John Lovelace, Baron Lovelace of Hurley (1672-1709) (original) (raw)

John Lovelace (1672-1709) Born: 1672 at Hurley, Berkshire 4th Baron Lovelace of Hurley Governor-in-Chief of of New York and New Jersey Died: 6th May 1709 at New York, USA

John was the son of William Lovelace of Hurst and Mary daughter of Sir Edward Neville, bart. of Grove in Nottinghamshire. His grandfather, Francis, was the was the fourth and youngest son of Richard, 1st Baron Lovelace. He took his seat in the House of Lords in November 1693, after the death of his father's cousin, John, 3rd Lord Lovelace. He inherited the family estate of Ladye Place in Hurley from him, but was forced to sell up due to the huge debts that came with it. In consequence, he was wretchedly poor. The 4th Lord was made Guidon of the 1st Troop of Horse Guards and Vice to the Earl of Westmorland, on 30th May 1699, and subsequently Colonel of a regiment of foot, until 1707. He did not very materially improve his finacial position by his marriage, on 20th October 1702, to Charlotte, daughter of Sir John Clayton of Richmond. He was however created Colonel of the New Regiment on 17th January 1706, and kissed hands for the Government of New York and New Jersey (in place of Lord Cornbury, "recalled for numerous malpractices and misappropriations") on 23rd March 1708. He sailed from Southampton in the September following, being accompanied by fifty-two families of 'poor Palatines,' who are stated to have been the first German emigrants to America. News came of his arrival in January 1709. He was well received and issued conciliatory addresses to the colonists, who replied, with characteristic independence, that they had hitherto been subjected to the worst government in the World, but hoped for better things. Before he had effected anything, however, he died of an apoplexy, on 6th May 1709, and was buried in New York. He left two sons, John and Neville, successive Barons Lovelace. The latter died in 1736, when the barony became dormant, until it was revived in the person of William, 8th Lord King.

Edited from Sidney Lee's 'Dictionary of National Biography' (1893)