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AILESBURY. 39 coronation, 23 April 1685, lie bore St. Edward's Staff, and on 20 July following was Lord CHAMBERLAIN QV the Household. " He was a learned person well versed in English history and antiquities." (See Wood's "Fasti.") He »«., 16 Feb. 1645-6, at St. Alphage, London wall, Diana, 2nd da. of Henry (Grey), 1st Eahl of Stamford, by Anne (heiress of Stamford), yst. da. and coheir of William (Cecil), 2nd Eahl OP KxETKR. I!y her he had S sons and 9 daughters. He [/. at Houghton Park, Beds, 20 Oct. 16S5, and was bin; at Maulden in that co ; (a) will dat. 1 and pr. li Dec. 1685. His widow, who was b. in the same parish as her husband/ 1 ') 1690 ; her will dat. 14 Jan. 1685-6, pr. 26 Feb. 1689-90. II. 1685. 0. Thomas (Uncus), Kari, or Mmmxsm, &c. [E.], also Earl at BLOW, 4c. [S.J, 3rd, but 1st surv., s. and h., 6. 1651!. M.l'. for Marlborough, 1679-.M : for Wilts, 1685. Groom of the Bedchamber, 1686. He was one of the few noblemen who offered their service to James II after the Prince of Orange had embarked for England, and was one of the four Peers ( c ) deputed to invite that King to return from Sheerness to Whitehall : and when the King, two days later (18 Dec. 1688), was ejected fiom Whitehall, he was one of the four Peers ('•) who accompanied him to Rochester. The Earl returned to London, but never took the oath to the Revolution Government. He was accused of having conspired in May 1695 to plan the restoration of King James, and was imprisoned in the Tower of Loudon, Feb. 169.5-6, but admitted to bail 12 Feb. 1696-7, and subsequently allowed to quit the Kingdom. (•-') He m. firstly, 31 Aug. (or 30 Oct.) 1676, Lady Elizabeth Sbtmouh (raised, by royal warrant, 28 June 1672, to the precedency of a da. of the Duke of Somerset), 3rd da., but only child that had issue, of Henry Seymour, sti/lal Lord BeaucHamf (by Mary, da. of Arthur (Cu'ELi.), 1st Loud Capkll), which Henry was s. and h. ap. of William, 1st Marquess ok Hertford, afterwards (1660) Duke of So.MERSET.( f ) On 12 Dee. 1671, by the death of her bv., William, the 3rd Duke, the estate of Tottenham and Savernake Forest, Wilts, devolved on her, as also the representation as senior coheir [heir of line] of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, through the families of Grey and Brandon. She </. in childbed (of grief at her husband's imprisonment) 12 Jan. 1696-7. He m. secondly, 1700, at Brussels, Charlotte D'ARGBNTAU, suo jure Countess D'Essexkox and Baroness DE Melsbroeck in Flanders, being da. and h. of Louis, Count D'Esseneux by Marie-Oilberte m; Louqvekghiek. (=) She d. s.p.m., at Brussels, 23 July 1710, in her 31st year. ( h ) He d. there Nov. 1741, in his S6th year ; will pr. Jan. 1742. (») Ailesbury House, or " St. John's, Clerkeuwell, Midx. (where some of the 1st Earl's children were born 1646-62) was the London residence of this family till they sold it in 1706. It was part of the old Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, and came to the Bruce family through that of Cecil, to whom it had been granted by James L ( h ) See p. 38, n. ( b ). ( c ) These were the Earls of Ailesbury, Yarmouth and Feversham [E.], and the Earl of Middleton [S.]. C) These were the Earl of Ailesbury and the Earl of Lichfield [E.J the Earl of Dunbarton and the Earl of Arran, afterwards Duke of Hamilton, [S.]. (°) " Ailesbury and Dartmouth had as little scruple about taking the oath of allegiance [to William and Mary] as they afterwards had about breaking it; " and in 1690, " Clarendon, who had refused the oaths, and Ailesbury, who had dishonestly' taken them, were among the chief traitors."— See Macaulay's •' History of England.' ( f ) The Duke was grandson and h. of Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, by Katharine (next sister to the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey), da. and, in her issue, sole h. to Frances (wife of Henry Grey, Marquess of Dorset, and afterwards Duke of Suffolk), the 1st da. and coheir of Mary Tudor, Queen Dow. of France, by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. According to the will of Hen. VIII, he and his said ancestors would have been entitled to THK crown of England, since 1603, to the exclusion of the House of Stuart. («) AHGENTEAU. "La branche D'Essexeux est due a. Jean D'Aroentau, Seigneur D'Essencux, et h. Catherine Vii.ain ; an XV L ' siecle, elle se perdit en Charlotte D'Argentau, Comtesse D'Esseneux, Barouue de Melsbroeck, fille de Louis, et de Marie Gilberte de Louquknghikn, laquelle epousa Thomas Bruce, Comte D'Ailesbury, Pair D'Angleterre."— See " Families Nobles du Hoyaunie de Belgique," par M. Felix- Victor Goethals. Brussels : 1849. J to., 4 vols. ( h ) Her only child, Marie Theresa Charlotte, in., in 1722, Maximilian Emanuel, Prince de Homes, &c, and was mothor of Elizabeth Philippina (her yst. da. and coheir),