The Earl of Southampton | |
|---|---|
 Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, wearing hisGarter Star and holding his Staff of Office as Lord High Treasurer. Portrait by School of SirPeter Lely | |
| Tenure | 1624-1667 |
| Predecessor | Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton |
| Other titles | Earl of Chichester Lord Wriothesley |
| Born | (1607-03-10)10 March 1607 |
| Died | 16 May 1667(1667-05-16) (aged 60) |
| Nationality | English |
| Offices | Lord High Treasurer |
| Spouses | Rachel de Massue Lady Elizabeth Leigh Frances Seymour |
| Parents | Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton Elizabeth Vernon |
Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton,KG (/ˈraɪəθsli/RY-əth-slee;[1] 10 March 1607 – 16 May 1667), styledLord Wriothesley before 1624, was anEnglish statesman, a staunch supporter of KingCharles II who after theRestoration of the Monarchy in 1660 rose to the position ofLord High Treasurer, which term began with the assumption of power by theClarendon Ministry. He "was remarkable for his freedom from any taint of corruption and for his efforts in the interests of economy and financial order",[2] a noble if not a completely objective view of his work as the keeper of the nation's finances.[3] He died before theimpeachment ofLord Clarendon, after which theCabal Ministry took over government.
He was the only surviving son ofHenry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton (1573–1624) by his wifeElizabeth Vernon (1572–1655), a daughter of John Vernon (died 1592) ofHodnet, Shropshire. In 1545 King Henry VIII granted to his ancestorThomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton, Chancellor of England, themanor ofBloomsbury[4] (now in Central London), which descended by the 4th Earl's second daughter and heiress to the Russell family, and is now part of theBedford Estate. The Wriothesley family is commemorated today bySouthampton Row andSouthampton Street inHolborn,[2] within the historic estate.
He was educated atEton College andSt John's College, Cambridge.[5]
He succeeded to the earldom following deaths of both his father and his older brotherJames in the Netherlands in December 1624. At first, he sided with theParliament supporters upon the controversies leading to theEnglish Civil War, but upon his realisation of their propensity to violence, he became a loyal supporter of King Charles I. While remaining very loyal to the deposed monarch, he still worked for peace and represented the king at the peace conferences in 1643 and one atUxbridge in 1645.[6] He was allowed to remain inEngland, having paid fines to theCommittee for Compounding with Delinquents of more than £6,000.
Several months after theRestoration of the Monarchy in 1660, Lord Southampton was appointedLord High Treasurer (8 September 1660), a position he occupied until his death.Samuel Pepys admired Southampton's integrity and the stoicism with which he endured his painful last illness, but clearly had doubts about his competence as Treasurer; in particular, he recorded Southampton's despairing words to him, having been asked to raise more funds at a Council meeting in April 1665: "Why, what means all this, Mr. Pepys? This is true, you say, but what would you have me do? I have given all I can for my life. Why will not people lend their money?"[7] However Pepys admitted that SirWilliam Coventry, the colleague he most admired, was himself an admirer of Southampton, whom he described as "a great statesman". Coventry recalled that other ministers would joke that regardless of his complaints that it was "impossible" to find money, Southampton always succeeded in the end. Southampton however once grimly remarked that "Impossible will be found impossible at the last", an accurate prophecy of the crisis of 1672 which led to theStop of the Exchequer.
He married thrice and had three daughters:
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire jointly withThe Earl of Portland The 1st Duke of Richmond 1641–1646 | English Interregnum |
| Preceded by | Custos Rotulorum of Hampshire 1642–1646 | |
| In commission Sir Edward Hyde as First Lord Title last held by The Lord Cottington | Lord High Treasurer 1660–1667 | In commission The Duke of Albemarle as First Lord Title next held by The Lord Clifford of Chudleigh |
| Honorary titles | ||
| English Interregnum | Custos Rotulorum of Hampshire 1660–1667 | Succeeded by |
| Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk 1660–1661 | Succeeded by | |
| Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire 1660–1667 | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire 1661–1667 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire 1662–1663 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Kent 1662–1667 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by | Earl of Southampton 1624–1667 | Extinct |
| Preceded by | Earl of Chichester 1653–1667 | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
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