Arlington, Henry Bennet, 1st earl of
- Arlington, Henry Bennet, 1st earl of
-
▪ English statesman
also called (1663–72) Baron Arlington
born 1618, Little Saxham, Suffolk, Eng.
died July 28, 1685, Euston, Suffolk
secretary of state under King
Charles II of England from 1662 to 1674 and a leading member of Charles's “Cabal” ministry. Besides directing foreign policy for 12 years, Arlington, by creating the nucleus of a “court party” (the future Tories) in the House of Commons, helped to develop the party system in England.
Bennet served as Charles's agent in Madrid while both were in exile after the English Civil War. As secretary of state, Bennet (created Baron Arlington in 1663 and given an earldom in 1672) survived parliamentary censure for the conduct and result of the second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–67). With the fall of the 1st Earl of Clarendon, the lord chancellor, in 1667, Arlington became in effect the chief minister of state.
A skeptic in religion (although on his deathbed he professed himself a Roman Catholic), he used the fear of popery to rouse popular feeling against France. In 1668, with Sir William Temple (one of the outstanding men whom Arlington brought into the King's service) as intermediary, he negotiated the Protestant Triple Alliance of England, the Dutch Republic, and Sweden. Because he was in the King's confidence, however, Arlington was ambiguously involved in Charles's pro-French and pro-Catholic policies that were embodied in the secret Anglo-French Treaty of Dover (
Dover, Treaty of) (1670), in which Charles agreed, among other things, to support Louis XIV of France in war against the Dutch Republic. Although Arlington supported measures intended to effectuate the Dover treaties (a second treaty having been signed openly later in 1670), he was thought to have taken bribes from the Dutch, with whom England concluded peace in 1673.
In 1674 Arlington, denounced by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham, was impeached for embezzlement, “betrayal of trust,” and promoting Roman Catholicism. The charges failed, but Arlington resigned the secretaryship of state (
Sept. 11, 1674) for the safer but lucrative position of lord chamberlain. He held that office until his death early in the reign of James II, whose exclusion from the succession to the throne Arlington may have proposed.
Additional Reading
Violet Barbour, Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, Secretary of State to Charles II (1914).
* * *
Universalium.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington — KG (1618 ndash; July 28, 1685), was an English statesman.He was the son of Sir John Bennet of Dawley, Middlesex, and of Dorothy Crofts, was the younger brother of John Bennet, 1st Baron Ossulston, was baptized at Little Saxham, Suffolk, in 1618,… … Wikipedia
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton — KG (28 September 1663 ndash; 9 October 1690) was the illegitimate son of King Charles II by Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine.In August 1672 he was married to Isabella, the daughter and heiress of Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington. They … Wikipedia
John Bennet, 1st Baron Ossulston — John Bennet, 1st Baron Ossulston, 1618 1688, was an English statesman. His father was also Sir John Bennet and his mother was Dorothy Crofts. His younger brother was Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington. He sat as MP for Wallingford, Oxfordshire.… … Wikipedia
Earl of Tankerville — is a title drawn from Tancarville in Normandy which has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once (in 1714) in the Peerage of Great Britain for Charles Bennet, 2nd Baron Ossulston. His father John Bennet, 1st Baron… … Wikipedia
Arlington House — may refer to the following:*Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial *Arlington House (Camden Town) a hostel for the homeless in London, England, and one of the Rowton Houses. * Arlington House in London, the demolished home of Henry Bennet,… … Wikipedia
Henry Bennett — may refer to: *Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington (1618 – 1685), English statesman *Henry Bennett (US politician) (1808–1868), U.S. Representative from New York *Henry Boswell Bennett (c. 1909–1938), British officer who died in service of Queen… … Wikipedia
Bennet — Not to be confused with Benet or Bennett NOTOC Bennet may refer to:People* Charles Bennet, 6th Earl of Tankerville * Douglas J. Bennet, president of Wesleyan University * Eduardo Bennet, soccer player * Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington *… … Wikipedia
Grafton, Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of, Earl Of Euston, Viscount Ipswich, Baron Sudbury — ▪ British noble born September 1663 died Oct. 9, 1690, Cork, County Cork, Ire. the second illegitimate son of Charles II of England by Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland. After some initial hesitation he was officially recognized and… … Universalium
Baron Arlington — is a title in the Peerage of England. In 1664, it was created for Sir Henry Bennet, younger brother of John Bennet, 1st Baron Ossulston, with a special remainder allowing it to descend to male and female heirs, rather than only male heirs, as was … Wikipedia
William Crofts, 1st Baron Crofts — (died 11 September 1677) was an English peer and courtier.Early lifeCrofts was the eldest son of Sir Henry Crofts (c.1590 ndash;1667) of Little Saxham, Suffolk, and his wife, Elizabeth (c.1595–1642), daughter of Sir Richard Wortley, of Wortley,… … Wikipedia
