Charles Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby of Parham

Charles Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby of Parham (c.1536/7 – d. 1610–12) was the only son of William Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby of Parham, and Elizabeth Heneage.

Family Charles Willoughby, born about 1536/7, was the only son of William Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby of Parham, Suffolk, and his first wife, Elizabeth Heneage, daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Heneage of Hainton, Lincolnshire, by Katherine Skipwith, daughter of Sir John Skipwith of Ormsby.

Career Willoughby matriculated at St. John's College, Cambridge at Easter, 1549. He succeeded to the title at his father's death on 30 July 1570. He was predeceased by his eldest son and heir, William, and the title passed to William's eldest son, who succeeded as 3rd Baron Willoughby of Parham.

The 3rd Baron's male heirs held the barony until Charles Willoughby, 10th Baron Willoughby of Parham (6 October 1650 – 9 December 1679), died without issue on 9 December 1679, when the title should have passed to the descendants of Sir Ambrose Willoughby, second son of the 2nd Baron. However Sir Ambrose Willoughby's descendants had emigrated to Virginia, and it was thought his male line was extinct. In consequence, the barony was wrongfully allowed to Thomas Willoughby (c.1602 – 29 February 1692), the fifth and youngest son of the 2nd Baron.

Charles Willoughby left his estate to his niece Elizabeth, who had married James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon, ancestor of the present Earl of Abingdon.

Marriage and issue Willoughby married Margaret Clinton. Margaret was the third daughter of Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln, Lord High Admiral of England, by his first wife, Elizabeth Blount, the eldest daughter of Sir John Blount of Kinlet, Shropshire. Before marrying the Earl of Lincoln, Elizabeth Blount had been the wife of Gilbert Tailboys, 1st Baron Tailboys of Kyme (died 15 April 1530). She was at one time the mistress of King Henry VIII, by whom she was the mother of his illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset.

By Margaret Clinton Willoughby had five sons, William, Sir Ambrose, Edward, Charles and Thomas, and three daughters, Katherine, Margaret and Anne. The eldest five, William, Ambrose, Edward, Katherine and Margaret, were named in the will of their grandmother, Katherine Skipwith, on 10 January 1572, and were all under 20 years of age at that time. There is a suggestion that underlying the altercation was something Willoughby had said which caused trouble between Southampton and his mistress, Elizabeth Vernon, one of the Queen's Maids of Honour. The Queen forbade Southampton to present himself at court, although he was soon allowed back.

Ambrose Willoughby was knighted in 1603.

Footnotes