Manners, John (1638 -1711)

John Manners was born at Boughton, Northamptonshire, the son of John Manners, 8th Earl of Rutland, and Frances Montagu.  From 1641 until 1679 he was styled Lord Roos.  Between 1661 until 1679 he served as Member of Parliament for Leicestershire, though he was rather casual about his service. He succeeded his father as Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire in 1677, and proved an effective deputy of the crown. He was created Baron Manners of Haddon on 30 April 1679, but on 29 September 1679 on the death of his father he succeeded as Earl of Rutland. He retained his lord lieutenancy in 1681, despite supporting the Exclusion Bill, but was turned out by James II in 1687. Reappointed in 1689 after the Glorious Revolution, he resigned in 1702, to protest government promotion of Tory interests in Leicestershire. On 29 March 1703, his long support of Whig government was rewarded by his creation as Duke of Rutland and Marquess of Granby. He was reappointed to the lord lieutenancy in 1706, holding the position until his death on 10 January 1711.

He married, firstly, Lady Anne Pierrepont, daughter of Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester, and Cecilia Bayning, on 15 July 1658, but the marriage failed.  The divorce proceedings caused great public attention. He married, secondly, Lady Diana Bruce, daughter of Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin, and Lady Diana Grey, on 10 November 1671. She died on 15 July 1672 in childbirth.  He married, thirdly, Catherine Wriothesley Noel (d. 1733), daughter of Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden, on 8 January 1673. They had three children. He died on 10 January 1711 at the family home of Belvoir Castle, and was succeeded by his son John Manners who became the 2nd Duke of Rutland (1676–1721)