William Coventry, 5th Earl of Coventry

William Coventry, 5th Earl of Coventry PC (c.1676 – 18 March 1751), known as William Coventry until 1719, was a British politician.

Life

Coventry was the son of Walter Coventry and his wife Anne (née Holcombe). His grandfather Walter Coventry was the youngest brother of Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry. He was elected to the House of Commons for Bridport in 1708, a seat he held until 1719, and served as Joint Clerk Comptroller of the Board of Green Cloth from 1717 to 1719. The latter year he succeeded his second cousin once removed as fifth Earl of Coventry and entered the House of Lords. In 1720 he was admitted to the Privy Council and appointed Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, a post he retained until his death. in 1724 he was successfully sued by Anne Coventry, the widow of Gilbert Coventry who was the previous earl, for her inheritance.[1]

Lord Coventry married Elizabeth, daughter of John Allen. She died in 1738. Coventry survived her by thirteen years and died in March 1751. His eldest son Thomas Henry Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst, predeceased him so he was succeeded by his second son George.

Notes

  1. Matthew Kilburn, ‘Coventry , Anne, countess of Coventry (1691–1788)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 28 Nov 2014

References

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Alexander Pitfield
Thomas Strangways
Member of Parliament for Bridport
with Thomas Strangways 1708–1713
John Hoskins Gifford 1713–1715
John Strangways 1715
Peter Walter 1715–1719

1708–1719
Succeeded by
Peter Walter
Sir Dewey Bulkeley
Honorary titles
Vacant
Title last held by
The Duke of Shrewsbury
Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire
1719–1751
Succeeded by
The Earl of Coventry
Preceded by
The Lord Parker
Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire
1719–1751
Peerage of England
Preceded by
Gilbert Coventry
Earl of Coventry
1719–1751
Succeeded by
George William Coventry
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