First to marry an heiress.
COKE & EARLS OF LEICESTER
There are two main routes to advancement.
Alternatively become a lawyer.
Law is a shortcut route to fortune and fame. Dynasties may die out but property remains.
Earls of Leicester include turn:
Beaumont 1103,
Montfort 1206,
Plantagenet 1264,
Dudley 1563,
Sydney 1618,
Coke 1744,
Roberts/Coke 1837. All from reference books here or memory thirty years stale.
Coke: one of the earliest recorded was written Coke of Dodington, Norfolk whose decendant Sir Gerald Coke of Mileham, Norfolk was in turn a grammar school boy, Trinity Cambridge, Lincon's Inn. He also snared Bridget, the daughter of John Paston plus her fortune of £30,000. He married secondly Lady Elizabeth Cecil (Exeter). He died 1610. The line of property eventually passed to his grandson Robert Coke of Torrington via Henry his younger son. Sir Edward Coke died in 1707 whose eldest son Thomas Coke, Knight of the Bath, Baron Lovel, Joint Postmaster General and created Viscount Coke of Holkham and Earl of Leicester. His only son, Edward Viscount Coke died before his father, and the property passed to Anne, daughter of his (Edward's) younger brother:-
Anne married Major Philip Roberts (origin presently unknown). Major 2nd Horse Guards and their son Wenman Roberts inherited the entire estate, and assumed the Arms and name Coke, their son:-
Mr Thomas William Coke 1754-1842
First Earl of Leicester Viscount (1837 creation)
MP for Norfolk, Lord Lieutenant and so on, and raised to the peerage 1837. He was a very active and innovative agriculturist, some of his ideas have been superseded or are now regarded as fallacious. He was well ahead of his time. In 1775 he married Jane (died 1800) daughter of James Dutton and sister of 1st Baron Sherbourne. There were three daughters:-
Jane Elizabeth, married firstly Charles Nevison (who died in a shooting accident) and secondly Admiral Sir Henry Digby. She was the mother of Lady Jane Digby of whom later.
Ann Margaret married Thomas Viscount Anson who kept house for her father.
Elizabeth Wilhemina married John Spencer Stanhope cousin of Lady Hestor Stanhope grandmother of Pickering cousins of Cedric Titler.
Thomas William Coke married secondly in 1822 Lady Anne Keppel aged 17 who produced a son and heir 10 months later (Thomas William Coke 1822-1909 2nd Earl of Leicester), followed by four sons and a daughter.
Wenham Roberts married Elizabeth Chamberlayne and took the name Coke. A son, namely
Thomas Coke (1754-1842)
Earl of Leicester
MP for Norfolk, Created Earl of Leicester, Viscount Coke 1837. He married firstly 1775 to Jane daughter of James Dutton. She died in 1800 leaving three daughters, one of whom kept house for him. He and his friend William Charles, Earl of Albermarle were both widowers of long standing and Thomas Coke arranged two marriage settlements; Albermarle was to marry his niece Lady Susannah Hunloke, and Albermarle's daughter Anne to marry his nephew. When the first marriage took place early in 1822, Lady Anne spoke up and declared she would marry Thomas Coke or no-one. She was seventeen and he sixty-eight. His daughter walked out in a huff, she had been running the house for some years, she was 10 years older than the wifelette. Within a month the two were married and a bundle of joy and eventual heir arrived in time for Christmas. Three further sons and a daughter followed; the last when Thomas was 75. One of the sons died in 1916; a span of 167 years in two generations. He died 1842 aged 88.
His wife, Lady Anne Amelia Keppel, who descended from Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond, natural son of Charles 1st remarried the following year to the R Hon Edward Ellice MP, and died the following year.
