User:Jnestorius/Hatton Compton

Generally the role of [Lord] Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets was filled by the Constable of the Tower; but it seems that from 1715 to 1717 it was filled by the Constable's deputy, the Lieutenant [General] of the Tower (then Hatton Compton) with the Constable who was appointed around the same date (Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle) not taking over as [Lord] Lieutenant until 1717, after which Compton retained the post of Lieutenant [General].

Rough timeline of Tower appointees

Date	Constable	Lord Lieut	Lieut General
10 May 1712	George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton		vacant?
1712/3?			Hatton Compton
1715	[16 October] Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle	[26 July] Hatton Compton→
19 July 1717		←Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle
30 January 1723	Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln

Possible (non-exclusive) reasons:

• Carlisle was busy as chief minister 23 May 1715 to 10 October 1715
• The Jacobite rising of 1715 made militia control too important to leave to an honorary appointee

More generally, what evidence is there for the assertion in the Wikipedia article Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets that the role originated in 1660 and was as a rule given to the Constable? It certainly seems as though, in the decades prior to 1660, the militia functions were supervised by the Lieutenant [General] rather than the Constable. Perhaps the switch to Constable authority was more gradual.

Notes

Pre-1700

The militia of London, 1641-1649 Nagel, Lawson Chase PhD thesis September 1982 KCL

• p.46 "'Captain Skippon ... sent one [of his men] into the Tower to the Serjeant who commanded the Hamleters[fn 1] that night' [fn 1] The men of the Tower Hamlets provided the nightly guards for the Tower."
• p.81 "The Subcommittee had been authorized to recruit seven infantry regiments, the counterparts of the six City Trained Bands and one for the Tower Hamlets)"
• p.82 William Willoughby was colonel of the Auxiliaries in the Tower Hamlets in 1643
• pp.98-101 is "Tower Hamlets" specific
  • p.98 "Before the Civil War, the Trained. Bands of the Tower Hamlets comprised only 600 men in several independent companies; although these were all under the control of the Lieutenant of the Tower, they were not large enough to make up a regiment."
  • p. 99 19 October 1643 " men of the Tower Hamlets Trained Bands" petition the Lords to "double the Trained Bands and make a Regiment ... that the Lieutenant of the Tower may command them, and that they may choose their Officers ... The Lords agreed in principle, but reserved the appointment of officers to the Earl of Holland, Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex."
  • p. 100 seven Hamlet companies: St Katherine's + East Smithfield; Whitechapel; Shoreditch; Hackney; Ratcliff; Wapping; Limehouse. To Wapping was added "Bow, Bromley, Old Ford, Mile End Green, and Bethnal Green". "the titular colonel of the Tower Hamlets Trained Band was the Lieutenant of the Tower" "[fn57] Penington retained the post of Lieutenant of the Tower until 1645, long after the end. of his term as Lord. Mayor, but Lieutenant Colonel William Willoughby was always the effective commander of the Tower Hamlets Trained Band."
• p.146 fn1 "William Levett was lieutenant colonel of the Tower Hamlets Red Trained Lands in 1647 and he may have been a captain in the Tower Hamlets Yellow Auxiliaries in 1613."
• p.149 fn1 "William Willoughby was probably, in fact, the colonel of the Tower Hamlets Yellow Auxiliaries at this time, but was referred to by his rank [Lieu±enant Colonell] in the more prestigious Tower Hamlets Red Trained Band, which was nominally comma1ed by the Lieutenant of the Tower, Isaac Pennington. Willoughby was the effective leader of both regiments."
• p.217 fn2 there were also "Westminster Red Trained Band" and "Southwark Yellow Auxiliaries"
• p.242 1 October 1645 "the Committee of Both Kingdoms replied: 'Upon the report to the House of Commons of your restraint from impressing men without the liberties of the City for recruiting Sir Thos. Fairfax's army, the House have ordered that all places within the lines of communication, Bills of Mortality, and Hamlets of the Tower are to be added to the jurisdiction and liberties of the City'"
• p.289 28 August 1647 Militia Committee restricted "to the City itself"; 9 September 1647 "new, self-governing committees for Westminster, Southwark, and the Tower Hamlets." "[fn2] The Tower Regiment left at the end of May to take part in the siege of Colchester. Tichborne, its colonel, did. not take the field, and a Colonel Simon Needhain was appointed to the command of the regiment; he was killed on 13 June and. replaced by William Shambrook, formerly of the Tower Hamlets Yellow Auxiliaries, who fell in turn on 5 July."
• p. 317 22 Oct 1646 --- City: Green White Yellow TBs + Aux; Orange Red Blue Aux only. Southwark Yellow TB, Black [or White] Aux; TH & Westminster Red TB, Yellow Aux

