(1640–1709), a
mistress of King
Charles II of England, by
Sir Peter Lely (left) and
8th (right)
Earls of Jersey in All Saints' parish churchyard,
Middleton Stoney, Oxfordshire
Descent The Villiers family were settled at
Brooksby,
Leicestershire, from at least 1235. In the early 13th century, the tenant of Brooksby, Gilbert de Seis, married a member of the Villiers family, a line of minor gentry of Norman descent. The estate remained in Villiers hands for the next 500 years. At this time Brooksby consisted of the hall, the nearby
Church of St Michael and All Angels, Brooksby, a small number of peasants' houses and a field system with common land. In the 16th century, the family was represented by
George Villiers († 1606), a minor
gentleman who is said to have been a "prosperous sheep farmer". He was
High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1591, and a
Knight of the shire for the county from 1604 until his death. He was knighted in 1593. Sir George Villiers was married twice, and left nine surviving children. Among the children from his first marriage were the eldest son, Sir William Villiers, 1st Baronet († 1629), who became the ancestor of the
Villiers baronets;
Edward († 1626), who became
Master of the Mint and
President of Munster; a daughter who married into the
Boteler family; and another who married into the
Washington family. Among the children from Sir George Villiers's second marriage to
Mary (née
Beaumont, † 1632) were
George († 1628), the
favourite of King
James I of England who was eventually created
Duke of Buckingham, and his sister
Susan († 1652), who married the
1st Earl of Denbigh. According to Thomson, Sir George Villiers is an ancestor of sixteen
British prime ministers, from the
3rd Duke of Grafton to
David Cameron.
Rise to wealth and influence In August 1614, the then twenty-one-year-old
George Villiers became the favourite of King James I of England, and remained in this position until the king's death in 1625. Under James's patronage, Villers advanced rapidly through the ranks of the nobility. In 1615 he was knighted as a
Gentleman of the Bedchamber, and in 1616 elevated to the peerage as
Baron Whaddon and
Viscount Villiers. He was made
Earl of Buckingham in 1617, then
Marquess of Buckingham in 1618, and eventually
Earl of Coventry and
Duke of Buckingham in 1623. Buckingham was the king's constant companion and closest advisor. Even after James I's death, Buckingham remained at the height of royal favour under
Charles I, until he was assassinated in 1628. Buckingham was buried in
Westminster Abbey, while his titles passed to his son
George (1628–1687), upon whose death they became extinct.
Continuing influence As a royal favourite during the reigns of James I and Charles I, Buckingham used his enormous political influence to prodigiously enrich his relatives and advance their social positions, which soured public opinion towards him. Under his influence, several members of his immediate family were made knights, baronets and peers. His half-brother
Edward († 1626) was knighted in 1616, while his
mother was created
Countess of Buckingham in her own right in 1618 and his eldest half-brother
William († 1629) was created a
baronet in 1619. Two of Buckingham's other brothers were similarly honoured when
John († 1658) was created
Baron Villiers of Stoke and
Viscount Purbeck in 1619, and
Christopher († 1630) was created
Baron Villiers of Daventry and
Earl of Anglesey in 1623.
Sir Edward Villiers († 1626) married Barbara St John, daughter of Sir John St John († 1594) of
Lydiard Tregoze,
Wiltshire, by whom he had ten children. Villiers's wife was the niece of
Oliver St John, who was created
Viscount Grandison in 1623. Grandison had no issue, so the Duke of Buckingham arranged for his half-brother's sons to inherit that title. Sir Edward Villiers's eldest son,
William († 1643), thus succeeded as second Viscount Grandison in 1630. He was the father of
Barbara Villiers († 1709), one of the
mistresses of
King Charles II, by whom she had five children, and who was created
Duchess of Cleveland in 1670. Sir Edward Villiers's second and third sons,
John († c.1661) and
George († 1699), succeeded as 3rd and 4th Viscounts Grandison, while the fourth son,
Sir Edward Villiers († 1689), was father of
Edward Villiers († 1711), who was created both
Baron Villiers and
Viscount Villiers in 1691 as well as
Earl of Jersey in 1697. In 1681 he married
Barbara Chiffinch. The 1st Earl of Jersey's sister,
Elizabeth Villiers († 1733), was the presumed
mistress of King
William III of England from 1680 until 1695.
Thomas Villiers († 1786), the second son of the
2nd Earl of Jersey, was created
Baron Hyde and
Earl of Clarendon in 1776. On the death of the 4th Viscount Grandison in 1699, the title passed to his grandson, the 5th Viscount. He was the son of
Brigadier-General the Hon.
Edward Villiers († 1693), eldest son of the 4th Viscount. In 1721 the 5th Viscount Grandison was created
Earl Grandison. Upon his death in 1766, the earldom became extinct while the viscountcy passed to his second cousin
William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey, who became the 6th Viscount Grandison. In 1746 Elizabeth Mason, daughter of the 1st Earl Grandison, was created
Viscountess Grandison, and in 1767 she was made
Viscountess Villiers and
Countess Grandison. All three titles became extinct on the death of the 2nd Earl Grandison in 1800.
Theresa Villiers (born 1968), a
British Conservative Party politician and former
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, is a descendant of Edward Ernest Villiers (1806–1843), a son of
George Villiers († 1827) and brother of
George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon. ==Notable members==