The Twickenham Museum
People : Bankers and Politicians

The Earl of Bradford
Royalist soldier, Whig politician & libertine
1620-1708

Francis Newport, 1st Earl of Bradford

Resident on Twickenham riverside

Francis, 2nd Baron Newport, was created Earl of Bradford in 1694. He came to Twickenham as Lord Newport in 1682, to live in the house on Twickenham's riverside later rebuilt as Richmond House. A Royalist, he fought at the battle of Oswestry in 1742, being taken prisoner there. At the Restoration he was made Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, holding this post until 1687. Between 1672 and 1687 he was Treasurer of the Household.

When he died, in 1708, he was taken to Wroxeter to be buried.

His 2nd son, Thomas, 1st and only Baron Torrington inherited Richmond House. When he died in 1719 his widow remained at the house until about 1736.

Isabella Wentworth records an altercation in St Mary's church on 12 August 1705 following the burial of Sir William Humble. Humble's coat of arms had been displayed on the pulpit reading desk for some days. Bradford took exception to this and pulled them off, stamping them on the ground: "Sum say it put him in mynd of death, and that was what vexed him, others say it was sumthing in the arms that offended him, thear being more in them than did belong to Sir William, and others that they should not have hung there soe long".

Bradford's wife, Diana Russell had died in 1695. Apparently he was contemplating marrying Lucy, the daughter of Sir Thomas Skipwith in 1708 when he died himself.

Further reading:

D H Simpson, Twickenham Society in Queen Anne's Reign, Borough of Twickenham Local History Society Paper No 35, 1976

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