Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 3.djvu/497

 COVENTRY 477 by Anne, da. of Richard Bullingham. She was bap. 27 May 1583, at Wolverley, co. Worcester. He m., 2ndly, before 1610, Elizabeth, widow of William Pitchford, da. of John Aldersey, of Spurstow, co. Chester by Anne, sister of Sir Thomas Lowe, Alderman of London. He d. aged 6i,(*) at Durham House, in the Strand, 14 Jan. 1639/40, whence he was conveyed in great state, 17 Feb., being, "by reason of his great office, bur. in the qualitie of an Earle" (near his parents), i Mar., at CroomcC") F^"- cert. Will dat. 26 July 1638 to 12 Jan. 1639/40, pr. 18 Jan. 1639/40. His widow was bur. 25 May 1653, at St. Gregory's, London. Will dat. 20 May, pr. 24 June 1653, by her son Francis Coventry. II. 1640. 2. Thomas (Coventry), Baron Coventry OF Ayles- BOROUGH, s. and h. by ist wife, b. about 1606; M.P. for Droitwich, 1625-26; for co. Worcester, 1628-29. Councillor of Wales, 1633; Joint Commissioner of Array in co. Worcester 1642, and signed the engagement with the King at York, 1 642. He was one of the Cavaliers im- prisoned in i655.(°) He m., 2 Apr. 1627, at St. Andrew Undershaft, Mary, sister of William, Earl of Craven, 3rd da. of Sir William Craven, Lord Mayor [1610-11], by Elizabeth, 3rd da. of William Whitmore, of London, merchant. She, who ^zs bap. 17 Oct. 1602, at St. Antholin's, London, d. 18 Oct. 1634, in childbed, aged 32. Admon. 29 Nov. 1634. He d. 27 Oct. 1661, at Lincoln's Inn Fields, Midx., aged ^^. Both were bur. at Croome. M.I. Will pr. Feb. 1662. III. 1 66 1. 3. George (Coventry), Baron Coventry OF Ayles- BORouGH, 1st s. and h., b. about 1628; Custos Rot. of co. Worcester, 1660. He m., 18 July 1653, Margaret, da. of John (Tufton), 2nd Earl of Thanet, by Margaret, da. of Richard (Sackville), Earl of Dorset. He d. 15 Dec. 1680, at Lincoln's Inn Fields afsd., aged 52, and was bur. at Croome. Admon. 1 7 Jan. 1 680/1. His widow, who was b. 13 July 1636, was living July 1687, and d. at Canterbury. (') By his and wife he was father of Henry Coventry, sometime Secretary of the North, and of Sir William C, both leading politicians in the reign of Charles II. V.G. (*") Bacon in i6l6 speaks of him as a "well learned and an honest man; but he hath been, as it were, bred by Lord Coke and seasoned in his ways." Lord Clarendon writes of him that " he was a man rather exceedingly liked than passionately beloved," and that " he discharged all the offices he went through with great abilities and singular reputation of integrity," which last good quality appears to have been generally acknowledged by his contemporaries. He was, however, more of a lawyer than a politician, and appears to have had little influence at Court. Lord Hardwicke states that he " was very able, and contributed a great deal towards modelling the Court of Chancery." Sir Henry Craik remarks that "from small beginnings he had by pro- found knowledge and consummate dexterity attained the highest position in the law;" and that he had " managed to combine the grace of the courtier with a simplicity of his own." G.E.C. and V.G. (') For a list of these see note $ub Byron.