, second earl of Nottingham, son of the preceding, by his lady Elizabeth,
, second earl of Nottingham, son of
the preceding, by his lady Elizabeth, daughter of Mr.
Daniel Hervey, merchant in London, was born about 1647,
and educated at Christ church, Oxford; but entered early
into public life, and served in several parliaments in the
Teign of Charles II. for the city of Lichfield, and for the
borough of Newton in the county of Southampton, In.
1679 he was constituted first commissioner of the Admiralty, and sworn of the privy-council; and in the latter
end of the year following, spoke with much vigour in the
house of commons against the bill for the exclusion of the
duke of York, declaring “that the kings of England do
not rule by virtue of any statute-law,
” as had been suggested by some persons on the other side of the question,
“since their right was by so ancient a prescription, that
it might justly be said to be from God alone and such as
no power on earth ought to dispute.
”