George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol

George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol (22 February,1612 - 20 May,1677), eldest son of the first Earl.

At the age of twelve he appeared at the bar of the House of Commons and pleaded for his father, then in the Tower, when his youth, graceful person and well-delivered speech made a great impression. He was admitted to Magdalen College, Oxford, on August 15 1626, where he was a favorite pupil of Peter Heylin, and became M.A. in 1636. He spent the following years in study and in travel, from which he returned, according to Clarendon, the most accomplished person of our nation or perhaps any other nation, and distinguished by a remarkably handsome person.

In 1638 and 1639 were written the Letters between Lord George Digby and Sir Kenelm Digby, Knt. concerning Religion (publ. 1651), in which Digby attacked Roman Catholicism. In June 1634 Digby was committed to the Fleet till July for striking Crofts, a gentleman of the court, in Spring Gardens, and possibly his severe treatment and the disfavour shown to his father were the causes of his hostility to the court. He was elected member for Dorsetshire in both the Short and Long parliaments in 1640, and in conjunction with Pym and Hampden he took an active part in the opposition to Charles.

He moved on November 9 for a committee to consider the deplorable state of the kingdom, and off the 11th was included in the committee for the impeachment of Strafford, against whom he at first showed great zeal. He, however, opposed the attainder, made an eloquent speech on April 21, 1641, accentuating the weakness of Vane's evidence against the prisoner, and showing the injustice of ex post facto legislation. He was regarded in consequence with great hostility by the parliamentary party, and was accused of having stolen from Pym's table Vane's notes on which the prosecution mainly depended.

On July 15 his speech was burnt by the hangman by the order of the House of Commons. Meanwhile on February 8 he had made an important speech in the Commons advocating the reformation and opposing the abolition of episcopacy. On June 8, during the angry discussion on the army plot, he narrowly escaped assault in the House, and the following day, in order to save him from further attacks, the king called him up to the Lords in his father's Barony of Digby.

He now became the evil genius of Charles, who had the incredible folly to follow his advice in preference to such men as Hyde and Falkland. In November he is recorded as performing singular good service, and doing beyond admiration, in speaking in the Lords against the instruction concerning evil counsellors. He suggested to Charles the impeachment of the five members, and urged upon him the fatal attempt to arrest them on January 4, 1642, but he failed to play his part in the Lords in securing the arrest of Lord Mandeville, to whom on the contrary he declared that the king was very mischievously advised, and according to Clarendon his imprudence was responsible for the betrayal of the kings plan.

Next day he advised the attempt to seize them in the city by force. The same month he was ordered to appear in the Lords to answer a charge of high treason for a supposed armed attempt at Kingston, but fled to the Netherlands, wisere he joined the queen, and on February 26 was impeached. Subsequently he visited Charles at York disguised as a Frenchman, but on the return voyage to the Netherlands he was captured and taken to Hull, where he for some time escaped detection, and at last he cajoled Sir John Hotham, after discovering himself, into permitting his escape.

Later he ventured on a second visit to Hull to persuade Hotham to surrender the place to Charles, but this project failed. He was present at Edgehill, and greatly distinguished himself at Lichfield, where he was wounded while leading the assault. He soon, however, threw down his commission in consequence of a quarrel with Prince Rupert, and returned to the king at Oxford, over whom he obtained more influence as the prospect became more gloomy. On September 28 1643 he was appointed Secretary of State and a privy councillor, and on October 31, high steward of Oxford University. He now supported the queen's disastrous policy of foreign alliances and help from Ireland, and engaged in a series of imprudent and ill-conducted negotiations which greatly injured the king's affairs, while his fierce disputes with Rupert and his party further embarrassed them. On October 4 1645 he was made Lieutenant General of the royal forces north of the Trent, with the object of pushing through to join Montrose, but he was defeated.

Preceded by: The Viscount Falkland

Secretary of State 1643–1645

Followed by: None

Preceded by: John Digby

Earl of Bristol

Followed by: John Digby

Reference

• This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.