Family and Education

b. 4 Feb. 1673, 1st s. of James, 1st Earl of Abingdon by Eleanora, da. and h. of Sir Henry Lee, 3rd Bt., of Quarrendon, Bucks. and Ditchley, Oxon.; bro of Hon. Henry, Hon. James and Hon. Robert Bertie. educ. Christ Church, Oxf. 1685. m. (1) 22 Sept. 1687, Anne (d. 28 Apr. 1715), da. and coh. of Peter Venables of Kinderton, Cheshire, s.p.; (2) 13 Feb. 1717, Mary (d. 10 Jan. 1757), da. and h. of James Gould II of Dorchester, Dorset, wid. of Charles Churchill of Minterne Magna, Dorset, 1s. d.v.p. suc. fa. as 2nd Earl of Abingdon, 22 May 1699.1

Offices Held

Capt. of horse, Oxf. Univ. militia 1685; freeman and common councilman, Woodstock 1686; freeman, Oxford 1687, bailiff 1689; commr. for assessment, Berks., Cheshire, Oxon. and Wilts. 1689-90; dep. lt. Berks. 1689-1701; high steward, Oxford and Wallingford 1699-d.; j.p. Berks. 1701-?d., custos rot. 1701-2; ld. lt. Berks. 1701-2, Oxon. 1702-5, 1712-15; c.j. in eyre (south) 1702-6, 1711-15.2

PC 21 Apr. 1702-5, 1711-1 Aug. 1714, 1 Oct. 1714-?15; one of the lords justices Aug.-Sept. 1714.

Constable of the Tower 1702-5.

Biography

Shortly after his first marriage to the great-granddaughter of Peter Venables, Bertie assumed the additional surname of Venables. Though not yet 16, he was returned to the Convention for Berkshire on his father’s interest. Though not active, he was named to eight committees, acted twice as teller and spoke. A strong Tory like his father, he voted to agree with the Lords that the throne was not vacant. On 28 Mar. 1689 he was teller with his uncle Charles Bertie against proceeding with the report on the conference about removing Papists from London and Westminster. He served on committees to bring in the militia bill, to consider a petition from army creditors, and to reverse the attainder of Algernon Sidney. He spoke briefly on 7 May, concerning a dispute between his uncle, Henry Bertie, and William Harbord about the Westbury election of 1678, declaring ‘I remember the case of Westbury. I have heard Bertie say, "If Harbord will declare he meant not him, he [Bertie] is satisfied".' He was teller again on 22 June for adjourning the House without discussion of the arrest of his cousin Peregrine Osborne*. Among his committee in the second session were those to inquire into the miscarriages of war, to consider proposals for advancing money on forfeited Irish estates, and to examine witnesses and prepare charges against the late Treasury solicitors.3

Venables-Berties transferred to Oxfordshire in 1690. A consistent Tory, he was one of the ringleaders against signing the Association in 1696, but he was not a Jacobite and supported the accession of the House of Hanover. In his will, he stressed his loyalty to the Anglican Church. He died on 16 June 1743 and was buried at Rycote. His nephew and heir, Willoughby Bertie^†, had breifly represented Westminster in 1715, but the next member of the family to sit in the House was the Hon. Peregrine Bertie^† who sat for Oxfordshire from 1774 to 1790.4

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: Leonard Naylor / Geoffrey Jaggar

Notes

• 1. F. G. Lee, Church of Thame, 443, 455; Wood’s Life and Times (Oxf. Hist. Soc. xxvi), 148.
• 2. Woodstock council acts 1679-99 (18 Sept. 1686); Oxford Council Acts (Oxf. Hist. Soc. n.s. ii), 189, 206, 287; J. K. Hedges, Hist. Wallingford, ii. 241.
• 3. CSP Dom. 1687-9, p. 100; Grey, ix. 236.
• 4. PCC 220 Boycott; Lee, 443.