William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey

William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey, (died 28 August 1769) was a British magistrate from the Villiers family.

Early life

He was the son of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey, and the former Judith Herne (a daughter of Frederick Herne). Among his siblings were Lady Barbara Villiers (who married Sir William Blackett, 2nd Baronet, and, after his death, Bussy Mansell, 4th Baron Mansell), and Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon.

His paternal grandparents were Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey, and the former Barbara Chiffinch (a daughter of William Chiffinch). This in turn provoked a pamphlet from the Earl, A Letter to Miss F–d.

Marriage

On 23 June 1733, he married Anne Russell, Dowager Duchess of Bedford (c. 1704/1709 – 1762). She was the daughter of Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, and widow of Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford. They had two sons, but only one survived them:

Frederick William Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1734–1742), who died in childhood. George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey (1735–1805), who married Frances Twysden and had children. Through George, they are ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales, and of her sons, Princes William, the Prince of Wales, and Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Lady Jersey died on 16 June 1762. Lord Jersey, died seven years later on 28 August 1769.