Laurence Shirley (1693 - 1743)

Ancestors

Husband of Anne (Clarges) Shirley — married 29 Apr 1718 in St. James Palace Chapel, Westminster, London, England

Descendants

Died 27 Apr 1743 at age 49 in Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, England

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Biography

Hon. Laurence Shirley (1693-1743) was the tenth son of Robert Shirley, 1st Earl Ferrers and his first wife Elizabeth Washington. He was born at Staunton Leicestershire on 26 September 1693. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

At age 18, he matriculated at Christ College Oxford on 3 May 1712 and the Inner Temple 1716. ^[4] He married Anne Clarges, daughter of Sir Walter Clarges, 1st Bt. and Elizabeth Gould, on 29 April 1718 at St. James Palace Chapel, Westminster, London, England. Their marriage had twelve children, of whom three sons in turn succeeded to the Earldom and two had careers in the Navy; all the daughters died unmarried: ^{[2] [3]}

Laurence Shirley, 4th Earl Ferrers - b. 18 Aug 1720,;d. 5 May 1760

Vice-Admiral Washington Shirley, 5th Earl Ferrers - b. 26 May 1722, d. 11 Oct 1778

Robert Shirley, 6th Earl Ferrers - b. 20 Jul 1723, d. 17 Apr 1787

Rev. Hon. Walter Shirley - b. 28 Sep 1726; d. 7 Apr 1786

Rear-Admiral Hon. Thomas Shirley - b. 6 Apr 1733; d. 7 Apr 1814

John Shirley- b. 4 June 1735; died young

Anne - b. 1726; died young

Mary - b. 1726; died young

Mary (2) - b. 1730; d. young 1732

Elizabeth - b. 1732; d. 31 April 1803

Anne (2) - b. 1734; d. December 1810

Jane - b. 1737; died young

Laurence Ferrers died on 27 April 1743. and was buried at Staunton Harold. His memorial inscription reads: He was a gentleman whose honour was inviolable, his good nature engaging, and his religion serious; a most affectionate husband, a tender parent, and a kind master. His wife Anne survived him until 29 May 1782, when she was buried there with him. ^[3]

His brother Henry, the ninth son of the first earl, succeeded to the title as 3rd Earl Ferrers in 1729 and died unmarried in 1745. The title thus descended afterward to Laurence's first son Laurence Shirley, as 4th Earl Ferrers, who was executed for murder in 1760, and following him to his brothers Washington as fifth earl, and Robert as sixth.

Sources

1. ↑ Cokayne, GE. Complete Peerage, vol. 5, p. 335 ff. 1926. /CokayneG.E.TheCompletePeerageSecondEditionVolume5EAGO/page/n177/mode/1up Ferrers
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Collins, Arthur. Collins's peerage of England : genealogical, biographical, and historical p. 100. London : Printed for F.C. and J. Rivington, Otridge and Son,1812. Ferrers
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Stemmata Shirleiana, pp. 189 ff. Westminster : Nichols and Sons, 1873. Ferrers
4. ↑ "Shield-Smethurst." Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714. Ed. Joseph Foster. Oxford: University of Oxford, 1891. 1350-1368. British History Online. Web. 8 July 2023. BHO

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