Harris, Tim (1987). London Crowds in the Reign of Charles II: Propaganda and Politics from the Restoration Until the Exclusion Crisis. Cambridge University Press. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-521-39845-9.

[1670s] There were two regiments of militia for the Tower Hamlets, commanded respectively by the constable and lieutenant of the Tower.

Northampton

George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5009/page/1 thegazette 24-27 May 1712

At the Court at Kensington, tbe 23d of May, 1712. PRESENT, The Oueen's most Excellent Majesty in Council. THIS Day the Right Honourable George Earl of Northampton, being, by Her Majesty's Letters Patents, Constituted Constable of H«r Majesty's Tower of London, and Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets, took the usual Oaths

https://archive.org/details/manuscrs19s32s3300greauoft/The manuscripts of the Marquess Townshend [C.—5060.-III] page/vi p. vi "Introduction" Some papers relating to the Tower of London, chiefly between 1712 and 1715, when the Earl of Northampton was Governor of the Tower, next fall under notice. page/n222 pp. 209-223 "PAPERS RKLATING TO THE TOWER OF LONDON. 1712 to 1719" page/n231 p. 218 1713, Augt. 3rd. Sir William Wyndham, Secretary at War, to Hatton Compton Esq [Lieutenant General in the army and Lieutenant of the Tower].

https://books.google.ie/books?id=-9ETAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA372 The Political State of Great Britain Volume 8 p. 372 On the 22d of October [1714], it was made publick, that his Majesty had been pleas'd ... to continue the Earl of Norhampton in the Post of Constable of the Tower of London; and Hatton Compton, Efq; in that of Lieutenant of she faid Tower.

Hatton Compton

Hatton Compton -- son of Chas 2nd son of Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton].

angelfire.com/realm/gotha/gotha/compton

2c) Sir Charles, d.Nov 1661; m.Mary Fermor

• 1d) Hatton, d.22 Jan 1741; m.Penelope Nicholas
  • 1e) Charles à issue
  • 2e) Edward
  • 3e) James
  • 4e) Mary, d.14 May 1780 [19 Apr 1780?]; m. Rt Rev. Sir Thomas Gooch, 2nd Bt., Bp of Bristol, Norwich and Ely (Worlingham 19 Jan 1675-Ely House 14 Feb 1754)
  • 5e) Penelope; m.Matthias Mawson, Bp of Ely (1683-1770)
• 2d) Mary, d.24 May 1738; m.London 15 May 1676 James Lane, 2nd Viscount Lanesborough (7 Jan 1650-Lanesborough House 2 Aug 1724)
• 3d) Anne, bur 8 Jan 1730; m.by 1686 Sir Thomas Domville, Bt. (ca 1650-15 Apr 1721)

geni.com/people/Hatton-Compton-London

• Birthdate: circa 1654
• Death: 1741 (82-91)
• London
• Immediate Family:
  • Son of Sir Charles Compton and Mary Fermor
  • Husband of Penelope NICHOLAS
  • Father of
    • Charles COMPTON [circa 1685];
    • Edward COMPTON [circa 1687] and
    • James COMPTON [circa 1690; Husband of Frances RIGGS; Father of Penelope COMPTON]
  • Brother of Anne Compton and Mary Lane

Edwards, E. R. (1983). "Compton, Sir Charles (c.1624-61), of Grendon and Sywell, Northants.". In Henning, B.D. (ed.). The House of Commons 1660-1690. History of Parliament. Boydell and Brewer. Retrieved 9 March 2023 – via History of Parliament Online.

m.

