this, Mr. Pepys? This is true, you say, but what would you have me do? I have given all I can for my life. Why will not people lend their money?" However Pepys admitted that Sir William Coventry, the colleague he most admired, was himself an admirer of Southampton, whom he described as "a great statesman". Coventry recalled that other ministers would joke that regardless of his complaints that it was "impossible" to find money, Southampton always succeeded in the end. Southampton however once grimly remarked that "Impossible will be found impossible at the last", an accurate prophecy of the crisis of 1672 which led to the Stop of the Exchequer. Marriages and issue He married thrice and had three daughters: Firstly to Rachel de Massue (1603 – 16 February 1640), a French Huguenot and an aunt of Henri de Massue, Marquis de Ruvigny, 1st Viscount Galway. By Rachel he had two daughters and co-heiresses: Elizabeth Wriothesley, Viscountess Campden, wife of Edward Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough, 4th Viscount Campden (1641–1689) (created Earl of Gainsborough in 1682) Rachel Wriothesley, heiress of Bloomsbury, wife of William Russell, Lord Russell (1639–1683), third son of William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford. The eventual heir to all the estates of her father Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, was her only son Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford (1680–1711). Secondly he married Lady Elizabeth Leigh, daughter of Francis Leigh, 1st Earl of Chichester from whom he inherited the title Earl of Chichester. By Elizabeth Leigh he had a further daughter: Elizabeth Wriothesley (1646–1690) who married twice, firstly to Joceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland (1644–1670), whom she bore an only surviving child, heiress to the vast Percy estates, Lady Elizabeth Percy (1667–1722) (Duchess of Somerset) who married Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset (1662–1748). She married secondly Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu. Thirdly he married Lady Frances Seymour, a daughter of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1587–1660) by his second wife Lady Frances Devereux. They had no children. References Encyclopædia Britannica The Peerage |- |- |- |- |- 1607 births 1667 deaths 17th-century English nobility Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge 4 Earls of Chichester Knights of the Garter Lord High Treasurers Lord-Lieutenants of Hampshire Lord-Lieutenants of Kent Lord-Lieutenants of Norfolk Lord-Lieutenants of Wiltshire Lord-Lieutenants of Worcestershire Thomas