Note: L&M Call him 2nd Earl of Winchilsea, with dates 1628-89. Wikipedia says he was 3rd Earl of Winchilsea, with dates 1635-89.
Heneage Finch (2nd Earl of Winchilsea)
Wikipedia
This text was copied from Wikipedia on 24 December 2024 at 3:10AM.
The Earl of Winchilsea | |
|---|---|
| English Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire | |
| In office 1660–1669 | |
| Monarch | Charles II |
| Preceded by | Sir Thomas Bendish |
| Succeeded by | Sir Daniel Harvey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Heneage Finch 1628 England |
| Died | 28 September 1689(1689-09-28) (aged 60–61) England |
| Spouses | Hon. Diana Willoughby
(m. 1645; died 1648)Lady Mary Seymour
(m. 1650; died 1673)Catherine Norcliffe
(m. 1673; died 1678)Elizabeth Ayres
(m. 1681) |
| Children | 16, including
|
| Parents |
|
| Education | Queens' College, Cambridge |
Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchilsea (c. 1628 – 28 September 1689) was an English peer and diplomat who served as the English ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1660 to 1669.
Early life
Finch was the only surviving son of Thomas Finch, 2nd Earl of Winchilsea and the former Cecille Wentworth of Gosfield Hall, Essex.[1]
His paternal grandparents were Sir Moyle Finch, 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Finch, suo jure 1st Countess of Winchilsea. His father inherited his grandfather's baronetcy from his uncle, Sir Theophilus Finch, 2nd Baronet, who died without issue in 1619. His maternal grandparents were John Wentworth, High Sheriff of Essex and Cecily Unton. His first cousin was Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham.[2]
He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge.[3]
Career
On his return from Ottoman territory in June 1668, King Charles II remarked to Finch, "My Lord, you have not only built a town, but peopled it too". Winchilsea, in an obvious reference to Charles' own brood of natural children, replied that after all, he was the King's representative.
Lord Finch was appointed by his friend George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle a Governor of Dover Castle, and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in July 1660. He was also Lord Lieutenant of Kent and afterwards ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and served in this capacity between 1668 and 1672.
Samuel Pepys first referred to him as the Lord Winchilsea.[4]
King Charles II had landed at Kent on his way to London to secure the throne on 25 May 1660. The King arrived in Dover with 20 ships and frigates, the Lord General and his lifeguard were accompanied by the Earl of Winchelsea to the cheer of the crowding locals gathered upon the beach to witness a salute fired from the guns of Dover Castle. The King created him Baron FitzHerbert, of Eastwell in the County of Kent, on 26 June 1660.[1]
Personal life
| Earl of Winchelsea's Estate Act 1660 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for the settling of the Priory of Watton, and other Lands belonging to the Earl of Winchilsea, in the County of Yorke, in the Hands of Trustees, for the Payment of Debts. |
| Citation | 12 Cha. 2. c. 5 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 13 September 1660 |
Finch was married four times and was the father of at least sixteen children. His first marriage was on 21 May 1645 to the Hon. Diana Willoughby, the eldest daughter of Francis Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby of Parham and Elizabeth Cecil (a younger daughter and co-heiress of Edward Cecil, 1st Viscount Wimbledon). She died and was buried at Eastwell on 27 March 1648.[1]
His second marriage was in c. 1649 to Lady Mary Seymour (1637–1673), the second daughter of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset and Lady Frances Devereux eldest daughter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex). Before her death in 1673, their children included:[1]
- William Finch, styled Viscount Maidstone (c. 1651–1672), who died at sea aboard the Royal Charles during the Battle of Solebay; he married Elizabeth Wyndham, a daughter of Thomas Wyndham, of Felbrigg Hall.[1]
- Lady Frances Finch (d. 1712), who married Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth.[1]
- Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Winchilsea (1657–1726), who married Anne Kingsmill, the daughter of Sir William Kingsmill.[5]
- Hon. Thomas Finch (b. 1658), who was born before the family went to the Ottoman Empire.[1]
- Elizabeth[6]
His third marriage was to Catherine Norcliffe on 10 April 1673. The daughter of Sir Thomas Norcliffe and Hon. Dorothy Fairfax (fifth daughter of Thomas Fairfax, 1st Viscount Fairfax), she was twice a widow from her marriages to Christopher Lister, of Thornton, York, and Sir John Wentworth, of Elmshall, York. She died in c. 1678.[1]
His final marriage was on 29 October 1681 to Elizabeth Ayres, only daughter and heiress of John Ayres of London.[7] Before his death in 1689, they were the parents of:[1]
- John Finch, 6th Earl of Winchilsea, who died unmarried and without issue.[1]
Lord Winchilsea died on 28 September 1689. He was succeeded in his titles by his grandson Charles, as his eldest son William predeceased him.[1]
Descendants
Through his daughter Frances, he was a grandfather of Henry Thynne (1675–1708), and Frances Thynne (who married Sir Robert Worsley, 4th Baronet).[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage: Comprising Information Concerning All Persons Bearing Hereditary Or Courtesy Titles, Companions of All the Various Orders, and the Collateral Branches of All Peers and Baronets. Dean and son. 1888. p. 743. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. Burke's Peerage Limited. 1830. p. 831. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Eminent alumni | Queens' College".