(1) Mary, da. of Sir Hatton Fermor of Easton Neston, Northants., 3s. 2da.;

(2) c. June 1661, Felicia, da. of Thomas Pigott of Chetwynd, Salop, wid. of William Wilmer of Sywell, 1da. (posth.).

:

His eldest son Hatton Compton was recommended as knight of the Royal Oak with an income of £600 p.a., but none of his descendants entered Parliament.5

When historyofparliamentonline says 3s 2d for Sir Charles with Mary, perhaps it is conflating him with his son Hatton? OTOH Gotha does not mention the posthumous daughter either; maybe she and the two missing sons died young?

Compton, William Bingham (1940). History of the Comptons of Compton Wynyates. London: John Lane.

historyofparliamentonline cites, should have more info on Hatton

"London Gleanings; St. Paul's Cathedral". The Antiquarian Chronicle and Literary Advertiser (1). London: James H. Fennell: 1. June 1882. In July, 1724, the iron balcony over the cupola of St. Paul's was gilt with gold at the expense of the Right Hon. James Lord Viscount Lonesborough, an Irish peer. On the 2nd of the following month, he died at his house near Hyde Park Corner, aged 74. He was was married to a sister of General Compton, but left no issue.

Scott, Sir James Sibbald David (1880). The British Army: Its Origin, Progress, and Equipment. London: Cassell, Petter, Galpin. p. 573 note 1.

-In a Jacobite song, published in 1692, called "The Belgick Boar to the tune of Chevy Chase," beginning "God prosper long our noble King," and preserved in Ritson's Ancient Songs, this incident is introduced :

"O Compton! Langston! and the rest,
Who basely from him ran;
Your names for ever be accurs'd,
By every Englishman!"

The Compton' here alluded to was Hatton, cornet in the R. H. G., son of Sir Charles Compton, and nephew of Sir Francis, the Lieut.colonel of the regiment, who-the King says-would have gone over also, if he had had the chance. Charles and Francis were sons of the Earl of Northampton. The Bishop of London was their youngest brother.

Ritson, Joseph (1877). "Class V; No. XVII: The Belgick Boar". Ancient songs and ballads from the reign of King Henry the Second to the revolution. London: Reeves and Turner. p. 395. published by John Beare of Buckland-Tout-Saints, 1685 MP for Tavistock.

LL 1715

26 July 1715 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5350/page/5 St. James's, July 29 ... His Majefly has teen pleased to appoint ... Hatton Compton, Esq; to be his Majesty's Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.32000013325230 George the First's army 1714-1727 (Charles Dalton) v.1 &seq=311 p.231 synopsizes notice as Hatton Compton,[14] Esq., to be Lieut.-Governor of the Tower Hamlets &seq=324 p.244 note 14 14 See biog . notice on p . 97 , note 2. On 21 Sept. 1715 , this officer wrote as follows to Lord Townshend from the Tower : " My Lord , this morning at 6 o'clock I received an order from the Privy Council , and since that I have the honour of another letter from your Lordship , both directing without loss of time my regulating the Militia of the Tower Hamlets to be in readiness to march whenever His Majesty's service shall require ; this is to acquaint your Lordship that there is no Horse belonging to the Tower Hamlets , but two very strong Regiments of Foot ; and [ they ] are ready to march when his Majesty pleases . I am , & c . , H. Compton . "

[ P.S. ] " This morning early gave orders for the searching for , and seizing of Papists , Jacobites , and Non - Jurors , according to orders . ” — Townshend Papers , p . 162 . &seq=169 p.97 note 2 2 Second [sic; I think mistake] son of the Hon . Sir Chas . Compton ( bro . to James , Earl of Northampton ) . Born about 1661. Cornet in the Rl . Regt . of Horse Guards , 1 July , 1685. Guidon and Major of the 3rd Tp . of Life Guards in 1691. Lieut . and Lt. - Col . 24 Jan. 1692. Saved William III . from being taken prisoner by his gallantry during the retreat from Landen in 1693 , and was given a Brevet - Colonelcy , 16 Feb. 1694. Md . , in 1698 , his cousin Penelope Nicholas of St. Martin - in - the - Fields parish ( dau . of Sir John Nicholas , K.B. ) . Brigadier , 9 March , 1702. Lt. - Gen . , 1 Jan. 1707. Lieut . - Govr . of the Tower , 1713-1715 . Retd . from the Life Guards in 1718. D. 1741 .

