Sir William Courtenay, 2nd Baronet

Sir William Courtenay, 2nd Baronet (11 March 1676 – 6 October 1735) of Powderham, Devon, was an English landowner and a leading member of the Devonshire gentry.

Origins

He was the son of Col. Francis Courtenay (d.1699) (who predeceased his own father Sir William Courtenay, 1st Baronet), MP for Devonshire 1689-99, by his wife Mary Boevey, daughter of William Boevey (d.1661), of Netherlandish Huguenot descent, of Flaxley Abbey, Gloucestershire. Mary's brother was John Boevey (d.1706) who refers to himself in his will dated 6 March 1703 ^[1] as "John Boevey of Powderham Castle". He directed his body to be buried in the north aisle of Powderham Church "near the monument there erected". He further derired "my executor (who was his nephew William Courtenay (d.1735) of Powderham)...to bestow and lay out the summe of fifty pounds in erecting a monument near the place of interrment in such manner as my executor shall think fit". No such monument survives. He left £10 each to his nieces Elizabeth, Mary, Lucy and Isabella Courtenay for mourning clothes. He also bequeathed them each the sum of £30 to buy a diamond ring each to be worn in his memory. He bequeathed to Sir William Courtenay his nephew the sum of £100 and also made him his residuary beneficiary.

Career

He succeeded his grandfather in the baronetcy in 1702. He represented Devonshire in the House of Commons from 1701 to 1710 and was Lord Lieutenant of Devon from 1714 to 1716.

Marriage & progeny

He married Lady Anne Bertie, daughter of James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon, and their children included:

William Courtenay, 1st Viscount Courtenay
Henry Reginald Courtenay, MP.
Eleanor Courtenay (d.1765)^[2] who married John Francis Basset (1714–1757) MP for Barnstaple 1740-1, of Heanton Court, Heanton Punchardon.

Retrospectively Earl of Devon

In 1831 he was recognised as having been de jure 6th Earl of Devon.

References

↑ National Archives prob 11/492
↑ Heanton Punchardon burials record buried 14/9/1765

Parliament of England
Preceded by Thomas Drewe Samuel Rolle	Member of Parliament for Devon Jan. 1701–1707 With: Samuel Rolle 1701 Sir John Pole 1701–02 Robert Rolle 1702–1707	Succeeded by Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Parliament of England	Member of Parliament for Devon 1707–1710 With: Robert Rolle	Succeeded by Sir William Pole John Rolle
Preceded by Sir William Pole John Rolle	Member of Parliament for Devon 1712–1735 With: John Rolle 1712–13, 1727–30 Sir Coplestone Bampfylde 1713–27 Henry Rolle 1730–35	Succeeded by Henry Rolle John Bampfylde
Preceded by Sir William Drake James Sheppard	Member of Parliament for Honiton 1715–1716 With: Sir William Yonge	Succeeded by Sir William Yonge Sir William Pole
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Earl Poulett	Lord Lieutenant of Devon 1714–1716	Succeeded by The Lord Carteret
Peerage of England
Preceded by Sir William Courtenay, Bt	Earl of Devon de jure 1702–1735	Succeeded by William Courtenay
Preceded by Sir William Courtenay, Bt	Baronet (of Powderham) 1702–1735	Succeeded by William Courtenay

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