Talk:James Cotter the Younger

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Henrietta Crofts

Henrietta Crofts was married Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton, who was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland during the trial and execution of James in 1720 and he was a key figure in any effort to have Cotter pardoned. A letter from Alan St. Leger, a landowner from County Cork (Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, Chancery Papers: Ridgeway-Pitt estate, T/3425/2/23) refers to a visit he made to the condemned man, and states ‘I told him when he was under sentence of death that he ought to prepare himself for I really thought if all my friends could do would avail nothing for his father stabb’d my Lord Lisle the Dutchess of Bolton’s grandfather and gott the estate by ye means.’

Henrietta Croft was the illegitimate child of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and his mistress Eleanor Needham. The Duke of Monmouth’s parents were obviously not the Lisles, but not much is known about Eleanor Needham. Her father is usually cited as Sir Robert Needham MP (1602-1662) of Lambeth Surrey, where he died, but he was the MP for Haverfordwest in Wales, and was prob. the son of Thomas Needham, the brother of Robert Needham, 1st Viscount Kilmorey. Nothing appears to be know about his wives, other than he had two. So the obvious conclusion is that one of John Lisle's da. married Robert Needham but there's no evidence for that either from the Lisle side.

St. Leger’s letter has subsequently been cited by other historians, but no one makes any effort to validate that she was in fact the grand-daughter of Lord Lisle. Henrietta would have had another reason to resent the Cotter family, as Sir James Cotter was knighted by James II following the battle of Sedgemoor after which both the Duke of Monmouth and Alice, widow of John Lisle were beheaded. Alan St. Ledger may have confused these two figures somehow, or our information about Eleanor's Needham ancestry is possibly incorrect; the latter honestly seems like a more likely possibility. Anyways, if anyone can look into this claim it would be helpful, thanks!