Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey, KG, PC (1608 – 25 July 1666) was an English soldier, courtier, and politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

between 1624 and 1626. He was created Baron Willoughby de Eresby by writ of acceleration in 1640 and inherited the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Be ...

of Earl of Lindsey in 1642. He fought in the

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...

army in the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

Early life

Bertie was born in Grimsthorpe Castle, Grimsthorpe, the eldest son of Robert Bertie, 1st Earl of Lindsey, and his wife Elizabeth Montagu, daughter of Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton. After a brief term at

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (referred to informally as "Sidney") is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1596 under the terms of the will of Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex (1531–1589), wif ...

, in 1623, Bertie then served as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

in 1624 and Stamford from 1625 to 1626, when, upon his father's elevation to an earldom, he assumed the style of Lord Willoughby de Eresby. At some point during his early life, he was also

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Tr ...

in the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

. He rose in favour with King Charles I and was appointed a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, High Steward of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, and Steward, Warden and Chief Ranger of

Waltham Forest The London Borough of Waltham Forest () is a London borough in north-east London, England. Its population is estimated to be 276,983 in 2019. It borders five other London boroughs: Enfield to the north-west, Haringey to the west, Hackney to t ...

in 1634. In 1639, Willoughby raised The King's Life Guard of Foot, composed of four companies, for service in the First Bishops' War and was given a Captaincy in the regiment. The following year, he was appointed High Steward of the Honour of Bolingbroke and the Manor of Sutton. When the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septe ...

was convened on 3 November 1640, he was summoned to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

by a writ of acceleration as Baron Willoughby de Eresby. In October 1641, Lord Willoughby and four companions, including

Endymion Porter Sir Endymion Porter (1587–1649) was an English diplomat and royalist. Early life He was descended from Sir William Porter, sergeant-at-arms to Henry VII, and son of Edmund Porter, of Aston-sub-Edge in Gloucestershire, by his cousin Angela ...

, visited Scotland. Their sight-seeing was recorded in an anonymous poem, ''A Scottish Journie''.

English Civil War

Both Lord Willoughby and his father supported the King and raised a regiment of cavalry in

on his behalf. Lord Willoughby commanded the Life Guards at Edgehill, where his father was mortally wounded by a shot through the thigh. Willoughby surrendered to the Parliamentarians in order to attend his father, whom he now succeeded as Earl of Lindsey and

Lord Great Chamberlain The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable. The Lord Great Chamberlain has charge over the Palace of Westminster (tho ...

. He was imprisoned in Warwick Castle, where he wrote a defiant declaration and justification of his loyalty to the King. He was not released until a prisoner exchange in July 1643, whereupon he rejoined the King at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and was appointed a Privy Counsellor in December. As

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

of the King's Life Guards of Foot and subsequently

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

of the Life Guards "and all the foot", he fought at the First Battle of Newbury,Patrick W. Montague-Smith,
Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage
' (1985), p. 730.

Cropredy Bridge Cropredy Bridge is a bridge in north Oxfordshire, England, that carries the minor road between Cropredy and the hamlet of Williamscot. It spans the River Cherwell, which is also the boundary between the civil parishes of Wardington (which includ ...

, Lostwithiel, Second Battle of Newbury, and was wounded at

Naseby Naseby is a village in West Northamptonshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 Census was 687. The village is 14 mi (22.5 km) north of Northampton, 13.3 mi (21.4 km) northeast of Daventry, and 7&nb ...

. In addition to his military services for the King, Lindsey frequently acted as a commissioner to treat with Parliament and persistently urged reconciliation. The King additionally honored Lindsey with the post of

Gentleman of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Households of the United Kingdo ...

from 1643 until 1649, and Steward, Keeper and Ranger of

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...

in 1644. Lindsey was present at the surrender of Oxford in June 1646, attended the King in 1647, and finally served as a commissioner for the

Treaty of Newport The Treaty of Newport was a failed treaty between Parliament and King Charles I of England, intended to bring an end to the hostilities of the English Civil War. Negotiations were conducted between 15 September 1648 and 27 November 1648, at Newpo ...

in 1648. He continued to attend the King during his trial and accompanied the King's body to its burial at Windsor. Lindsey paid heavily for his allegiance, compounding for his estates in December 1646 at £4360 (later reduced to £2100), a sum he did not pay off until 1651.

Commonwealth and Restoration

After the execution of the King, Lindsey retired into private life, and although his movements were carefully monitored by the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

, particularly during the Penruddock uprising and

Booth Booth may refer to: People * Booth (surname) * Booth (given name) Fictional characters * August Wayne Booth, from the television series ''Once Upon A Time'' *Cliff Booth, a supporting character of the 2019 film ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ...

's rebellion, he apparently took no part in the Royalist movement. After the Restoration, Lindsey was re-appointed to the Privy Council, admitted as Lord Great Chamberlain, and appointed Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire. He was made a Knight of the Garter on 1 April 1661 and officiated as Lord Great Chamberlain at the coronation of Charles II on 23 April 1661. In 1662, the office of

Earl Marshal Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the U ...

was placed in commission and he was named one of the commissioners. Lindsey died in 1666 at Campden House,

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...

, the home of his son-in-law, and was buried at Grimsthorpe.

Family

Bertie married firstly, on 18 April 1627, Martha Ramsay (née Cockayne), Dowager Countess of Holderness and daughter of Sir William Cockayne, at the Church of St Peter-le-Poor in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

. They had eight children: *

Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey PC FRS (8 November 1630 – 8 May 1701), styled Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1642 to 1666, was an English nobleman. He was the son of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey and Martha Cokayne. He travelled on ...

(1630–1701) *Hon. Peregrine Bertie (ca. 1634–1701) *Hon. Richard Bertie (ca. 1635 – 19 January 1685/6) *Hon.

Vere Bertie Vere Bertie (died 1680) was an English barrister and judge. Life and career He was of a Cavalier family, the fourth son to Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey, Lord Great Chamberlain to Charles I, and his first wife Martha, daughter of Sir Willia ...

(d. 13 February 1680) *Hon.

Charles Bertie Charles Bertie may refer to: *Charles Bertie (senior) (c. 1640–1711), British diplomat *Charles Bertie (died 1730) Charles Bertie (c.1678 – 12 April 1730) of Uffington, near Stamford, Lincolnshire was a British politician who sat in the H ...

(ca. 1640–1711) *Lady Elizabeth Bertie (d. 1683), married the 3rd Viscount Campden and had issue *Lady Bridget Bertie (1629 – 7 January 1704), married the 1st Duke of Leeds and had issue *Lady Catherine Bertie, married Robert Dormer Martha died in July 1641, and Bertie married secondly, sometime between 1646 and 1653, Bridget Wray, Baroness Norris, daughter of Edward Wray and

Elizabeth Norris Elizabeth Norris, 3rd Baroness Norreys of Rycote, '' suo jure'' (c. 1603 – November 1645) was an English noblewoman. She was the wife of Edward Wray, Groom of the Bedchamber to King James I of England, with whom she eloped in 1622, and inc ...

. This second marriage produced four children: *

James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon (16 June 1653 – 22 May 1699), styled Hon. James Bertie until 1657 and known as the 5th Baron Norreys from 1657 until 1682, was an English nobleman. Early life and relations Bertie was the eldest son of Montag ...

(1653–1699) *Hon. Edward Bertie *Hon. Henry Bertie (ca.1656–1734) *Lady Mary Bertie (1655–1709), married

Charles Dormer, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

, no issue

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Lindsey, Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of 1608 births 1666 deaths 2 *15 Knights of the Garter Lord Great Chamberlains Lord-Lieutenants of Lincolnshire Members of the Privy Council of England Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Montagu English MPs 1624–1625 English MPs 1625 English MPs 1626 Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber