296 BEDFORD. Earldom. 1. Jonx Russell(") of Kingston-Russell, Dorset, s. and III 1550 o{ >' ames °J the 3ilme tia 1st wife Alice, da. and h. (i{ John Wyse of Sydenham, Devon, was b. about 1485 at Kingston Russell, and having (v. p.) in Jan. 1500 made himself of service to Philip of Austria and Joan his wife (lung and Queen of Castile), when wrecked off Weymouth, was by them introduced to the Court and was made Gent, of the Privy Chamber to Hen. Vll in 1507, and to Hen. VIII in 1S09. In 1518 he attended the King at the taking of Therouenne and Tournay, at which last place he obtained (in 1517) certain lands, and was in loll deputy thereof. He was Knighted by the Karl of Surrey, 2 July 1522, for his services at the taking of Morlaix in Bretagne; was on several important missions to Italy, Germany, Sc.; in 1523 was made Knight-Marshal; was at the battle of Pavia 24 f'eb. 1524-5; Sheriff of Dorset and Somerset, 1528; M.P. for Bucks, 1529-36; attended the King in 15:32 to Boulogne; was Comptroller of the Household, 1537-39; P.C., 1538, and, on 9 March 153S-9, Was cr. BAItON RUSSELL.( 1 ') In that year he had a ^rant of the manor of Ago. ondesham, Bucks, being part of the estates of Edward Stafford, the attainted I Hike of Buckingham. Elected K.Gr. 21 April and tost 18 .May 1539. In July 1539 he was made High Steward of Cornwall, Warden of the Stannaries, Sc.; Lord High Admiral, 1542; President of the Council for Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset : High Steward of the Univ. of Oxford 1512; Piiivy .Seal, 3 Dec. 1543 to 1547: Capt. Gen. of the Vanguard of the army for the attack of Boulogne, 1545, one of the executors (Dec. 1546) and one of the 16 counsellors during the minority of Ed. VI appointed by Hen. VIII. Besides the Cistercian Abbey at Dunkeswell, Devon, he, in 1540, on the dissolution of the greater monasteries, obtained for himself and the heirs of his body the whole of the rich abbey of Tavistock, Devon, also the town of Tavistock with above thirty manors, several advowsons, A:e., belonging thereto in Devon and Cornwall, also other lauds in Devon, Somerset and Bucks, some belonging to the dissolved abbey of St. Albau's, &c. Other grants followed. From Ed. VI he obtained the preceptory of Knights Hospitallers at Mitehelburn, Beds, the Cistercian Abbey at Woburn, Beds, the Benedictine Abbey at Thorney, co. Cambridge (1549). the Dominican Priory (afterwards called Bedford House) at Exeter, &e., SC. Finally, on 4 May 1552, he obtained the grant (forfeited by the Duke of Somerset) of seven acres called " Long Acre," Midx., which, being the garden of a suppressed convent comprises the site of the present "t'umit Garden."! 11 ) At the coronation, 20 Feb. 1547, he bore the thud Sword and was Lord High StkwahO for that occasion. P.C., 1547; Privy Seal, 1547-53. For his assistance in carrying out the order of the Council against " images" and for promoting the new religion he was, ou 19 Jan. 1549-50, cr. EAltL OF BEDF0KD.( d ) In 4 Ed. VI (1550) he was one of the four ambassadors who concluded a treaty of peace with France, at Guisnes. Lord Lieut, of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, 1552; P.C., 1553. On 3 Nov. 1553 he obtained a new patent as Loud Privy Seal and was one of those sent to attend Philip II into England, on his coming there from Spain to wed the Queen. He Ml. in the Spring of 1526 Anne, widow of Sir Richard Jkhningham, relict of John Bhoi'giiton of Toddington, Beds, da. and h. of Sir Guy Sapcote of Huntingdonshire, by Margaret, da. and h. of Sir Guy Wolston. He d. at (" Russell House ") his house " near Ivy Bridge ( u ) to the Strand, Midx, 14 (»] See "Memoirs of the House of Russell " by J. H. Wiffen, 2 vols., 8vo. 1833. ( b ) This Barony was cr. the same day as that of " St. Jonx," and is enrolled immediately subsequent thereto. Neither of them are described as of any locality, the titles conferred being (merely) " Baron Seint John " and " Baron ltussell." ( c ) On this site was afterwords built " Bedford House " on the north side of the Strand, now (1885) the site of Southampton street, which house was taken down in 1704, when the family removed (for 100 years) to Bedford House, BloemAwy. Gieat as doubtless were the merits of the first Earl there is little doubt but they were more than rewarded by the honours and estates that were lavished on him. See the eloquent speech of Edmund Burke (1796), brought forth by an attack on his (well earned) pension made by the (then) Duke of Bedford.—" Collins, vol. i, p. 270. ( d ) This dignity for the last 200 years was one connected with the royal family, (o) His son, who resided there, alludes to it in his will (1584) as in St, Clement Danes' parish. It had been formerly the house of the Bishops of Carlisle.. " Bedford House," Strand (see supra note " c " ) was not then built.
