William Petre 4th Baron Petre 1626-1684

In 1620 [his father] Robert Petre 3rd Baron Petre [aged 20] and [his mother] Mary Browne Baroness Petre were married. She by marriage Baroness Petre. They were fourth cousins.

In 1626 William Petre 4th Baron Petre was born to Robert Petre 3rd Baron Petre [aged 26] and Mary Browne Baroness Petre.

On 5th May 1637 [his grandfather] William Petre 2nd Baron Petre [aged 61] died. His son [his father] Robert [aged 38] succeeded 3rd Baron Petre.

On 28th October 1638 [his father] Robert Petre 3rd Baron Petre [aged 39] died. His son William [aged 12] succeeded 4th Baron Petre.

Around 1651 John Kendrick witnessed the Oath of Abjuration of William Petre 4th Baron Petre [aged 25] to regain his lost estates by renouncing Catholicism.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 3rd April 1664. Lord's Day. Being weary last night lay long, and called up by W. Joyce. So I rose, and his business was to ask advice of me, he being summonsed to the House of Lords to-morrow, for endeavouring to arrest my Lady Peters¹ for a debt. I did give him advice, and will assist him. He staid all the morning, but would not dine with me.

Note 1. Elizabeth, daughter of John Savage, second Earl Rivers, and first wife to William, fourth Lord Petre [aged 38], who was, in 1678, impeached by the Commons of high treason, and died under confinement in the Tower, January 5th, 1683, s. p. B.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 4th April 1664. I left them providing for his stay there to-night and getting a petition against tomorrow, and so away to Westminster Hall [Map], and meeting Mr. Coventry [aged 36], he took me to his chamber, with Sir William Hickeman, a member of their House, and a very civill gentleman. Here we dined very plentifully, and thence to White Hall to the Duke's [aged 30], where we all met, and after some discourse of the condition of the Fleete, in order to a Dutch warr, for that, I perceive, the Duke hath a mind it should come to, we away to the office, where we sat, and I took care to rise betimes, and so by water to Halfway House, talking all the way good discourse with Mr. Wayth, and there found my wife, who was gone with her mayd Besse to have a walk. But, Lord! how my jealous mind did make me suspect that she might have some appointment to meet somebody. But I found the poor souls coming away thence, so I took them back, and eat and drank, and then home, and after at the office a while, I home to supper and to bed. It was a sad sight, me thought, to-day to see my Lord Peters [aged 38] coming out of the House fall out with his lady (from whom he is parted) about this business; saying that she disgraced him. But she hath been a handsome woman, and is, it seems, not only a lewd woman, but very high-spirited.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 4th April 1664. And at last W. Joyce was called in; and by the consequences, and what my Lord Peterborough [aged 42] told me, I find that he did speak all he said to his disadvantage, and so was committed to the Black Rod: which is very hard, he doing what he did by the advice of my Lord Peters' [aged 38] own steward. But the Sergeant of the Black Rod did direct one of his messengers to take him in custody, and so he was peaceably conducted to the Swan with two Necks, in Tuttle Street, to a handsome dining-room; and there was most civilly used, my uncle Fenner, and his brother Anthony, and some other friends being with him. But who would have thought that the fellow that I should have sworn could have spoken before all the world should in this be so daunted, as not to know what he said, and now to cry like a child. I protest, it is very strange to observe.

Before 1665 William Petre 4th Baron Petre [aged 38] and Elizabeth Savage Baroness Petre were married. She by marriage Baroness Petre. She the daughter of John Savage 2nd Earl Rivers and Catherine Parker. They were fourth cousins.

In July 1665 [his wife] Elizabeth Savage Baroness Petre died.

From 1675 to 1676 William Petre 4th Baron Petre [aged 49] lived at 1 Tavistock Row Covent Garden.

On 5th January 1684 William Petre 4th Baron Petre [aged 58] died at the Tower of London [Map] having been confined after having been impeached by the Commons of high treason. His brother John [aged 54] succeeded 5th Baron Petre.