1069.] LORD CROFTS. 289 



antl Colonel of the Duke of York's troop of Guards." 

 Louis de Duras, Marquis de Blanquefort, and brother to 

 the Due de Duras, in France, was naturalized by Act of Par- 

 liament, 17 Charles II. He was subsequently elevated. to the 

 peerage by letters patent dated January 19, 1673, in the 

 dignity of Baron Duras of Holdenby. He married Mary, 

 elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir George Sondes, of Lees 

 Court, county Kent, K.B., which Sir George was elevated to 

 the peerage as Baron Throwley, Viscount Sondes, and Earl 

 of Feversham, with remainder in default of issue to his son- 

 in-law, Lord Duras, by letters patent, dated April 8, 1676. 

 In the following year the earl died — having been predeceased 

 by his elder son George, who was murdered in his bed by his 

 younger brother, Freeman, who suffered death for the atrocious 

 crime of fratricide — and Lord Duras became Earl of Fever- 

 sham. His lordship had a command at the battle of Sedge- 

 moor, and w?s commander of the army of James II. (by 

 whom he was made a Knight of the Garter), when the Prince 

 of Orange invaded England and was elected king by Par- 

 liament vice Shamus Ahoca, skedaddled. Duras survived the 

 Revolution, and died without heirs in 1709, when all his 

 honours became extinct. 



1^7 "Lord William Crofts." WiLLIAM Crofts, Esq., 

 lineal male heir of the family of Crofts, which had flourished 

 for several ages at Saxham, county Suffolk, and descended 

 by females from the ist Lord Wentworth, of Nettlested, as 

 also from the Montacutes, Earls of Salisbury, and Nevils, 

 Earls of Westmoreland, was elevated to the peerage May 18, 

 1658, as Baron Croftes of Saxham, county Suffolk. His 

 lordship having been brought up at court from his youth, 

 became first Master of the Horse to James, Duke of York, 

 next Captain of the Guards to the Queen-mother, and after- 

 wards one of the Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to Charles 

 II. He was also a sort of dry nurse to the Duke of Mon- 

 mouth before the latter was acknowledged by the king as his 

 son. Lord Crofts was subsequently employed as ambassador 

 to Poland, and for his services on that occasion obtained the 

 VOL. II. U 



