Brudenell, Thomas, 1st Earl of Cardigan (1578 -1663)

Thomas Brudenell was the eldest son of Robert Brudenell of Packington in Warwickshire, and Catherine Taylard. He was educated at Huntingdon School and at Kirkby Ballars in Lincolnshire, then at Caius College, Cambridge, where he was admitted a Fellow Commoner, age 15, 1 March 1593. He was created a baronet 29 June 1611, knighted 9 April 1612, raised to the peerage as Baron Brudenell of Stonton in Leicestershire in 1628, and created Earl of Cardigan in 1661. He married, about 1606, Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Tresham. A zealous loyalist, he was imprisoned in the Tower during the Commonwealth and occupied his time by making abstracts of the records there. The library at Deene was spoiled by the Parliamentary troops in 1643, along with his furniture and goods. After the Restoration he petitioned the House of Lords for the return of his property and was granted an order authorising him to search "for any of his said goods, books, or household stuff, in all places where he may have cause to suspect any of the said goods etc., to be concealed" and it seems clear that he was successful in recovering at least part of his library, which remains at Deene to this day.