Rachel Russell, Lady Russell

Lady Rachel Wriothesley
Rachel Wriothesley, Lady Russell Engraving by John Cochran after a portrait by Samuel Cooper
Born	c.1636 Titchfield, Hampshire, England
Died	29 September 1723 (aged 87) Southampton House, Bloomsbury, London
Burial place	Bedford Chapel, Chenies, Buckinghamshire
Nationality	English
Known for	Her numerous letters which were later published in 1773
Title	Lady Vaughan Lady Russell
Spouse(s)	Francis Vaughan, Lord Vaughan William Russell, Lord Russell
Children	Rachel Russell, Duchess of Devonshire Catherine Russell, Duchess of Rutland Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford
Parent(s)	Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton Rachel de Massue (1603- 16 February 1640)

Rachel Wriothesley, Lady Russell (c. 1636 – 29 September 1723) was an English noblewoman, heiress, and author. Her second husband was William Russell, Lord Russell, who was implicated in the Rye House Plot and later executed. A collection of the many letters she wrote to her husband and other distinguished men was published in 1773.

Family and early years

Lady Rachel was born in about 1636 at Titchfield, Hampshire, the second eldest daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, by his first wife, Rachel de Massue, daughter of Daniel de Massue, Seigneur de Ruvigny and Madeleine de Pinot des Fontaines.

She had an older sister, Elizabeth (c.1635–1679), who in 1661 would marry Edward Noel, 4th Viscount Campden, by whom she had issue. Elizabeth and Rachel's mother, a member of the noble French Huguenot de Ruvigny family, died on 16 February 1640 when Rachel was about four years old.

Rachel's maternal cousin was Henri de Massue, Marquis de Ruvigny, 1st Earl of Galway, who would later serve King William III in Ireland.

In 1642, when Rachel was about six years of age, her father married Lady Elizabeth Leigh, by whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth. The latter would later marry the 11th Earl of Northumberland. Rachel's father would take a third wife, Frances Seymour in 1659, although that union did not produce any children.

Rachel received a religious upbringing, and remained throughout her life, a devout member of the Church of England.

In her youth, she was described as having been remarkable for her elegance of form, personal beauty, and graceful manners.

Marriages and issue

In 1653, Rachel married her first huband, Francis Vaughan, Lord Vaughan, the eldest son of Richard Vaughan, 2nd Earl of Carbery. Upon their marriage, Rachel went to live with her father-in-law at Golden Grove in Carmarthen, Wales. In 1655 she gave birth to a child, whose sex and name was not recorded as it died shortly after its birth. She became a widow in 1667, which was the same year her father died. He left his entire fortune to Rachel and her older sister, Elizabeth, Viscountess Campden. The latter received the family seat of Titchfield, while the share which Rachel inherited was the domain of Stratton, also in Hampshire. Rachel remained with the Viscountess Campden at Titchfield for some time after their father's death. In 1669, Rachel married her second husband, William Russell, MP for Tavistock, a son of William Russell, 5th Earl of Bedford and Lady Anne Carr, who was three years her junior. They obtained a marriage licence at Titchfield on 31 July 1669. The marriage was described as having been happy, and Lord Russell appreciated his wife's intelligence, virtue, affection and piety.In 1678, upon the death of his childless brother, Francis, William succeeded to the title of Lord Russell, and Rachel was thereafter styled as Lady Russell.

Together William and Rachel had three children:

• Rachel Russell (January 1674 – 28 December 1725), married William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire, by whom she had five children.
• Catherine Russell (23 August 1676 – 30 October 1711), married John Manners, 2nd Duke of Rutland, by whom she had nine children.
• Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford (1 November 1680 – 26 May 1711), married Elizabeth Howland, by whom he had six children.

Rye House Plot

A 19th-century painting depicting Rachel and her children visiting her husband Lord Russell in the Tower of London sometime before his execution

In 1683, Rachel's husband was one of the conspirators in the Rye House Plot, which was a plan to ambush King Charles II of England and his brother, James, Duke of York on their way back to London from the Newmarket races. The plot was disclosed to the government. William, unlike his co-conspirators refused to escape to Holland. He was accused of promising his assistance in an insurrection and bringing about the death of the King and the Duke of York. On 26 June 1683, he was sent to the Tower of London, and shortly afterwards, tried and convicted of treason. She had acted as his secretary during his trial where he was sentenced to death by beheading. Upon his condemnation, Rachel laboured diligently to save her husband's life; she was aided by her father-in-law, Lord Bedford, who offered a sum of between £50,000 to £100,000 for a pardon to his son. Rachel even threw herself at the King's feet, pleading for him to grant clemency to her husband; however, the King was unmoved by her tearful pleas, and refused to abrogate the death sentence.

On the day before her William's execution, Rachel visited him in the Tower and they embraced one last time. The following morning, on 21 July 1683, he was beheaded at Lincoln's Inn Fields. Several days later, she wrote King Charles a letter.

The attainder against her husband was reversed by a bill which was passed in Parliament and received the royal signature in the reign of William and Mary.

Legacy

A portrait of Rachel's youngest daughter, Catherine Russell, Duchess of Rutland by John Vandervaart

Throughout her long life, Rachel was an avid letter-writer as well as an author. Her numerous letters, which were later published in 1773, were written mainly to her husband but also to many distinguished men such as John Tillotson, Archbishop of Canterbury. They were of good quality and exceptionally well-written, and her correspondence provides a personal insight into 17th-century English domestic life. In addition to her letters, Rachel also wrote diaries, essays, a catechism, and Instructions for Children.

Seven engraved portraits of Rachel Wriothesley are displayed in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Rachel died at Southampton House, Bloomsbury, London on 29 September 1723, the anniversary of her late husband's birth; she was about 87 years old. Rachel was buried beside her husband on 8 October 1723 in the Bedford Chapel at the Parish Church of Chenies, Buckinghamshire.

See also

• Rye House Plot

Ancestry

Family of Rachel Russell, Lady Russell

Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton Jane Cheney Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu Mary Browne Lady Jane Radcliffe Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton George Vernon, of Hodnet Sir John Vernon, of Hodnet Elizabeth Pigot Elizabeth Vernon Sir Richard Devereux Elizabeth Devereux Dorothy Hastings Rachel Wriothesley Thierry de Massue Nicolas de Massue, Seigneur de Saint-Aubin Péronne de Berengueville Daniel de Massue, Seigneur de Ruvigny Antoine d'Ailly Hélène d'Ailly de Pierrepont Charlotte de Famechon Rachel de Massue Jean de Pinot des Fontaines Madeleine de Pinot des Fontaines

References

• James Anderson, Memorable Women of the Puritan Times, 2003, Google Books, retrieved 30-10-09
• G. E. Cokayne, The Complete Peerage, Volume II, p.81
• thePeerage.com