William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh

William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh (c. 1587 – 8 April 1643) was an English courtier. As brother-in-law of the royal favourite, the Duke of Buckingham, he became involved in major political, military and diplomatic events during the latter part of the reign of James I and under Charles I.

Biography
William Feilding was the son of Basil Feilding, of Newnham Paddox, Warwickshire (High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1612), and Elizabeth Aston, daughter of Sir Walter Aston. He matriculated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1603 and was knighted on 4 March 1607.

Ally of the Duke of Buckingham
In 1606, Feilding married Susan Villiers, daughter of Sir George Villiers. From around 1615, Susan's brother, George Villiers, became the favourite and self-described lover of King James I; George rose rapidly in status and influence and was made Duke of Buckingham in 1623. With the rise of Villiers, both Feilding and his wife received various offices and dignities. The historian S.R. Gardiner, in the 19th century, described Feilding as "the plain country gentleman who had the good luck to marry Buckingham's sister in the days of her poverty."

Feilding was created Baron and Viscount Feilding in 1620. Two years later he was appointed Master of the Great Wardrobe and Custos Rotulorum of Warwickshire and Earl of Denbigh on 14 September 1622.

Denbigh played a leading role in a number of failed political and military interventions in Europe that had been initiated by Buckingham. In 1623, Denbigh attended the Prince of Wales (the future Charles I) and Buckingham on the Spanish adventure, a failed attempt to persuade the Infanta of Spain to marry the Prince. In 1625, Denbigh served as admiral in the unsuccessful Cadiz Expedition. In 1628, Denbigh commanded the second naval attempt to relieve the Siege of Rochelle but returned to Portsmouth without engagement, as Denbigh said that he had no commission to hazard the king's ships in a fight.

In 1628, Denbigh became a member of the Council of war.

Journey to the East
In 1631, Lord Denbigh travelled to the East with the intention of visiting the Moghul court in India and the Safavid court in Persia,. His desire was "to see those countries" – a highly unusual endeavour for a man of his status and age (Denbigh was at that time over 50 years old).

"I have obtained leave from the King to make a voyage in the East India ship (as a volunteer) to the King of Persia and the Great Mogul; in which voyage I hope to better my understanding and not impeach my estate. These doings, I have thought better to undertake than to live at home, get nothing, and spend all..."

Though he had elaborately decorated letters of recommendation from the King, Denbigh did not travel as an official ambassador and journeyed with only six servants: the East India Company were unenthusiastic about their aristocratic passenger. With his unimpressive retinue, Denbigh was treated with disdain by the Moghul Governor of Surat who refused to meet him or to provide a horse: Feilding presumably travelled on to meet the Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan in a bullock cart of an ordinary merchant caravan. It seems Denbigh did meet Shah Jahan but he was unable to meet the Shah of Persia: Feilding's boat docked for only 5 weeks in the south of Persia which would have not allowed time for a journey to the royal court at Isfahan and, anyway, the Shah was on military campaign. Academic Jean McIntyre reports different accounts of the gains Denbigh might have made on his travels: she reports James Howells as stating that “The Lo; Denbigh is returned from ye great Mogor full of jewells" though Denbigh himself stated he brought back only a small piece of cloth and an old coat.

Later life and the Civil War
In 1633, Denbigh was made a member of the Council of Wales and the Marches.

On 6 July 1641, a barge carrying Feilding, his daughter Elizabeth, Lady Kinalmeaky, Lady Cornwallis, and Anne Kirke capsized while shooting the rapids at London Bridge. Kirke was drowned but the other passengers were rescued.

On the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, Denbigh served as a Cavalier under Prince Rupert of the Rhine and was present at the Battle of Edgehill. On 3 April 1643, during Rupert's attack on Birmingham, he was wounded and died from the effects on the 8 April 1643, being buried at Monks Kirby in Warwickshire. His brother, Edward Feilding, who also served in the Royalist army, was killed at the second battle of Newbury the following year. Lord Denbigh's courage, unselfishness and devotion to duty are much praised by Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon.

Family
Sir William and his wife, Susan Villiers, had six children:


 * Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh (c. 1608–1675)
 * George Feilding, 1st Earl of Desmond (c. 1614–1665)
 * Lady Mary Feilding (1613–1638), married James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton.
 * Lady Anne Feilding (died 1636), married Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden
 * Elizabeth Feilding, Countess of Guildford (died 1667), married Lewis Boyle, 1st Viscount Boyle.
 * Lady Henrietta Marie Feilding (died young)

In 1632, Feilding's daughters Mary and Anne, and his niece Goditha Arden, a maid of honour, joined Henrietta Maria to perform in the court masque The Shepherd's Paradise.

His daughter, Lady Mary Feilding (1613–1638), also known as Margaret, was married to James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, one of the heirs to the throne of Scotland after the descendants of James VI (James I of England). Her portrait was painted by Anthony van Dyck and Henry Pierce Bone. His eldest son, Basil, inherited the title of Earl of Denbigh and famously fought against his father during the Civil War. His second son, George Feilding, was awarded the right to the title of Earl of Desmond at the same time as his father was made Earl of Denbigh in 1622. George Feilding was around eight years old at the time. The Earldom of Desmond was a lesser title than the Earldom of Denbigh, being a title in the Irish, rather than English, peerage.