Talk:Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury

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I am very much an amateur of 17th century English history (John Evelyn and Ralph Thoresby diaries are my interests) and whilst researching a reference in Ralph Thoresby's diary for 5th of March, 1683 I was inexorably led to the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury in WikipediA.

In order to widen your citation pool may I make the following suggestion:

The University of California Libraries has a copy of the 2 volume set of: "A life of Anthony Ashley Cooper, first Earl of Shaftesbury, 1621-1683 (1871)" in 2 volumes. the pair can be downloaded as a reference source from:

https://archive.org/details/lifeofanthonyash01chriuoft

https://archive.org/details/lifeofanthonyash02chriuoft

To whet your apetite it has such gems as:

'''"Ashley Cooper knew a reason

That treachery was in season,

When at first he turned his coat

From loyalty to treason."'''

Eric Soons 12:33, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

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I will admit to not knowing much about Shaftesbury (hence my visit to this page), however, it seems curious that he would have supported Charles II due to James II in 1644 - particularly as James was still a child at this time and didn't become king until 1685. Could someone who knows a little more than I do either expand on this or correct it? Thanks

Perhaps mention should be made of his descendent, the 10th Earl, who disappeared under peculiar circumstances Oct-Nov 2004.

Content from a page redirected here. Charles Matthews 13:24, 30 July 2005 (UTC)

Anthony Ashley Cooper
Lord (Earl) Shaftsbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper 1621-1683 was son of daughter of Anthony Ashley (secretary of War for Queen Elizbeth I) (and so the double name but he IS a Cooper) and John Cooper.

Brit Chancellor of the Exchequer and later Lord Chancellor.

Famous for running the Brit government during the 1670's and beginning of the 1680's, he passed the first habeas corpus act - beginning due process and ending the practice of jailing someone without a hearing; and he also passed an act to make the judiciary independent, beginning that important practice.

He was also Lord Proprietor (with 7 others) of the Carolina's - today's US North and South Carolina but extending on the west to the Pacific Ocean. And on the committees running the Virginia and Massachusetts colonies.

Esp famous too for accumulating wealth, he had at one time 40 men in livery to attend on guests at his parties.

Falling out with others in mid 1680's, he spent some time in the Tower of London , with false charges, and on release left to live until his death a short time later (1683) in Amsterdam, Holland....

His family continues prominent in UK today, with each succeeding Earl of Shaftsbury with the same name of Anthony Ashley Cooper. The one in this position in the 1800's was esp successful in passing child labor laws stopping sweat shops using children.

The family today remains esp involved in philanthropy.

Queen Elizabeth II is descended from this family.


 * Queen Elizabeth II is not descended from this family. However, Prince Philip's uncle Louis Mountbatten, married a descendant - Edwina Cynthia Annette Ashley, the great granddaughter of the 7th Earl. She was known as the Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Her husband was assassinated in Ireland by an IRA bomb in 1979. Her grandfather, Rt Hon Anthony Evelyn Melbourne Ashley (b. 1836), second son born to the 7th Earl, chose to use the surname Ashley rather than Ashley-Cooper. Cindamuse (talk) 13:48, 24 June 2010 (UTC)

Popish Plot?
Did he not play a prominent role asa supporter of Titus Oates and it was in relaton to this that he was tried and spent time in the Tower.--206.165.217.125 (talk) 17:46, 6 January 2009 (UTC) reference: http://kinnexions.com/smlawson/ashley.htm#Cooper.
 * Yes. This article was probably written by some one with an interest primarily in the settlement of the Carolinas.  This was a relatively minor issue, compared to his service as a minister and then as an opposition leader.  This is an important subject that is inadequately covered in this article: one short paragraph is not nearly enough.   Perhaps you would like to expand it.  There is at least one good published volume, not to mention Kenyon, Popish Plot.  If I remember correctly, he was tried and acquitted, as a result of the jury bringing in a perverse verdict.  Peterkingiron (talk) 16:30, 7 January 2009 (UTC)

