HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [291 



eo. Surry, during his father's confinement in the Tower for his 

 loyalty to Charles I. where he d. during his imprisonment, on Dec. 

 14, 1677. His Majesty was pleased to confirm unto him and his 

 heirs the ancient Baronies of Ferrars, of Chartley, Bourchier, and 

 Lovaine, which honours had been in abeyance between the ladies 

 Frances and Dorothy Devereaux and their descendants from the 

 decease of their brother, the Earl of Essex, without issue. His 

 Lordship was in the 1st of Anne advanced to the dignity of Viscount 

 Tamworth. He m. first Elizabeth, daughter of Lawrence Washing- 

 ton, Esq. of Caresden, co. Wilts, by whom, who d. Oct. 2, 1693, he 

 had issue ten sons and seven daughters ; and by his second wife, 

 Selina, daughter of George Finch, Esq. he had five sons, 1st, 

 Robert, d. young ; 2d, George, d. an infant ; 3d, George, b. in 

 1705 ; 4th, Sewallis, b. in 1709, d. Oct. 31, 1765 ; 5th, John, b. in 

 1752, d. Feb. 15, 1768; and five daughters. His Lordship dying 

 Dec. 25, 1717, was succeeded by his second son, 



Washington, second Earl, b. June 22, 1677. He m. Mary, 

 daughter of Sir Richard Ley ings, Bart, by whom, who d. in Jan. 

 1740, he had issue three daughters, his co-heirs : 1st, Elizabeth, 

 m. June 24, 1725, Joseph Gascoigne Nightingale, of Enfield, co. 

 Middlesex, d. Aug. 1731 ; 2d, Selina, m, June 23, 1728, Theophi- 

 lus, Earl of Huntingdon, and d. in 1791 ; 3d, Mary, m. June 29, 

 1730, Thomas Needham, Lord Viscount Kilmorey, and d. Aug. 4, 

 1767. His Lordship dying April 14, 1729, and leaving no heir male, 

 the title devolved on 



Henry, third Earl, his next brother, who was b. April 14, 1691, 

 and dying in Aug. 1745 unmarried, the title devolved on his 

 nephew, Lawrence, son and heir of Lawrence Shirley, tenth son of 

 Robert first Earl Ferrars. 



Lawrence, fourth Earl, b, Sept. 16, 1752, m. Mary, youngest 

 daughter of Amos Meredith, Esq. son and heir of Sir William Mere- 

 dith, Bart, of Hanbury, in Cheshire, from whom he was separated 

 by act of Parliament. His Lordship, though he was at times a very 

 intelligent person, and a nobleman conversant in the Constitution 

 of his country, yet, on several occasions, exhibited symptoms of a 



constitutional insanity of mind. In one of these fits of disorder he 

 shot his steward, Mr. Johnson, in Jan. 1760; in April following he 

 was tried by his Peers, in Westminster-Hall, and suffered death on 

 the 5th of May following. His title and estate descended to his 

 next brother, 



Washington, fifth Earl, 6. May 26, 1722, m. April 19, 1746, 