- ^ Note the difference in spelling from the modern place name, Winchelsea
- ^ Burkes' Peerage (1939).
- ^ l'ANSON, B. (1933). THE HISTORY of the FINCH FAMILY - Chapter 9 The Winchilsea Pedigree (PDF). Janson & Co London. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ Hamilton, James (10 August 2017). Gainsborough: A Portrait. Orion. ISBN 978-1-4746-0053-8. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
External links
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References
Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.
1660
1666
- Oct
1668
- May
1669
- Apr
12 Annotations
First Reading
Phil • Link
Finch was the 2nd Earl of Winchilsea and ambassador to the Ottoman Empire 1660-9, according to the L&M index. Pepys calls him "Lord Winchelsea."
Paul Brewster • Link
Wheatley footnote:
Heneage Finch, second Earl of Winchelsea, constituted by General Monk Governor of Dover Castle, July 1660; Made Lord Lieutenant of Kent and afterwards ambassador to Turkey. Died 1689.
Paul Brewster • Link
"Finch, Sir Heneage, 2nd Earl of Winchilsea (1628-89) Of Eastwell, Kent; a friend Of Monck. Ambassador to Turkey 1660-9. There, it was said, he
Amy Robinson • Link
RE: Heneage Finch's 'A true and exact relation of the late prodigious earthquake & eruption of Mount Etna'
See the Johnston-Lavis Literature Collection website at http://lab.slais.ucl.ac.uk/~p036a…
Amy Robinson • Link
THE JOHNSTON-LAVIS LITERATURE COLLECTION WEBSITE IS NOW FOUND AT:
http://www.johnston-lavis.co.uk
Michael Robinson • Link
The L&M includes the following anecdote:
There [in Turkey] it was said he 'had many women. He built little houses for them.' On his return to England the King greeted him with the words: 'My Lord, you have not only built a town but peopled it too.' 'Oh, Sir,' was the reply 'I was your Majesties representative.'
Second Reading
Bill • Link
FINCH, HENEAGE, second Earl of Winchilsea (d. 1689), was the son of Thomas, the first earl, whose mother Elizabeth had been created Countess of Winchilsea in her widowhood by Charles I (1628). Heneage, educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, succeeded to the title of Viscount Maidstone in 1633, and of Earl of Winchilsea in 1639. He distinguished himself on the royalist side during the great rebellion, providing auxiliary troops (horse and foot) at his own expense, and supplying 'with great hazard' Charles II's 'necessities in foreign parts.' He was a friend of Monck and was made governor of Dover Castle in 1660. Upon the Restoration he was created a baron, by the title of Lord Fitzherbert of Eastwell (from which family the Finches claimed descent), 26 June 1660, and on 10 July was appointed lord-lieutenant of Kent. Early in 1661 he went on an important embassy to Sultan Mahomet Chan IV, and published an account of it the same year. He remained as English ambassador at Constantinople eight years, and on his return journey wrote from Naples to the king a description, which was afterwards printed, of the eruption of Mount Etna. He was reinstated on his arrival in England lord-lieutenant of Kent and governor of Dover Castle, but was, with a long list of other lieutenants, dismissed from the former post in 1687. When James II was stopped at Feversham by the Kentish fishermen, he wrote to Winchilsea, who was at Canterbury, asking him to come to him. The earl arrived before night (12 Dec), and interposed on behalf of the king besides moving him to a more suitable lodging in a private house. When James fled for the second time, Winchilsea was one of those who voted for offering the vacant throne to William and Mary, and in March 1689 was again made lord-lieutenant of Kent. He died in August the same year. He married four times: (1) Diana, daughter of Francis, fifth lord Willoughby of Parham; (2) Mary, daughter of William Seymour, marquis of Hertford; (3) Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Norcliff; (4) Elizabeth, daughter of John Ayres, esq. Out of twenty-seven children sixteen lived to 'some maturity.'
