Biography of James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton 1622-1681

Before 19th August 1622 [his father] Spencer Compton 2nd Earl of Northampton [aged 21] and [his mother] Mary Beaumont Countess of Northampton [aged 18] were married. He the son of [his grandfather] William Compton 1st Earl of Northampton and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Spencer Countess Northampton [aged 47].

On 19th August 1622 James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton was born to [his father] Spencer Compton 2nd Earl of Northampton [aged 21] and [his mother] Mary Beaumont Countess of Northampton [aged 18].

On 24th June 1630 [his grandfather] William Compton 1st Earl of Northampton died. His son [his father] Spencer [aged 29] succeeded 2nd Earl of Northampton, 3rd Baron Compton of Compton in Warwickshire. [his mother] Mary Beaumont Countess of Northampton [aged 26] by marriage Countess of Northampton.

Around 1644. William Dobson [aged 32]. Portrait of James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 21].

In 1647 James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 24] and Isabella Sackville Countess Northampton [aged 24] were married. She by marriage Countess of Northampton. She the daughter of Richard Sackville 3rd Earl Dorset and Anne Clifford Countess Dorset and Pembroke [aged 56]. He the son of Spencer Compton 2nd Earl of Northampton and Mary Beaumont Countess of Northampton [aged 43]. They were half fourth cousins.

After 1647 James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 24] and Mary Noel Countess Northampton were married. She by marriage Countess of Northampton. He the son of Spencer Compton 2nd Earl of Northampton and Mary Beaumont Countess of Northampton [aged 43].

On 18th March 1654 [his mother] Mary Beaumont Countess of Northampton [aged 50] died.

John Evelyn's Diary. 5th April 1659. Came the Earl of Northampton [aged 36] and the famous painter, Mr. Wright [aged 41], to visit me.

On 14th March 1661 [his daughter] Alathea Compton was born to James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 38] and [his wife] Isabella Sackville Countess Northampton [aged 38]. She married before 14th October 1678 Edward Hungerford.

On 18th October 1664 [his son] George Compton 4th Earl of Northampton was born to James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 42] and [his wife] Mary Noel Countess Northampton. He married (1) 1686 Jane Fox Countess Northampton and had issue (2) 3rd July 1726 Elizabeth Rushout Countess Northampton, daughter of James Rushout 1st Baronet and Alice Pitt Lady Rushout.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 6th December 1667. Up, and with Sir J. Minnes [aged 68] to the Duke of York [aged 34], the first time that I have seen him, or we waited on him, since his sickness; and, blessed be God! he is not at all the worse for the smallpox, but is only a little weak yet. We did much business with him, and so parted. My Lord Anglesey [aged 53] told me how my Lord Northampton [aged 45] brought in a Bill into the House of Lords yesterday, under the name of a Bill for the Honour and Privilege of the House, and Mercy to my Lord Clarendon [aged 58]: which, he told me, he opposed, saying that he was a man accused of treason by the House of Commons; and mercy was not proper for him, having not been tried yet, and so no mercy needful for him. However, the Duke of Buckingham [aged 39] and others did desire that the Bill might be read; and it, was for banishing my Lord Clarendon from all his Majesty's dominions, and that it should be treason to have him found in any of them: the thing is only a thing of vanity, and to insult over him, which is mighty poor I think, and so do every body else, and ended in nothing, I think.

In 1669 [his daughter] Mary Compton Countess Dorset and Middlesex was born to James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 46] and [his wife] Mary Noel Countess Northampton. She married 7th March 1685 her sixth cousin Charles Sackville 6th Earl Dorset 1st Earl Middlesex, son of Richard Sackville 5th Earl Dorset and Frances Cranfield Countess Dorset, and had issue.

Around 1673 [his son] Spencer Compton 1st Earl Wilmington was born to James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 50] and [his wife] Mary Noel Countess Northampton.

John Evelyn's Diary. 17th April 1673. Dr. Compton [aged 41], brother to the Earl of Northampton [aged 50], preached on 1 Corinth. v. 11-16 [Note. This reference is ambiguous?], showing the Church's power in ordaining things indifferent; this worthy person's talent is not preaching, but he is likely to make a grave and serious good man.

In 1674 [his brother] Bishop Henry Compton [aged 42] was appointed Bishop of Oxford.

In May 1676 [his sister-in-law] Margaret Sackville Countess Isle Thanet [aged 61] died.

John Evelyn's Diary. 3rd September 1676. Dined at Captain Graham's, where I became acquainted with Dr. Compton [aged 44] (brother to the Earl of Northampton [aged 54]), now Bishop of London, and Mr. North, son to the Lord North, brother to the Lord Chief-Justice and Clerk of the Closet, a most hopeful young man. The Bishop had once been a soldier, had also traveled in Italy, and became a most sober, grave, and excellent prelate.

Before 14th October 1678 [his son-in-law] Edward Hungerford [aged 17] and Alathea Compton [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 56] and Isabella Sackville Countess Northampton [aged 56].

On 14th October 1678 [his daughter] Alathea Compton [aged 17] died.

On 15th December 1681 James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton [aged 59] died. His son George [aged 17] succeeded 4th Earl of Northampton, 5th Baron Compton of Compton in Warwickshire.

John Evelyn's Diary. 8th September 1686. Dr. Compton, Bishop of London [aged 54], was on Monday suspended, on pretense of not silencing Dr. Sharp [aged 41] [NOTE. Assumed to be the subsequent Archbishop?] at St. Giles's [Map], for something of a sermon in which he zealously reproved the doctrine of the Roman Catholics. The Bishop having consulted the civilians, they told him he could not by any law proceed against Dr. Sharp without producing witnesses, and impleaded according to form; but it was overruled by my Lord Chancellor [aged 41], and the Bishop sentenced without so much as being heard to any purpose. This was thought a very extraordinary way of proceeding, and was universally resented, and so much the rather for that two Bishops, Durham [aged 53] and Rochester [aged 51], sitting in the commission and giving their suffrages the Archbishop of Canterbury [aged 69] refused to sit among them. He was only suspended ab officio, and that was soon after taken off. He was brother to the Earl of Northampton, had once been a soldier, had traveled in Italy, but became a sober, grave, and excellent prelate.

On 22nd August 1719 [his former wife] Isabella Sackville Countess Northampton [aged 96] died at Compton Wynyates, Warwickshire [Map].