William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford

William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford KG PC (August 1616 – September 7, 1700) was a British peer and soldier, the son of Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford.

Russell was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford and served as MP for Tavistock from 1640 to 1641, when he succeeded his father as 5th Earl of Bedford.

Russell was Lord Lieutenant of Devon and Lord Lieutenant of Somerset in 1642. He was General of the Horse in the Parliamentary Service on 14 July 1642 and he fought in the Battle of Edgehill on 23 October 1642, for the Parliamentarians, but later fought in the first Battle of Newbury on 20 September 1643, for the Royalists.

He held the office of Governor of Plymouth in 1671 and was invested as a Knight of the Garter (K.G.) on 29 May 1672. He held the office of Joint Commissioner for the office of Earl Marshal in 1673 and Recorder of Cambridge in 1689. He was Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire and Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire between 1689 and 1700 and Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex between 1692 and 1700.

He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) on 14 February 1689 and created Duke of Bedford and Marquess of Tavistock on 11 May 1694. He was created Baron Howland of Streatham on 13 June 1695, with remainder to his grandson, Wriothesley Russell.

Bedford died on 7 September 1700 at age 84 at Bedford House, London and was buried on 17 September 1700 at Chenies, Buckinghamshire.

Russell married Anne Carr, daughter of the Earl of Somerset, on 11 July 1637, bringing him a fortune of £12,000. They had seven children:

Lord James Russell (d. 1712), married Elizabeth Lloyd and had issue.
Lady Margaret Russell, married her first cousin, Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford
John Russell, died in infancy.
Francis Russell, Lord Russell (1638–1678), died unmarried.
William Russell, Lord Russell (1639–1683), married Lady Rachel Wriothesley and had issue.
Lord Edward Russell (c. 1642–1714), married Frances Williams.
Lady Diana Russell (c. 1652–1701), married firstly, Greville Verney, 9th Baron Willoughby de Broke and had issue. She married secondly, William Alington, 3rd Baron Alington of Killard and had issue.

Lord Russell (1627–1641)
The Rt Hon. The Earl of Bedford (1641–1672)
The Rt Hon. The Earl of Bedford, KG (1672–1689)
The Rt Hon. The Earl of Bedford, KG, PC (1689–1694)
His Grace The Duke of Bedford, KG, PC (1694–1700)

Honorary Titles
Preceded by: The Earl of Bedford	Lord Lieutenant of Devon jointly with The Earl of Bedford 1637–1641 1637–1646	Succeeded by: Interregnum
Preceded by: The Earl of Bedford	Custos Rotulorum of Devon 1641–1642	Succeeded by: The Earl of Bath
Preceded by: Lord Herbert	Lord Lieutenant of Somerset 1642–1646?	Succeeded by: Interregnum
Preceded by: The Lord Jermyn	Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire 1689–1700	Succeeded by: Lord Edward Russell
Preceded by: The Earl of Ailesbury	Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire 1689–1700
Preceded by: The Earl of Clare	Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex 1692–1700
Peerage of England
Preceded by: Francis Russell	Earl of Bedford 1641–1700	Succeeded by: Wriothesley Russell
Preceded by: New Creation	Duke of Bedford 1694–1700
Preceded by: New Creation	Baron Howland of Streatham 1695–1700