Edward Villiers (1620–1689)

Sir Edward Villiers (1620 – 2 July 1689) was a British officer from the Villiers family. He was the fourth son of Sir Edward Villiers and Barbara St. John, half-nephew to George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, considered him to be a man of "diligence and dexterity" and referred to him as "honest Ned".

He became a colonel, having served against the Scots in 1640 and he was wounded at the First Battle of Newbury in 1643. He was also employed to carry confidential dispatches and served under Sir Richard Willys as governor of Newark before Lord John Belasyse was appointed in his place.

After the end of the First English Civil War, he was implicated in a plot to assist the escape of the Duke of York (the later James II) but was not convicted and took no part in the Second English Civil War and lived abroad, 1649 to 1652.

Marriage and Family

He married Frances Howard, herself the youngest daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk and Elizabeth Hume. She was appointed governess to the Princesses Mary and Anne, daughters of James II. They had the following children:

References