John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu 1690-1749

On 23rd December 1662 Josceline Percy 11th Earl of Northumberland [aged 18] and [his mother] Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Northumberland [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Countess of Northumberland. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Thomas Wriothesley 4th Earl of Southampton 2nd Earl Chichester [aged 55] and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Leigh Countess Southampton. He the son of Algernon Percy 10th Earl of Northumberland [aged 60] and Elizabeth Howard Countess Northumberland [aged 39]. They were third cousins.

In 1673 [his father] Ralph Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 34] and [his mother] Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Northumberland [aged 27] were married. She the wealthy daughter of [his grandfather] Thomas Wriothesley 4th Earl of Southampton 2nd Earl Chichester who had died six years previously. She the daughter of Thomas Wriothesley 4th Earl of Southampton 2nd Earl Chichester and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Leigh Countess Southampton. They were third cousin once removed.

In 1690 John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu was born to Ralph Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 51] and Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Northumberland [aged 44].

In 1690 [his mother] Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Northumberland [aged 44] died.

On 8th September 1692 [his father] Ralph Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 53] and [his step-mother] Elizabeth "Mad Duchess" Cavendish Duchess Albermarle Duchess of Montagu [aged 38] were married at Newcastle House. She the daughter of Henry Cavendish 2nd Duke Newcastle upon Tyne who had died the year before and the widow of Christopher Monck 2nd Duke Albemarle. She the daughter of Henry Cavendish 2nd Duke Newcastle upon Tyne and Frances Pierrepont Duchess Newcastle upon Tyne [aged 62].

In 1705 John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 15] and Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 15] were married. She the daughter of John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough [aged 54] and Sarah Jennings Duchess of Marlborough [aged 44]. He the son of Ralph Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 66] and Elizabeth Wriothesley Countess Northumberland. They were third cousins.

In 1705 [his father] Ralph Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 66] was created 1st Duke Montagu. [his step-mother] Elizabeth "Mad Duchess" Cavendish Duchess Albermarle Duchess of Montagu [aged 50] by marriage Duchess Montagu.

Around 1706 [his daughter] Isabella Montagu Duchess Manchester was born to John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 16] and [his wife] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 16]. She married (1) before 21st October 1739 her fourth cousin William Montagu 2nd Duke Manchester, son of Charles Montagu 1st Duke Manchester and Doddington Greville Duchess Manchester (2) 1743 Edward Hussey-Montagu 1st Earl Beaulieu.

In 1706 [his son] John Montagu was born to John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 16] and [his wife] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 16]. He died aged five in 1711.

On 9th March 1709 [his father] Ralph Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 70] died. He was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map]. His son John [aged 19] succeeded 2nd Duke Montagu, 4th Baron Montagu of Boughton in Northamptonshire. [his wife] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 19] by marriage Duchess Montagu.

Around 1711 [his daughter] Mary Montagu Duchess of Montagu was born to John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 21] and [his wife] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 21]. She married 7th July 1730 her fourth cousin once removed George Brudenell aka Montagu 1st Duke Montagu, son of George Brudenell 3rd Earl Cardigan and Elizabeth Bruce 3rd Countess Cardigan, and had issue.

In 1711 [his son] John Montagu [aged 5] died.

On 15th September 1712 Sidney Godolphin 1st Earl Godolphin [aged 67] died. His son Francis [aged 34] succeeded 2nd Earl Godolphin, 2nd Viscount Rialton, 2nd Baron Godolphin of Rialton in Cornwall. [his sister-in-law] Henrietta Churchill 2nd Duchess of Marlborough [aged 31] by marriage Countess Godolphin.

On 22nd March 1714 [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Churchill Countess Bridgewater [aged 27] died. She was buried at St Peter and St Paul Church, Little Gaddesden on 29th March 1714.

On 15th April 1716 [his sister-in-law] Anne Churchill Countess Sunderland [aged 33] died.

In 1719 John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 29] was appointed 532nd Knight of the Garter by King George I [aged 58].

On 16th June 1722 [his father-in-law] John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough [aged 72] died at Cranbourne Lodge, Windsor. His daughter [his sister-in-law] Henrietta [aged 40] succeeded 2nd Duchess Marlborough, 2nd Marchioness of Blandford, 2nd Countess of Marlborough, 2nd Baroness Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire. Francis Godolphin 2nd Earl Godolphin [aged 43] by marriage Duke Marlborough.

On 24th November 1722 [his half-sister] Elizabeth Percy Duchess Somerset [aged 55] died.

