1 86 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book IV. 



of George, Lord Dunbar, Treasurer of Scotland, and elevated 

 to the peerage as Viscount Rochester, March 25, 161 1. In 

 May following he was installed a Knight of the Garter, and 

 created, November 3, 161 3, Baron Carr of Branspeth, in the 

 bishopric of Durham, and Earl OF Somerset, but, of course, 

 without any claim by birth or connection to these old and 

 honourable dignities. He was also nominated Lord Cham- 

 berlain of the Household, and sworn of the Privy Council. 

 At this time he was esteemed the first favourite of the Court, 

 and he retained his pride of place until the king discarded him 

 at Newmarket, as above mentioned. His implication in the 

 Overbury poisoning case, and his intrigue with Lady Francis 

 Howard, are subjects which have been treated by all the 

 historians of the period, and need no comment here. The 

 Earl of Somerset was released from the Tower in 1621, but 

 was afterwards confined in the house of Viscount Wallingford. 

 He died in July, 1645, leaving an only daughter, Anne, who 

 married William, 5th Earl of Bedford, and was mother of the 

 illustrious patriot, William, Lord Russell. The Countess of 

 Bedford was as distinguished for purity as her unhappy mother 

 had been for the reverse. Upon his lordship's decease this 

 Viscounty of Rochester and Earldom of Somerset happily 

 became extinct. 



^^ Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, K.G. — second 

 son of John, 4th Earl of Rutland, and Elizabeth, daughter of 

 Francis Charlton, Esq., of Apley Castle, Salop — succeeded to 

 the earldom on the death of his brother (who died issueless) 

 in 1612. In 1618 he succeeded his cousin, William Cecil, 

 Baron de Ros (son of Lady Elizabeth Manners, Baroness Ros, 

 by the Right Hon. William Cecil, Earl of Exeter), in that 

 barony, and thus reunited the Earldom of Rutland with the 

 Barony of Ros (which had been separated in 1587). He 

 married first, Frances, daughter and co-heir of Sir Henry 

 Knevet, of Charlton, county Wilts, and widow of Sir William 

 Bevill, of Kirkhampton, in Cornwall, by whom he had an only 

 daughter, Katherine, who married, 1st, George Villiers, ist 

 Duke of Buckingham, and 2ndly, Randal Macdonald, Earl 



