Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford, PC (c. 1654 – 31 January 1720) was an English politician.[1]
The Earl of Stamford | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Jonathan Richardson | |
| President of the Board of Trade | |
| In office 9 June 1699 – 19 June 1702 | |
| Monarchs | William III Anne |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Bridgewater |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Weymouth |
| In office 1705 – 12 June 1711 | |
| Monarch | Anne |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Weymouth |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Winchilsea |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1654 |
| Died | 31 January 1720 (aged 65–66) |
Biography
editGrey was the only son of Thomas, Lord Grey of Groby, and inherited his title from his grandfather.[1] His mother was Lady Dorothy Bourchier, daughter of Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath.
Grey took some part in resisting the arbitrary actions of James II, and was arrested in July 1685. After his release he took up arms on behalf of William of Orange in the Glorious Revolution, after whose accession to the throne he was made a Privy Counsellor (1694) and Lord Lieutenant of Devon (1696).[1] Politically he was described as an "unrepentant Whig", who reaffirmed his belief in the Popish Plot by voting against the motion to reverse the attainder on William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford.
In 1697 he became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and in 1699 President of the Board of Trade, being dismissed from his office upon the accession of Anne in 1702. From 1707 to 1711, however, he was again President of the Board of Trade.[1]
He married twice: firstly in 1651, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Daniel Harvey (diplomat), ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (divorced), and secondly in 1691, Mary, daughter of Joseph Maynard, MP in the Cavalier Parliament. On his death without surviving children, his titles and Leicestershire estate at Bradgate Park passed to his first cousin Henry Grey, 3rd Earl of Stamford (1685–1739), a grandson of the first earl, from whom the later earls were descended.[1]
Arms
edit
The arms of the head of the Grey family are blazoned Barry of six argent and azure in chief three torteaux gules.[citation needed]
Notes
edit- ^ a b c d e One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Stamford, Henry Grey, 1st Earl of". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 769.
References
edit- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [self-published source] [better source needed]
- Kenyon, J. P. The Popish Plot 2nd Edition Phoenix Press 2000