe ( ) is a district of South 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, with the Isle of Dogs to the ea ...

. 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, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...

and

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

between 1701 and 1711. He was also a

Gentleman of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the Royal Household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Households of the United Kingdo ...

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. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

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 (United Kingdom), 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 ...

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 (W ...

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

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

References

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