Francis Leigh, 1st Earl of Chichester

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Francis Leigh, 1st Earl of Chichester ( April 28, 1598 - December 21, 1653 in Apscourt, Surrey ) was an English peer and politician.

Life

He was the only son of the lawyer and politician Sir Francis Leigh († 1625), landlord of Newnham Regis in Warwickshire , from his marriage to the Hon. Mary Egerton († 1612), daughter of Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley .

In January 1613 he was beaten to a Knight Bachelor in Newmarket , Suffolk . On December 24, 1618 he acquired the title of Baronet , of Newnham in the County of Warwick in the Baronetage of England . From 1625 to 1626 he was a member of the House of Commons as an MP for Borough Warwick .

On July 31, 1628 he was raised in the Peerage of England to Baron Dunsmore , of Dunsmore in the County of Warwick, and thereby a member of the House of Lords . Since he had no sons, the award was made with the special addition that in the absence of his own male descendants, the title could also be inherited by his stepson, John Anderson of Hardwick , and his male descendants.

In September 1640 he was sent as a diplomat to peace negotiations with the Scottish Covenanters , which ended on October 26, 1640 with the end of the Second Episcopal War in the Treaty of Ripon . On August 8, 1641 he was admitted to the English Privy Council .

In the English Civil War he sided with the royalists . He was colonel of a cavalry regiment in 1643 and captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners from 1644 to 1646 . King Charles I rewarded his loyalty by making him Earl of Chichester , in the County of Sussex , on June 3, 1644 . The award was made with the special note that in the absence of his own male descendants, the title could also be passed on to his son-in-law Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton . In January 1645 he took part as a royalist diplomat in the unsuccessful peace negotiations in Uxbridge .

He died in 1653 at the age of 55. Since he left no sons, his baronet title expired. His baron title also expired, as his stepson had died childless in 1630. His earl title fell to his son-in-law under the special inheritance law.

Marriages and offspring

His first marriage was on July 31, 1617, Susan Northam, widow of a Mr. Banning. Susan died that same year.

In 1618 at the latest, he married the second marriage to the Hon. Audrey Boteler († 1652), widow of Sir Francis Anderson, daughter of John Boteler, 1st Baron Boteler . With her he had two daughters:

Web links

predecessor Office successor
New title created Baronet, of Newnham
1618-1653 		Title expired
New title created Baron Dunsmore
1628-1653 		Title expired
New title created Earl of Chichester
1805-1653 		Thomas Wriothesley
personal data
SURNAME Leigh, Francis, 1st Earl of Chichester
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Chichester, Francis Leigh, 1st Earl of
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British peer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH April 28, 1598
DATE OF DEATH December 21, 1653
Place of death Apscourt, Surrey