Before 1723 Godfrey Kneller [aged 76]. Portrait of John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 32].

On 27th December 1725 [his son] Edward Montagu was born to John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 35] and [his wife] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 36]. He died aged one in 1727.

Vesta Monumenta. 1727. The ruins of Furness Abbey [Map] in Lancashire. Engraving by George Vertue [aged 43] after an untraced drawing originally commissioned by John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montague [aged 37].

In May 1727 [his son] Edward Montagu [aged 1] died.

On 7th July 1730 [his son-in-law] George Brudenell aka Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 17] and Mary Montagu Duchess of Montagu [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 40] and Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 40]. He the son of George Brudenell 3rd Earl Cardigan [aged 44] and Elizabeth Bruce 3rd Countess Cardigan [aged 41]. They were fourth cousin once removed.

On 24th October 1733 [his sister-in-law] Henrietta Churchill 2nd Duchess of Marlborough [aged 52] died. Her nephew Charles [aged 26] succeeded 3rd Duke Marlborough, 3rd Marquess of Blandford, 3rd Earl of Marlborough, 3rd Baron Churchill of Sandridge in Hertfordshire. Elizabeth Trevor Duchess of Marlborough [aged 20] by marriage Duchess Marlborough.

Around 1735 Gavin Hamilton [aged 12]. Portrait of John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 45] and [his wife] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 45], and [his daughter] Mary Montagu Duchess of Montagu [aged 24].

Before 21st October 1739 [his son-in-law] William Montagu 2nd Duke Manchester [aged 39] and Isabella Montagu Duchess Manchester [aged 33] were married. She by marriage Duchess Manchester. She the daughter of John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 49] and Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 50]. He the son of Charles Montagu 1st Duke Manchester and Doddington Greville Duchess Manchester. They were fourth cousins.

Around 1740 George Knapton [aged 42]. Portrait of John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 50].

In 1743 [his son-in-law] Edward Hussey-Montagu 1st Earl Beaulieu [aged 22] and Isabella Montagu Duchess Manchester [aged 37] were married. She the daughter of John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 53] and Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 53].

On 6th July 1749 John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu [aged 59] died without surviving male issue. Duke Montagu extinct. His estates were inherited by his daughter Mary [aged 38] and her husband George Brudenell aka Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 36] who changed his name to Montagu from Brudenell. Monument in St Edmund's Church, Warkton [Map]. Sculpted by Louis Francois Roubiliac [aged 46]. Erected by his widow, Mary Churchill [aged 59], the daughter of the 1st Duke of Marlborough, who stands at the left hand side of the monument.

On 14th May 1751 [his former wife] Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu [aged 61] died. Monument in St Edmund's Church, Warkton [Map]. Sculpted by Louis Francois Roubiliac [aged 48]. Commissioned by her daughter, Lady Mary Montagu. The monument is adorned with figures representing the three fates of Clotho, Atropos and Lachesis, arranged to show the cutting of Mary's life thread, and Lachesis' dismay at it being cut short. Three putti also figure on the monument, one of whom holds the spindle from which the thread was cut.

Clotho: Clotho is one of the Three Fates. She spins the thread of human life.

Atropos: Atropos is one of the Three Fates. She cuts the thread of human life.

Lachesis: Lachesis is one of the Three Fates. She measures the thread of human life.

Adeline Horsey Recollections. The wicked Countess and her lover lived at Cliveden [Map] - "the bower of wanton Shrewsbury and of love" - and her spirit is supposed to haunt the beautiful riverside retreat, but I am thankful to say she has never appeared in the old home of her innocent girlhood. Her portrait by Sir Peter Lely hangs in the White Hall at Deene, and is a fine example of the artist's well-known very décolleté style of "robes loosely flowing, hair as free", with the usual mise en scène of a beauty of Charles II's time. The third Earl of Cardigan was Master of the Buckhounds to Queen Anne; he married a daughter of the Earl of Ailesbury, and their fourth son inherited the Ailesbury title and estates. Lord Cardigan's [his former son-in-law] eldest son married the heiress of the Duke of Montagu in 1766¹. He was a friend of Horace Walpole, the influence of whose pseudo-Gothic tastes may still be seen in the south front of Deene [Map], built at this time, and which now incorporates the great ball-room built for me by my dear husband.

Note 1. Married on 7th July 1730. He was created Duke in 1766.

[his son] George Montagu was born to John Montagu 2nd Duke Montagu and Mary Churchill Duchess of Montagu.