| The Right HonourableThe Earl of Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Earl of Jersey | |
| In office 1721–1769 | |
| Preceded by | William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey |
| Succeeded by | George Villiers |
| Viscount Grandison | |
| In office 1766–1769 | |
| Preceded by | John Villiers (1st creation) |
| Succeeded by | George Villiers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Villiers |
| Died | 28 August 1769 |
| Nationality | English |
| Spouse | Anne Russell, Dowager Duchess of Bedford |
| Children |
|
| Parent |
|
| Occupation | Politician |
William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey, 6th Viscount Grandison, PC (died 28 August 1769) was an English peer and politician from the Villiers family.
Life
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He was the son of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey. Among other achievements, Villiers was a founding Governor of the Foundling Hospital, a charity which received its royal charter on 17 October 1739 to operate an orphanage for abandoned children in London.
He was an infatuated admirer of Ann Thicknesse (aka Anne Ford) and he offered her £800 a year to be his mistress. When she refused, Lord Jersey tried to sabotage her initial public concert, but she earned £15 from it nonetheless. In 1761, she published a pamphlet, A Letter from Miss F—d to a Person of Distinction, defending her position. This in turn provoked a pamphlet from the Earl, A Letter to Miss F–d.
Private life
On 23 June 1733, he married Anne Russell, Dowager Duchess of Bedford (c. 1704/1709 – 1762). She was the daughter of Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, and widow of Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford. They had two sons, but only one survived them:
- Frederick William Villiers, Viscount Villiers (25 March 1734 – before 11 October 1742)
- George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey (1735–1805). Through George, they are ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales, and of her sons, Princes William, the Prince of Wales, and Harry, Duke of Sussex.
He commissioned the building of the previous Middleton Park, in Middleton Stoney, Oxfordshire.
References
- Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. Page 2096.
- Thicknesse, Ann (1761). A letter from Miss F--d, addressed to a person of distinction. With a new ballad to an old tune. Sent to the author by an unknown hand. 1761. Internet Archive.
- Jersey, William Villiers (1761). A letter to Miss F--d. 1761. Internet Archive.
- thepeerage.com. Retrieved 5 September 2009: William Villiers, 3rd Earl of the Island of Jersey
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byThe Lord Cornwallis | Justice in Eyre south of the Trent 1740 – 1746 |
Succeeded byThe Earl of Halifax |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded byWilliam Villiers | Earl of Jersey 1721 – 1769 |
Succeeded byGeorge Villiers |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded byJohn Villiers | Viscount Grandison 1st creation 1766 – 1769 |
Succeeded byGeorge Villiers |
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