| Villiers | |
|---|---|
| Noble family | |
 | |
| Country | England,Wales |
| Founded | 1235; 790 years ago (1235) |
| Current head | William Child Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey |
| Seat | Radier Manor |
| Titles | |
| Connected families | |
Villiers (/ˈvɪlərz/VIL-ərz) is anaristocratic family in the United Kingdom. Over time, various members of the Villiers family were made knights, baronets, and peers. Peerages held by the Villiers family include the dukedoms ofBuckingham (1623–1687) andCleveland (1670–1709), as well as the earldoms ofAnglesey (1623–1661),Jersey (since 1697), andClarendon (since 1776). Perhaps the most prominent members of the family were those who received the two dukedoms:George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592–1628) rose to fame and influence asfavourite of KingJames I of England, whileBarbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland (1640–1709) became amistress of KingCharles II of England, by whom she had five children.
The Villiers family were settled atBrooksby,Leicestershire, from at least 1235.[1] In the early 13th century, the tenant of Brooksby, Gilbert de Seis, married a member of the Villiers family, a line of minor gentry of Norman descent.[2] The estate remained in Villiers hands for the next 500 years. At this time Brooksby consisted of the hall, the nearbyChurch of St Michael and All Angels, Brooksby, a small number of peasants' houses and a field system with common land.[3]
In the 16th century, the family was represented byGeorge Villiers († 1606), a minorgentleman who is said to have been a "prosperous sheep farmer".[4] He wasHigh Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1591, and aKnight of the shire for the county from 1604 until his death. He was knighted in 1593.[1]
Sir George Villiers was married twice, and left nine surviving children. Among the children from his first marriage were the eldest son, Sir William Villiers, 1st Baronet († 1629), who became the ancestor of theVilliers baronets;Edward († 1626), who becameMaster of the Mint andPresident of Munster; a daughter who married into theBoteler family; and another who married into theWashington family. Among the children from Sir George Villiers' second marriage toMary (néeBeaumont, † 1632) wereGeorge († 1628), thefavourite of KingJames I of England who was eventually createdDuke of Buckingham, and his sisterSusan († 1652), who married the1st Earl of Denbigh. According to Thomson,[5] Sir George Villiers is an ancestor of sixteenBritish prime ministers, from the3rd Duke of Grafton toDavid Cameron.
In August 1614, the then twenty-one-year-oldGeorge Villiers became the favourite of King James I of England, and remained in this position until the king's death in 1625. Under James's patronage, Villers advanced rapidly through the ranks of the nobility. In 1615 he was knighted as aGentleman of the Bedchamber, and in 1616 elevated to the peerage asBaron Whaddon andViscount Villiers. He was madeEarl of Buckingham in 1617, thenMarquess of Buckingham in 1618, and eventuallyEarl of Coventry andDuke of Buckingham in 1623.[6] Buckingham was the king's constant companion and closest advisor. Even after James I's death, Buckingham remained at the height of royal favour underCharles I, until he was assassinated in 1628. Buckingham was buried inWestminster Abbey, while his titles passed to his sonGeorge (1628–1687), upon whose death they became extinct.
As a royal favourite during the reigns of James I and Charles I, Buckingham used his enormous political influence to prodigiously enrich his relatives and advance their social positions, which soured public opinion towards him.[7] Under his influence, several members of his immediate family were made knights, baronets and peers. His half-brotherEdward († 1626) was knighted in 1616, while hismother was createdCountess of Buckingham in her own right in 1618 and his eldest half-brotherWilliam († 1629) was created abaronet in 1619. Two of Buckingham's other brothers were similarly honoured whenJohn († 1658) was createdBaron Villiers of Stoke andViscount Purbeck in 1619, andChristopher († 1630) was createdBaron Villiers of Daventry andEarl of Anglesey in 1623.
Sir Edward Villiers († 1626) married Barbara St John, daughter of Sir John St John († 1594) ofLydiard Tregoze,Wiltshire, by whom he had ten children.[1] Villiers' wife was the niece ofOliver St John, who was createdViscount Grandison in 1623. Grandison had no issue, so the Duke of Buckingham arranged for his half-brother's sons to inherit that title.[1] Sir Edward Villiers's eldest son,William († 1643), thus succeeded as second Viscount Grandison in 1630. He was the father ofBarbara Villiers († 1709), one of themistresses ofKing Charles II, by whom she had five children, and who was createdDuchess of Cleveland in 1670.
Sir Edward Villiers's second and third sons,John († c.1661) andGeorge († 1699), succeeded as 3rd and 4th Viscounts Grandison, while the fourth son,Sir Edward Villiers († 1689), was father ofEdward Villiers († 1711), who was created bothBaron Villiers andViscount Villiers in 1691 as well asEarl of Jersey in 1697. In 1681 he marriedBarbara Chiffinch. The 1st Earl of Jersey's sister,Elizabeth Villiers († 1733), was the presumedmistress of KingWilliam III of England from 1680 until 1695.Thomas Villiers († 1786), the second son of the2nd Earl of Jersey, was createdBaron Hyde andEarl of Clarendon in 1776.
On the death of the 4th Viscount Grandison in 1699, the title passed to his grandson, the 5th Viscount. He was the son ofBrigadier-General the Hon.Edward Villiers († 1693), eldest son of the 4th Viscount. In 1721 the 5th Viscount Grandison was createdEarl Grandison. Upon his death in 1766, the earldom became extinct while the viscountcy passed to his second cousinWilliam Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey, who became the 6th Viscount Grandison. In 1746 Elizabeth Mason, daughter of the 1st Earl Grandison, was createdViscountess Grandison, and in 1767 she was madeViscountess Villiers andCountess Grandison. All three titles became extinct on the death of the 2nd Earl Grandison in 1800.
Theresa Villiers (born 1968), aBritishConservative Party politician and formerSecretary of State for Northern Ireland,[8][9] is a descendant of Edward Ernest Villiers (1806–1843), a son ofGeorge Villiers († 1827) and brother ofGeorge Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon.[10]
Several members of the Villiers family have also been knights of theOrder of the Garter. The following is a list is of all Villiers members of this order, across all branches of the family, along with their year of investiture.
