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12(ii). Sir Henry Shirley born
1588 d. 1633, of Staunton Harold, Leicestershire. buried in Breedon
on the Hill. He had a large carved pew made for Breedon on the
Hill. His father gave him a noble education, an exact knowledge
of the liberal sciences, and from Oxford he was sent for the
bettering of his understanding and the gaining of languages,
with license of the King, to travel beyond the seas. With all
the qualities that complete a gentleman, he returned to his country
and addressed himself to Henry Prince of Wales, and was received
with honor. When Henry Prince of Wales died, it so devastated
him that he retired into the country to live a solitary life,
determining not to think of courtly pomp or glory. Upon the persuasion
of his honored father, he married Dorothy Devereux, Immediately
upon the death of his father, Sir Henry by indenture, dated May
9, 1622, executed a strict entail of the family estates in Shirley,
Brailesford, Hone, Ednaston, Longford, Boobton, Hollington, Yeveley,
Rodisley, Wyaston, Borowes,Thurvaston, and Bradley (Derby Co.),
Silby and Ratcliff. In 1628, Henry was a prisoner in the Fleet
for scandalising Earl of Huntingdon. In 1633 he was busy rebuilding
the manor house of Ragdale in Leicester Co., an estate inherited
from the Bassett family by marriage with the Shirleys. Henry
was also a Roman Catholic.
married Dorothy Devereaux on May 18, 1615 at St. Lawrence
Pountney, London. daughter of Robert Earl of Essex, the favorite
of the Queen, and sister of Robert the last Earl. In 1633, James
Shirley, the poet, wrote a poem about Dorothy, widow of Henry.
children:
13(i). Charles Shirley born 1623 d. 1646 age
23 years, smallpox
13(ii). child Shirley was unborn when father died.
May have been stillborn says Stemmata.
13(iii). Sir Robert Shirley of Staunton Harold, Leicestershire,
Lord of Ettington born 1629 d. 1656 He was about 3 years
old when his father died. In 1645, Robert was admitted a fellow
commoner of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The following
year upon the premature death of his brother, Sir Charles Shirley,
succeeded him in the baronetcy and estates, being at that time
about fifteen years old, and a war, as also his brother had been
to his uncle Lord Essex. Upon the death of Lord Essex, Sir Robert
Shirley succeeded in the right of his mother Lady Dorothy to
a moiety of the estates of the Devereux family. About 1653 a
division was effected by which it was agreed that the Marquis
of Hertford, afterwards Duke of Somerset, who had married the
Lady Frances Devereux, eldest sister of Lord Essex, should have
his share of the property, Drayton Basset, in the county of Stafford
with the estate in county of Hereford and Brecon, Essex House,
in London and a moiety of the barony of Farney (Shirley estate),
in county of Monaghan in Ireland which had been granted to Walter
Earl of Essex, by Queen Elizabeth, in the year 1576. To Robert
Shirley's share fell the Chartley estate in the county of Stafford,
with property at Newcastle-under-Lyne, the tenements adjoining
Essex House, in London, a rent charge of 300 pounds going out
of Havodwyn, Blanarion or Blagnaron, and Penarth in the county
of Cardigan, and the other moiety of the barony of Farney, (Shirley
estates in Ireland). On his uncle's death, Sir Robert Shirley
retired into the country and from that time exerted himself as
a zealous adherent to the sacred cause of his sovereign and the
Church of England, in whose holy communion he was educated by
his mother, Lady Dorothy; for the Devereux family had early renounced
the errors of the Church of Rome, to which Sir Robert's father,
Sir Henry, was so sincerely attached. During the year 1647-48
Sir Robert appears to have been with other Royalists at Oxford,
and appears to be the one who was resident with his young wife
in St. John's college in that university. Sir Robert Shirley
built a church at Staunton Harold during the time Cromwell made
it penal for any persons to keep in their houses any of the sequestered
or ejected ministers in the capacity of chaplains or tutors,
which forbade them likewise to preach to any others than the
members of their own families, to perform of the offices of religion,
or to use the book of Common Prayer. Staunton Harold continued
to be during Sir Robert's life, an asylum to many of the distressed
divines. So upsetting was this that an order was issued to Sir
Robert saying, "He that could afford to build a church,
could no doubt afford also to equip a ship;" Sir Robert
Shirley refused, and was sent to the Tower of London, dying at
age 23, suspicioned of poisoning. The following letter of condolence
was written by Charles the II to Lady Shirley about a year after
her husband's death.
"It hath been my particular care of you that I have
this long deferred to lament with you the greate losse that you
and I have sustained, least insteede of comforting I might farther
expose you to the will of those who will be glad of any occasion
to do you further rejudice; but I am promised that this shall
be put safely into your hands, though it may not so soone as
I wish; and I am very willing you should know which I suppose
you cannot doubte, that I beare a greate parte with you of your
affliction, and whenever it shall be in my power to make it lighter,
you shall see I retayne a very kinde memory of your friende by
the care I shall have of you and all his relations; and of this
you may depende upon the word of your very affectione frinde....Charles
R"
married Katherine Okeover in 1646; She died 1672
children:
14(i). Seymour Shirley 1647 (he died, and their son
died without issue).
married Diana Bruce
14(ii). Robert Shirley,
1st Earl Ferrers of Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, Lord
of Ettington born 1650 East Sheen Surrey. In 1677, he was
created a Baronet. In 1682 his Lordship was appointed Master
of the Horse to Catharine Queen Dowager and in 1685 Steward of
her Household and one of the Privy Council to King James II.
In 1692 he was sworn of the Privy Council to King Willam, and
in 1708 to Queen Anne, who in 1711 advanced him to the dignity
of a Viscount and Earl by the style and title Earl Ferrers and
Viscount Tamworth. The title has continued to the present day
and Robert Washington Shirley is the 13th Earl Ferrers serving
in Parliament in the House of Lords. In 1678 he entailed his
entire estate upon failure of his own heir (if he didn't have
any) to the heirs male of his great grandfather Sir George Shirley,
but Robert had heirs.
married 1) Elizabeth Washington by whom he had 17 children.
married 2) Selina Finch daughter of George Finch, of
London esq.
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Shirleys of Staunton Harold