Anyway, finishing my work on the house of Queen Catherine of Braganza means that I'll soon be moving onto another household. So this may be the last person I tell you about from her house, and who better to end it with than Richard Lumley, first earl of Scarbrough.
Richard Lumley was born in 1650, eldest son of John Lumley and his wife Mary Compton. Educated as a Catholic, he went overseas in October 1667 on a grand tour, accompanied by his mother and Richard Lassels. He accompanied the duke of York to Scotland in 1679 before becoming a volunteer with reinforcements sent to Tangier in 1680. He served as the earl of Feversham's replacement as master of the horse to Queen Catherine of Braganza, from September 11 1681 to February 23 1682. Since he had succeeded to his grandfather's Irish title, in 1681 he was made Baron Lumley of Lumley Castle. On October 25, 1684 he replaced the earl of Clarendon as treasurer to Queen Catherine. He eventually married Frances Jones, daughter of Sir Henry Jones of Aston, on March 17 1685.
Once Montmouth's rebellion began, Lumley was commissioned to raise a troop of horse in Hampshire on June 18, 1685. His men were at Ringwood in Hampshire when patrols captured Lord Grey of Wark on July 7 and Monmouth himself the next day. As a result of this, Lumley was appointed colonel of a new regiment of cavalry but was fired in 1686 because he opposed to the repeal of the Test Acts. In 1687 he converted to Protestant, making his politics whig from then on, and joined the conspiracy against James II in 1688, helping to organize the petition in support of the seven bishops and signing the June 30 invitation to William of Orange to intervene. During the Convention Parliament, he supported the idea that the throne was vacant. Following his dedication to getting William on the throne, he was made a privy councillor on February 14, 1689, gentleman of the bedchamber on February 23rd, colonel of the 1st troop of Life Guards on April 2, and lord lieutenant of co. Durhan and of Northumberland. He was created Viscount Lumley of Lumley Castle in April of 1689 and earl of Scarbrough five days later.
Lumley crossed to Ireland with William II in 1690 and fought at the Boyne. He was then transferred to the Netherlands in 1691, where he was promoted to major-general in April 1692 and lieutenant-general on October 4, 1694. He left the army in 1699, selling his colonelcy of the Life Guards to the earl of Albermarle. Queen Anne continued him in his appointments, and he was appointed a commissioner for the union with Scotland on May 10 1706. He apparently took his responsibilities very seriously. Though he lost his office in 1712 with the tory purge, he was reinstated to them by George I. He died at his home, Lumley Castle, of apoplexy on December 17 1721 and was buried in Chester-le-Street.
Lumley's story isn't nearly as long or perhaps even as interesting as some of the previous court members I've talked about. However, I find it interesting how his life played out. He was definitely a politician. He went with the tide in his political atmosphere, changing his allegiances to the whigs when he converted to Protestantism. This, in turn, put him on the side of William of Orange when he overthrew James II. It makes me curious as to how many elites during this time underwent the same change? Were these men changing to whigs because of their religion? Were some forced to change political sides if they became protestant? How did this affect the overthrow of James II? I find the political climate that he was a part of very intriguing, as one's religious preferences could end up affecting his or her entire career.
John Childs, ‘Lumley, Richard, first earl of Scarbrough (1650–1721)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2007 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/17182, accessed 9 Oct 2016]
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