Quietus accounts of Edward Russell as Treasurer of HM Navy (1689-1699)

1 Quietus accounts of Edward Russell as Treasurer of HM Navy
2 Quietus accounts of Edward Russell as Treasurer of HM Navy: victualling
3 Quietus accounts of Edward Russell as Treasurer of HM Navy: shipbuilding

The rolls in this collection were previously part of the Downshire archives, and catalogued as D/ED/O12/1, 4-8, 10-13. They were withdrawn with other parts of this archive and sold in 1989 to a private collector in the United States of America. D/ED/O12/1/2-3 and D/ED/O12/9 were sold to another collector, but the remaining rolls were offered back to BRO in 2022 and purchased with a grant from the Friends of the National Libraries..

The Hon. Edward Russell (1653-1727) was a younger son of the 4th Earl of Bedford and his wife Penelope, daughter of Sir Moyses Hill of Hillsborough, co. Down. He joined the Royal Navy in 1666 and continued to serve until 1683 when his family were disgraced following his cousin William, Lord Russell's involvment in the Rye House Plot. Edward Russell was one of the 'Immortal Seven' aristocrats who issued the invitation to William, Prince of Orange, to seize the throne from James II, and assisted in planning the invasion.

He was elected to Parliament initially as MP for Launceston, Cornwall, in 1689, later held other seats. He was appointed Treasurer of the Navy in 1689, when he was also promoted to the rank of Admiral. He became Senior Naval Lord on the Board of Admiralty in 1690, keeping the role until 1699; and served as Commander in Chief of the Navy December 1690-December 1692 and again November 1693-May 1699. He returned to his role as First Lord 1709-1710 and 1714-1717.

In 1697 he was created Baron Shingay, Viscount Barfleur, and Earl of Orford.

He married his cousin Lady Margaret Russell in 1691 but had no children. These rolls appear to have fallen into the hands of his maternal relatives the Hills, later Marquesses of Downshire. They are the 'quietus' accounts (or 'quieti'), showing his detailed expenditure on Naval matters, which was then refunded to him by the Exchequer.