GREY, Charles (by 1555-1623)

The youngest of three sons who inherited the family peerage in turn, Grey lived most of his life in the shadow of his brother Henry Grey^*, 6th earl of Kent. In March 1603 he was one of the signatories of the Bedfordshire declaration supporting the accession of King James, which was probably drafted by his brother, and he was also involved in the latter’s attempt to re-establish the family’s title to the lordship of Ruthin, in Denbighshire.5 Beds. RO, L.24/535; L.29/22; Cal. of Shrewsbury Pprs. ed. C. Jamison and E.G.W. Bill (Derbys. Arch. Soc. rec. ser. i), 166. When Earl Henry died in January 1615, Grey was noted to have been over 60 years old (and may have been somewhat older, as ages cited in inquisitions post mortem were often approximations for those who had long since reached their majority), leading the newsletter-writer John Chamberlain to note that he was ‘almost as old’ as his predecessor. In his will the 6th earl expressed concern that administration of his eminently straightforward testament would prove ‘exceeding troublesome’ to his brother.6 Chamberlain Letters ed. N.E. McClure, i. 576; PROB 11/125, f. 315. A perception that the new earl was already in his dotage may explain why he did not secure the offices commensurate with his social status. There is certainly no evidence that he held any office beyond the lieutenancy, and in 1616 he was discharged from the jury empanelled to try Robert Carr^*, earl of Somerset, for murder. Nor did Kent attend the 1621 Parliament: he was licensed to be absent, and assigned his proxy to William Herbert^*, 3rd earl of Pembroke.7 CSP Dom. 1611-18, p. 275; LJ, iii. 4a; SO3/7, unfol

The 7th earl maintained a diligent oversight of the Bedfordshire militia for the rest of his life, being joined in office by his son and heir from 1621. His death, on 28 Sept. 1623, was noticed by Chamberlain, who reckoned his age, correctly, at ‘not far from fourscore’. No will or administration has been found, but as almost all of the family estates had been entailed before his brother’s death on his son Henry^* (who succeeded him as 8th earl), he may have had no personal estate to bequeath.8 Chamberlain Letters, ii. 522; C66/2258/2; C142/526/144.