|
|
Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Grafton,
(1663-1690)
Born September 1663
Died 9 October 1690 nr Cork, Ireland (in battle)
Married 1 August 1672 Goring House
Lady Isabella Bennet, 2nd Countess of Arlington,
daughter of Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington,
Viscount Thetford
and Elisabeth van Nassau
Born circa 1667
Died 7 February 1722 Euston
Buried 15 February 1722 Euston
child by (a) NN
|
At the age of nine Henry Fitzroy was married to the five-year-old Isabella
Bennet, daughter and heir of the Earl of Arlington. The latter, one of
King Charles II's ministers, was owner of Euston Hall which became the
seat of the future Dukes of Grafton. In 1679, when they were sixteen and
twelve, they went through a second marriage ceremony to validate the previous
ceremony.
In 1672 Henry Fitzroy was created Earl of Euston and in 1675 Duke of
Grafton. He was described as "exceedingly handsome, by far surpassing any
of the king's other natural issue" but "rudely bred; were he polished....he
would be a tolerable person". He loved the sea and became vice-admiral
of England. Short-tempered and impulsive, he fought a duel with a brother
of the Earl of Shrewsbury and was pronounced guilty of manslaughter.
He was only twenty-seven when he fell at the siege of Cork to be lamented
as a fine soldier and a rugged, honest man.
Source: Leo van de Pas |
|
|