---Dictionary of National Biography. V.19, 1889.
Bill • Link
Heneage Finch, who was made solicitor-general soon after the Restoration, rose by regular gradations to the high office of chancellor, for which he was eminently qualified. He presided in the Chancery when the whole kingdom was divided into factions; but had such a command of his passions, and was so nice in his conduct, that he always appeared to be of no faction himself. He was master of the powers of elocution in a very high degree; a talent extremely dangerous in the possession of a dishonest man. This he took every occasion of exerting: but it was only to enforce and adorn, never to weaken or disguise the truth. Several of his speeches are in print. Ob. 18 Dec. 1682.
---A Biographical History of England. J. Granger, 1779.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Sorry, Bill, the Attorney General is a cousin. The Finches were a big family, and as I recall there were quite a few Heneages. Just like there are too many Thomas Pepys for us to remember which one is which.
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
Sir Heneage Finch, 2nd Earl of Winchilsea (1628-1689) must have had a hard time adjusting to life as the English ambassador at Constantinople for 8 years.
Sultan Mahomet Chan IV and his cohorts didn't play by the same rules as the Courts in Europe.
In the summer of 1661 there was an outbreak of the plague, and Winchilsea took his family temporarily to Belgrade, but one of his daughters died anyways. But there was a baby born ... Winchilsea invited the Venetian "Grand Chancellor" (a Roman Catholic) to be a Godfather which caused a report to the Doge and Senate:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
On October 6, 1661, Giovanni Battista Ballarino, Venetian Grand Chancellor at the Porte, sent this report to the Doge and Senate.
On Saturday last, at dawn, to avoid observation, I went to assist at the function, as desired by the English ambassador.
I was received ceremoniously by his Excellency and we all arrived together at his villa of Gerlichioi about noon.
After an exchange of compliments I was entertained at a rich banquet. I was then taken to see the new born child and paid my respects to Madame. I was asked to name the child and it was arranged that it should be called Charles Mark.
The christening took place in the apartment; after which I was conducted back.
With respect to public affairs the ambassador told me that a consultation had been held about the admittance of an ambassador of Portugal to the Porte, after which he had an intimation from the First Vizier that if an ambassador or other representative of that crown comes, he will be well received.
His Excellency remarked that this is not sufficient, and it is necessary to have such a declaration in writing, with the catscerif of the Grand Turk and with the capitulation which should be granted for trade and other occurrences.
To obtain these he proposed to go in person to Adrianople to have something more definite and formal, on which he could build. Before setting out he was awaiting a ship from London with instructions and supplies of money, without which nothing effective can be done, indeed it will be necessary to dive pretty deep, because he is very apprehensive of the obstacles which the imperial resident will put in his way, with the help of a most important fund of gold.
San Diego Sarah • Link
CONCLUSION:
The Chiecaia of the Vizier, who is deep in the minister's confidence, had said to him “We shall swallow good mouthfuls from the Germans and afterwards, if it suits our purpose, we shall make war on them just the same.”
The ambassador said nothing more to me about his proposed mediation, perhaps because he now knows rather more than at first about the difficulties, realising that he will not be able to profit thereby and that he cannot come out of it with credit.
I begged him not to allow ships of his nation to serve the Turks.
This he promised, speaking with so much vehemence that he was almost weeping.
He showed me letters in which the king [CHARLES II] addressed him as cousin and others in which the Grand Duke [JAMES???]called him Excellency.
Pera of Constantinople, the 6th October, 1661.
[Italian; deciphered.]
At this time the Ottomans had just received a great defeat at the hands of the Venetians, who are besieged at Candia in Crete:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
I wonder who "the Germans" are who are trying to buy favor -- the Habsburgs maybe? Good luck with that, by the sound of it.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Oooops, I forgot the citation for the October 6, 1661 report:
'Venice: October 1661', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 33, 1661-1664, ed. Allen B Hinds (London, 1932), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk…