General Notes

REFN: 8873AN
William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh (1582 - 8 April 1643), son of Bas
il Feilding of Newnham Paddox in Warwickshire, and of Elizabeth, daught
er of Sir Walter Aston, was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and k
nighted in 1603.
He married Susan, daughter of Sir George Villiers, sister of the future du
ke of Buckingham, and on the rise of the favourite received various offic
es and dignities. He was appointed custos rotulorum of Warwickshire, and m
aster of the great wardrobe in 1622, and created baron and viscount Feildi
ng in 1620, and earl of Denbigh on 14 September 1622. He attended Prince C
harles on the Spanish adventure, served as admiral in the unsuccessful exp
edition to Cadiz in 1625, and commanded the disastrous attempt upon Rochel
le in 1628, becoming the same year a member of the council of war, a
nd in 1633 a member of the council of Wales. In 1631 Lord Denbigh visit
ed the East.
On the outbreak of the English Civil War he served under Prince Rupert a
nd was present at the battle of Edgehill. On the 3rd of April 1643 duri
ng Rupert's attack on Birmingham he was wounded and died from the effec
ts on the 8th, being buried at Monks Kirby in Warwickshire. His courage, u
nselfishness and devotion to duty are much praised by Clarendon.
References
See E. Lodge, Portraits (1850), iv. 113; J. Nichols, History of Leicesters
hire (1807), iv. pt. 1, 273; Hist. MSS. Comm Ser. 4th Rep. app. 254; Ca
l. of State Papers, Dom.; Studies in Peerage and Family Histor
y, by J. H. Round (1901), 216.
(The descent of the Feildings from the house of Habsburg, through the coun
ts of Laufenburg and Rheinfelden, long considered authentic, and immortali
zed by Gibbon, has been proved to have been based on forged documents. S
ee J. H. Round, Peerage and Family History.)