https://www.dhi.ac.uk/strype/TransformServlet?page=book1_077 JOHN STRYPE (1720) A SURVEY Of the CITIES of London and Westminster Vol I Book 1 Chapter 16 p. 77 Hutton Compton, Esq; present Lieutenant, and Lord Lieutenant of the Royal Hamlets.

https://books.google.com/books?id=BJlcAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA219 Arthur Collins Peerage of England (3rd ed.) [London, 1756] Vol. II p. 219 He took to wife Mary, daughter of Sir Hatton Fermor of Easton--Neston in the county of Northampton, Knt. ancestor to the Earl of Pomfret, and by her left issue a daughter Mary, married May 15, 1676, to James Lane, Esq; son and heir to Sir George Lane, Viscount Lanesborough in Ireland, (which Mary died May 24, 1733, aged 93, having had no children by her said husband) also a son Hatton Compton, who was constituted Lieutenant of the Tower July 26, 1715, in which place he was continued by his present Majesty.

https://books.google.ie/books?id=n2ZUAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA143 4th ed. [1768; Vol. III p. 143] replaces "who was constituted Lieutenant of the Tower July 26, 1715, in which place he was continued by his present Majesty" with "who was conftituted Lord Lieutenant of the Tower, 1712, in which place he was continued by their late Majefties."

16 August 1715 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5356/page/3 St. James's, August 19, This Day the following Address Was presented to his Majesty, by Lieutenant General Hatton Compton, Lord Lieutenant ot the Tower Hamlets

The humble Address of the Lord Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants of the Tower Hamlets

https://books.google.ie/books?id=4zkIAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA456 The Political State of Great Britain Volume 10 p. 456

Tower Hamlets, October the 26th, in [1715] the Second Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King George. Whereas there has been a horrid and deteftable ConSpiracy formed, and carried on by Papists, and other Wicked and Traiterous Perfons, against his Majesty's Royal Perfon and Government, by encouraging an Invafion from Abroad, and Stirring up infurrections and· Rebellions at Home, in order to Subvert our Religion, Laws, and Liberties; We whofe Names are hereunto fubfcrib'd, do heartily, fincerely, and folemnly Profefs, Teftifie and De clare, That his prefent Majefty King George is Rightful and Lawful King of thefe Realms; and we do accordingly Affociate our felves, and mutually Promise and Engage to Stand by and affist each other, to the utmost of our Power, in the fupport and defence of his Majefty's most Sacred Perfon, Family and Government, against the Pretender, wha ftiles himself King James the Third, and all his Adherents, and in maintaining the Protestant Succeffion to the Crown of thefe Kingdoms, according to the feveral Acts of Parliament made to that Purpose,

The Honourable Lieutenant General Hatton Compton, Efq: Lord Lieutenant of the Royal Hamlets. Col. Robert d Oyly, Efq; Deputy Governour of the Tower.

[et al.]

It is to be observed, that the Gentlemen whofe Names are mark'd with Asteriks, are those who mostly attended the Rolls for Subfcription at the White-LyonTavern; And that fuch forward Zeal appear'd in the Tower-Hamlets, to follow the Example of the Lieutenancy and Juftices of Peace, that by the 20th of November between 3 and 4000 Perfons had fubfcribed the faid Affociation.

https://books.google.ie/books?id=PahCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA196 The Political State of Great Britain Volume 11 p. 196 (Feb 1715/6)

(execution of James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater et al)

Then the Clerk of the Crown order'd the Serjeant at Arms to make Proclamation for Silence, which he did accordingly; after which another Proclamation was made, commanding the Lieutenant of the Tower of London to bring forth his Prisoners to the Bar, according to the Order of theH. of Lds. to him directed. Hereupon the E. of Derwentwater, and the other Five Lords, were brought to the Bar by the Deputy-Governor of the Tower, having the Ax carried before them by the Gentleman-Jaylor, who ftood with it on the Left Hand of the Prifoners, with the Edge turn'd from him.

https://books.google.ie/books?id=b3gZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA463 Guy Miege The Present State of Great-Britain and Ireland (3rd ed.) (London) Part I p. 463 "Additions and Corrections"

Lord Lieutenants.

p. 368, Northamptonfbire, inilead of Charles Earl of Peterbo rough, John Duke of Montague; Surrey, iuftead of Charles Earl of Hallifax, deceased, John Duke of Argyle; Warwickfire, inftead of George Earl of Northampton, John Duke of Montagues Welt-Riding, and City of York, with the Anfly thereof, inflead of the Lord Carlton, Richard Earl of Burlington; of the Tower Hamlets, Hatton Compton, Elq;

https://books.google.ie/books?id=tNw9AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA679 John Chamberlayne Magnae Britanniae Notitia: Or, the Present State of Great-Britain (24th ed.) London 1716) Book III p. 679 NUMBER LXVI. The Lieutenancy of the Tower-Hamlets. THE Honourable Lieutenant-General Hatton Compton, Efq; Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower and Royal Hamlets. The Generals, Erle and Cadogan, and feveral Principal Officers of the Ordnance and Mint. The Honourable Robert D'Oyly, Efq; Deputy-Governor.

Carlisle

Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle

• Goodwin, Gordon (1891). "Howard, Charles (1674-1738)". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 28.

"He was also constable of the Tower of London (16 Oct. 1715–29 Dec. 1722), lord-lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets (12 July 1717-December 1722), "

LL 19 July 1717

16-20 July 1717 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5556/page/2 Sr. James's, July 19. This Evening His Majesty went to Hampton Court. His Majesty has been pleased to appoint, The Right Honourable Charles Earl of Carlisle Lord Lieutenant of and in all the Hamlets of the Tower of London.

29 March-1 April 1718 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5629/page/1 The Court at St. James's the 31st Day of March, 1718. PRESENT, The King's most Excellent Majesty in Council. His Majesty having appointed the Right Honourable Charles Earl of Carlisle, Constable of the Tower of London, to be Lord Lieutenant of the Tower-Hamlets, his Lordlhip took the Oaths appointed to be taken instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy.

Jan 1718 https://books.google.ie/books?id=i6JCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA51 The Political State of Great Britain Vol. 17 p. 51

Lift of the Lieutenancy of the Tower Hamlets. The following LIST has been fent to us in order to be made publick. An Alphabetical LIST of the Honourable LIEUTENANCY of the Tower-Hamlets.

Honourable CHARLES HOWARD, Baron Dacres, of Gilleftand, Vicount Howard of Morpeth and Earl of CARLISLE, Conftable of his Majefties Tower of London, and Lord Lieutenant of the Royal Hamlets thereunto belonging. * The Honourable Lieutenant General Hatton Compton, Lieutenant of the Tower, &c. * The Honourable Colonel Robert D'Oyly, Deputy Governor of the Tower, &c. The Honourable Deputy Lieutenants: Viz. [list; those acting Justices in the Tower Division asterisked] Officers of the First Regiment in the Royal Hamlets Officers of the Second Regiment in the Royal Hamlets Muster Master of the Royal Hamlets Jun. Clek and Messenger to the Honourable Lieutenancy

1727 https://books.google.ie/books?id=-j9fAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA53 A True and exact List of the ... Lords ... and Commons of Great Britain ... also a compleat list of His Majesty's ... Privy-Council, etc (London : E. Matthews, 1727) p. 53 "Officers in the Tower."

Henry Lord Viscount Lonsdale Conftable of his Majesty's Tower of London, and Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets. Hatton Compton Efq; Lieutenant-Governor. Adam Williamfon Efq; Deputy-Lieutenant. Richard White Efq; Major.