George Feilding, 1st Earl of Desmond (c. 1614 – 31 January 1665) was an English aristocrat, awarded the title of Earl of Desmond in the

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by Charles I of England under the terms of a letter patent issued by

James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

. George Feilding was the second son of

William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh Admiral William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh (c. 15878 April 1643, Cannock) was an English naval officer and courtier. Biography William Feilding was the son of Basil Fielding of Newnham Paddox in Warwickshire (High Sheriff of Warwickshire ...

, and his wife, the former Susan Villiers. Susan was the sister of

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, confidant and lover of James I, and her family were showered with titles and preferment as a result of George Villiers' immense influence. In 1622, when George Feilding was around 8 years old, James I created him Baron Fielding, of Lecaghe in the County of Tipperary, and Viscount Callan, of

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in the County of

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. At the same time, George was given the right to the title Earl of Desmond as and when the previous holder of that title,

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, died without a male heir. Preston had also been a favourite and probably a lover of James I; he had a daughter who, the plan was, George Feilding would marry, but this did not happen. In 1628 Preston died and George inherited the title. All three titles were in the Peerage of Ireland. Earl of Desmond is an ancient Irish title, the 1622 creation was its 4th, and current, creation. George married Bridget Stanhope, who was the daughter of Sir Michael Stanhope and Elizabeth Read and a sister-in-law of

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. The couple had several children: *Lady Frances Feilding (died 1680), who married

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, as his third wife *Lady Mary Feilding (died 1691), who married Sir Charles Gawdy, 1st Baronet *Lady Bridget Feilding (died 1669), who married Arthur Parsons * William Feilding, 2nd Earl of Desmond, later 3rd Earl of Denbigh *Hon. George Feilding, who married a daughter of Sir John Lee *Colonel Hon. Sir Charles Feilding (1641–1722), who married Ursula Stockton, daughter of Sir

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and Ursula Bellot, and widow of Sir

William Aston Sir William John Aston, KCMG (19 September 1916 – 21 May 1997) was an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he attended state schools before becoming an accountant and company director. He served in World War II from 1942 to 1944, and was ...

, (both Stockton and Aston were High Court

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) and had two daughters *Rev. Hon. John Feilding (1641–1697), who married Bridget Cokayne and had children, including John, secretary to the

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*Hon. Basil Feilding (died May 1667), killed in a quarrel by his brother Christopher *Hon. Christopher Feilding, sentenced to death in July 1667 for killing his brother Basil in a drunken quarrel."No one pitied him" was the terse verdict of

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

.''Diary'' 4 July 1667

References

* , - 1665 deaths 1614 births George Members of the Irish House of Lords Earls of Desmond (1628 creation) Peers of Ireland created by Charles I Younger sons of earls {{Ireland-earl-stub