William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury
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| William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1544 |
| Died | 25 May, 1632 |
| Spouse | Dorothy Bray (? - 1605) Elizabeth Howard (1605 - 1632) |
| Parents | Sir Francis Knollys Catherine Carey |
| Children | Edward Nicholas |
William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury KG PC (1544 – 25 May 1632) an English Earl at the court of Queen Elizabeth I and King James.
He was the son of Sir Francis Knollys of Greys Court in Oxfordshire and Reading in Berkshire, and his wife, Catherine Carey. Knollys was MP for Tregony from 1572 and 1583 and for Oxfordshire from 1584 to 1586, 1592 to 1593 and 1601. In 1596, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, which position he held until his death.
William rebuilt Caversham Park where he often resided. He was first married to Dorothy Bray, daughter of Edmund, 1st Baron Braye by his wife Jane Halliwell and widow of Edmund Brydges, 2nd Baron Chandos of Sudeley (d 1573). Dorothy was several years his senior, and had at least four children from her first marriage, though their marriage was childless.
In the mid-1590's, William took in the daughter of a family friend, Mary Fitton. Intended to be her protector from wayward influence of courtiers, he fell in love with her himself and wished his wife dead so he could marry her. He expressed desire for children with her, and when made godfather to Mary sister's daughter (Anne Newdigate) he named the child Mary. His infatuation with Mary was the cause of much court laughter:
Party Beard, party beard...
...the white hind was crossed:
Brave Penbroke struck her down
And took her from the clown[1]
went one song about him. He was derided as "Party Beard" because his beard was three colors: white at the roots, yellow mid-way and black at the ends. Mary refused him. He courted her even after she had an illegitimate child (who died) with the earl of Pembroke, but she was not interested and after his wife Dorothy died (Oct 31, 1605 at Minty, buried at Rotherfield Greys in Oxfordshire) he re-married quickly.
On December 23, 1605, Knollys married Lady Elizabeth Howard (1586–1658), the daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk.
Elizabeth remarried shortly after Knollys' death to Edward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of Harrowden. There is some debate as to whether or not Elizabeth's two sons, Edward (1627–1645) and Nicholas (1631–1674) (possible 2nd and 3rd Earls respectively) were William's offspring as her first son was born when William was 80 years old. As a result, the House of Lords deprived each of them of the title Earl of Banbury and considered them to be illegitimate sons of Elizabeth and Edward Vaux as Nicholas was born in Lord Vaux's home.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Haynes, Alan: Sex in Elizabethan England, page 46. Wrens Park Publishing, 1997
[edit] References
- Haynes, Alan. Sex in Elizabethan England. Groucestershire: Sutton Publishing Limited, 1997. ISBN 0-905-778-359
| Preceded by The Lord North |
Treasurer of the Household 1601–1616 |
Succeeded by The Lord Wotton |
| Preceded by Sir Francis Knollys and The Lord Norreys |
Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire 1596–1632 joint with The Lord Norreys 1596–1601, The Earl of Holland 1628–1632 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Holland |
| Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire 1596–1632 joint with The Lord Norreys 1596–1601, The Earl of Berkshire 1628–1632 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Berkshire |
|
| Preceded by Sir Francis Knollys |
Custos Rotulorum of Oxfordshire bef. 1594–1632 |
|
| Preceded by William Paget |
Comptroller of the Household 1596–1600 |
Succeeded by Henry Vane the Elder |
| Preceded by New creation |
Earl of Banbury | Succeeded by Nicholas Knollys |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Knollys, William, 1st Earl of Banbury |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1547 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | 25 May 1632 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
