Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 23.djvu/195

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Grey
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Grey

hands (Whitelocke, Memorials, pp. 283-378). Grey died on 28 May 1651. A monument to his memory was erected by his widow in Flitton Church, Bedfordshire. The title descended to his son Anthony (1645-1702) and grandson Henry (1664?-1740), the latter of whom was created Duke of Kent in 1710, was one of the lords justices after the death of Queen Anne in 1714, and held various offices at the court during the reign of George I. He was twice married, but, dying without male issue, his titles became extinct, with the exception of the marquisate De Grey, which descended to his granddaughter Jemima (1722-1797), wife of Philip Yorke, second earl of Hardwicke. The present Marquis of Ripon is descended from her.

Grey was twice married: first, to Mary, daughter of Sir William Courten, knight; she died on 9 March 1644 (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1644, p. 52); and secondly, on 1 Aug. 1644, to Amabella, widow of Anthony, younger son of Francis Fane, earl of Westmorland, and daughter of Sir Anthony Benn, knight, recorder of London, by whom he had surviving issue. Lady Kent, who from her charity was called the 'Good Countess,' died on 20 Aug. 1698, aged 92 (Luttrell, Relation of State Affairs, 1857, iv. 417). A drawing of Grey is in the Sutherland collection in the Bodleian Library.

[Burke's Extinct Peerage, p.252; Foss's Lives of the Judges,vi. 440-1; Doyle's Official Baronage, i. 522, ii. 286-8.]

G. G.

GREY, HENRY, first Earl of Stamford (1599? –1673), born about 1599, was the eldest son of Sir John Grey, by Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Nevill, lord Abergavenny. He succeeded his grandfather, Henry, as second Lord Grey of Groby on 26 July 1614, and was created Earl of Stamford in Lincolnshire by letters patent dated 26 March 1628, having by his marriage become possessed of the castle, borough, and manor of Stamford. In early life he resided principally at his seat at Bradgate, Leicestershire, where his haughty, irritable disposition made him an unpleasant neighbour. As chairman of the quarter sessions he missed no opportunity of showing his hostility to the church. He employed his leisure in perfecting an improved method for dressing hemp, of which he hoped to secure a monopoly. While attending upon the king at Berwick, in June 1639, he ventured to pay a visit to the Scottish camp, and was hospitably entertained by Lesley. On his return he gave a glowing account of the Scots' loyalty to the king. Charles dryly told him that he had done them too much honour to go (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1639. pp. 330-1). Grey became eventually a zealous parliamentarian. On 6 May 1641 he was proposed by the commons for the governorship of Jersey (Commons' Journals, ii. 137). In the same month he was sent to raise levies for the garrisoning of Hull. With Thomas, lord Howard of Charleton, he was requested by the lords, on 26 Jan. 1642, to press for a definite answer from the States ambassador respecting the recompense to be made to certain English merchants for serious damages inflicted by a firm of Dutch traders (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1641-3, p. 268). On the following 12 Feb. he was appointed lord-lieutenant of Leicestershire (Commons' Journals, ii. 425). In April he was despatched with Lord Willoughby of Parhain and a committee of the commons to confer with Hotham at Hull, and drew up a report of their proceedings. At York, on 18 April, he presented to Charles a petition in the name of both houses regarding the king's message to them declaring his resolution of going to Ireland (Cal. State Papers, 1641-3, p. 310). On 4 June he arrived at Leicester to enforce the ordinance of parliament touching the militia; but he met with a determined opposition from Henry Hastings, the sheriff, who arrived on the 15th from York with the king's proclamation and commission of array. Grey, however, secured the magazine at Leicester, and conveyed great part of it to his house. The king proclaimed him a traitor, and gave orders for his arrest. He quitted the town just as the king entered it, on 22 July. In September he joined Essex at Dunsmore Heath in Warwickshire (ib. 1641-3, p. 392). Essex sent him to occupy Hereford, which he entered unopposed on 30 Sept., and took up his quarters in the bishop's palace (ib. 1641-3, p. 400). At the end of October he cleverly defeated a scheme of the cavaliers for ousting him from the city, and made some important captures at Presteign without sustaining any loss. Nevertheless, his position in Hereford was daily becoming more difficult, and he was unable in November to assist the roundheads of Pembrokeshire in their resistance to the Marquis of Hertford, who was there engaged in raising levies. In his last despatch to parliament he complained of want of money and supplies, and hinted at making a speedy retreat. He evacuated Hereford on about 14 Dec., and marched to Gloucester. Meanwhile a commission had been prepared for him, by which, in the absence of Essex, he was to be constituted commander-in-chief of all the forces raised in the counties of Hereford, Gloucester, Salop, and Worcester (Commons' Journals, ii. 886). From Gloucester he had immediate