Biography of William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper 1665-1723
Paternal Family Tree: Cowper
In 1664 William Cowper 1st Baronet (age 82) died. His grandson [his father] William Cowper 2nd Baronet (age 25) succeeded 2nd Baronet Cowper of Ratling Court in Kent.
Around 1665 William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper was born to William Cowper 2nd Baronet (age 26).
Evelyn's Diary. 01 Oct 1705. Mr. Cowper (age 40) made Lord Keeper. Observing how uncertain great officers are of continuing long in their places, he would not accept it, unless £2,000 a year were given him in reversion when he was put out, in consideration of his loss of practice. His predecessors, how little time soever they had the Seal, usually got £100,000 and made themselves Barons. A new Secretary of State. Lord Abington (age 32), Lieutenant of the Tower, displaced, and General Churchill (age 49), brother to the Duke of Marlborough (age 55), put in. An indication of great unsteadiness somewhere, but thus the crafty Whig party (as called) begin to change the face of the Court, in opposition to the High Churchmen, which was another distinction of a party from the Low Churchmen. The Parliament chose one Mr. Smith, Speaker. There had never been so great an assembly of members on the first day of sitting, being more than 450. The votes both of the old, as well as the new, fell to those called Low Churchmen, contrary to all expectation.
In Nov 1705 [his father] William Cowper 2nd Baronet (age 66) died. His son William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 40) succeeded 3rd Baronet Cowper of Ratling Court in Kent.
In 1706 William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 41) and Mary Clavering Countess Cowper (age 21) were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years.
On 14 Dec 1706 William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 41) was created 1st Baron Cowper of Wingham in Kent. [his wife] Mary Clavering Countess Cowper (age 21) by marriage Baroness Cowper of Wingham in Kent.
On 13 Aug 1709 [his son] William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper was born to William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 44) and [his wife] Mary Clavering Countess Cowper (age 24).
Around 1712 [his son] Reverend Spencer Cowper was born to William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 47) and [his wife] Mary Clavering Countess Cowper (age 27).
The 1715 Battle of Preston was the final action of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion. It commenced on 09 Nov 1715 when Jacobite cavalry entered Preston, Lancashire [Map]. Royalist troops arrived in number over the next few days surrounding Preston forcing the Jaocbite surrender. 1463 were taken prisoner of which 463 were English. The Scottish prisoners included:
George Seton 5th Earl of Winton (age 37). The only prisoner to plead not guilty, sentenced to death, escaped from the Tower of London [Map] on 04 Aug 1716 around nine in the evening. Travelled to France then to Rome.
On 24 Feb 1716 William Gordon 6th Viscount Kenmure was beheaded on Tower Hill [Map].
On 09 Feb 1716 William Maxwell 5th Earl Nithsale was sentenced to be executed on 24 Feb 1716. The night before his wife (age 35) effected his escape from the Tower of London [Map] by exchanging his clothes with those of her maid. They travelled to Paris then to Rome where the court of James "Old Pretender" Stewart (age 26) was.
James Radclyffe 3rd Earl Derwentwater (age 25) was imprisoned in the Tower of London [Map]. He was examined by the Privy Council on 10 Jan 1716 and impeached on 19 Jan 1716. He pleaded guilty in the expectation of clemency. He was attainted and condemned to death. Attempts were made to procure his pardon. His wife Anna Maria Webb Countess Derwentwater (age 23), her sister Mary Webb Countess Waldegrave (age 20) [Note. Assumed to be her sister Mary], their aunt Anne Brudenell Duchess Richmond (age 44), Barbara Villiers 1st Duchess of Cleveland appealed to King George I of Great Britain and Ireland (age 54) in person without success.
On 24 Feb 1716 James Radclyffe 3rd Earl Derwentwater (age 25) was beheaded on Tower Hill [Map]. Earl Derwentwater, Baronet Radclyffe of Derwentwater in Cumberland forfeit.
William Murray 2nd Lord Nairne was tried on 09 Feb 1716 for treason, found guilty, attainted, and condemned to death. He survived long enough to benefit from the Indemnity Act of 1717.
General Thomas Forster of Adderstone (age 31) was attainted. He was imprisoned at Newgate Prison, London [Map] but escaped to France.
On 14 May 1716 Henry Oxburgh was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn [Map]. He was buried at Church of St Gile's in the Fields. His head was spiked on Temple Bar.
The trials and sentences were overseen by the Lord High Steward William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 50) for which he subsequently received his Earldom.
On 18 Mar 1718 William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 53) was created 1st Earl Cowper for having suppressed the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. [his wife] Mary Clavering Countess Cowper (age 33) by marriage Countess Cowper.
Before 1723 Johnathan "The Elder" Richardson (age 55). Portrait of William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 57).
On 10 Oct 1723 William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper (age 58) died. His son [his son] William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper (age 14) succeeded 2nd Earl Cowper, 2nd Baron Cowper of Wingham in Kent, 4th Baronet Cowper of Ratling Court in Kent.
On 05 Feb 1724 [his former wife] Mary Clavering Countess Cowper (age 39) died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Cowper 1st Baronet
GrandFather: John Cowper
Father: William Cowper 2nd Baronet