I would also question whether he is best known as a patron of Locke. Ashley Cooper was also involved in the Green Ribbon Club and a fierce opponent of Roman Catholicism & promoter of the Exclusion Bill, despite which as a member of the CABAL he was party to the signing of the Treaty of Dover whereby Charles agreed to becaome a Catholic. He may also have been bribed by the French himself/. There is a huge amount o0f work to be done here. I may come back to it when I am less busy, unless someone else wants a go.--Streona (talk) 13:56, 9 July 2009 (UTC)

Major Expansion
I just wanted to let people know I'm going to do a major rewrite of the article. On the basis of this page's history, it doesn't look like this page has one person who is primarily responsible for it, but if you consider yourself primarily responsible, please let me know. My apologies in advance, but this may take a couple of weeks, and in the meantime, the page might be a little overly detailed on the early part of Shaftesbury's life, but, assuming I get finished, it will hopefully be worth it in the end. My main source will be Tim Harris' entry on Shaftesbury from the new Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Adam_sk (talk) 00:15, 8 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I will welcome your doing so. I may want to add more afterwards.  Shaftesbury was an important figure during the reign of Charles II, both as a minister and later in leading opposition to him.  One of the comments above alludes to his 19th century successor, who was also important but should probably not appear here. Peterkingiron (talk) 14:06, 9 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The article at present has far too many citations of ODNB. There is at least one modern full length biography, and you should also be using other books, such as Kenyon, Popish Plot.  If this is not done there is a danger that the whole thing will be reverted as copy-vio.  At present the section on the Exclusion Crisis is far too short, but I hope that is to come still.  Peterkingiron (talk) 21:38, 20 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Screw that. I've put more than enough time into this page and I cited to a reliable source.  If you want to add additional citations, do it yourself.  Adam_sk (talk) 04:01, 30 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I have to say congratulations to Adam sk on expanding this article, it's refreshing on seeing a seventeenth-century politician having such a full page. I agree that reliance on one source is to be avoided but Haley's biography is very scarce so it is unavoidable that the Oxford DNB is to be consulted so much.--Britannicus (talk) 20:24, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

Hyphenation
In all the sources I've seen, before he became Lord Ashley, Anthony Ashley Cooper is always referred to as "Cooper", not as "Ashley-Cooper". It therefore seems to me that it's more correct to not have the hyphen in the article title, so I'm switching the body of the article from Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury and moving it to Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury. I'm transferring the talk page, but see the old article for revisions prior to today. Adam_sk (talk) 23:13, 20 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Actually, according to the Earl's autobiography, it should be hyphenated. He never used the surname Cooper. As a condition of Sir John's marriage to Anne, Sir Anthony Ashley required that John Cooper's heir use the surname of Ashley-Cooper. Furthermore, he required that if an Ashley-Cooper male ever achieved nobility, the title should carry the name of Ashley. This agreement was made prior to 1622, when John Cooper, himself, was created a Baron. Thus, when John and Anne’s first son and heir was born on 22 Jul 1621 at Wimborne, St. Giles, Dorsetshire, the child was christened Anthony Ashley-Cooper. Anthony’s siblings remained Coopers.


 * Anthony Ashley-Cooper ascended to nobility in 1661 and received the dual titles of Baron Cooper of Pawlett and Baron Ashley of Wimborne, St. Giles. His father previously held the title of Baron Cooper of Pawlett. In 1672, Anthony Ashley-Cooper was also named the first Earl of Shaftesbury. Prior to 1661, he was referred to as Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper. After 1661, he was commonly referred to as Lord Ashley. Finally, from 1672 until his death in 1683, he was referred to as Lord Shaftesbury or just "Shaftesbury."


 * Although his Y-DNA is from the paternal Cooper line, his surname from birth was hyphenated Ashley-Cooper. Cindamuse (talk) 12:52, 24 June 2010 (UTC)


 * The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography doesn't hyphenate Ashley Cooper, and neither does A life of Anthony Ashley Cooper, first earl of Shaftesbury, 1621–1683 by W D Christie (1871). Nev1 (talk) 13:07, 24 June 2010 (UTC)


 * "A life of AAC..." was merely a graft from the original. I defer to the archives, rather than Oxford, which reveal in his own hand, the hyphenation. Cindamuse (talk) 14:02, 24 June 2010 (UTC)