of Alexander, second son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine, and younger brother of Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie. The transaction was nominally a sale, but strictly an exchange of the Portclare and Ballykillygirie estate for the title and dignity of an earldom, of which Erskine had the disposal. Accordingly, on 23 August 1623, he became Earl of Londonderry. In the Star chamber proceedings against Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk in October 1619 one of the strongest pieces of evidence against him was a direct statement of Ridgeway that during the time he had been vice-treasurer he had never been able to obtain the money needed for the public service unless his demand was accompanied by a bribe. Death and burial Ridgeway died in London in 1631, and was buried in the south aisle of the parish church of Tor Mohun, Devonshire, where as a young man he had erected a grand monument with an effigy of his father adorned with three inscribed tablets to the memory of his father and grandfather. Family He married Cicely (sometime maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth), sister and coheiress of Henry Macwilliam, by whom he had three sons and two daughters : Robert Ridgeway, who married Elizabeth Weston, daughter of Sir Simon Weston, and succeeded him as the 2nd Earl of Londonderry. Cassandra Ridgeway, who married Sir Francis Willoughby in 1610, son of Sir Percival Willoughby of Wollaton Hall in Nottingham. Their son, Francis Willughby, became the father of the Duchess of Chandos, Cassandra Willoughby of Wanstead Hall, later of Wanstead House. Francis's second son, Thomas Willoughby, 1st Baron Middleton, ended up inheriting Wollaton Hall and Middleton Hall. As well as Edward, Macwilliam — and another daughter —Mary, who died in her infancy. The peerage became extinct on the death of Robert, fourth Earl of Londonderry, in 1714. References 1560s births 1631 deaths English MPs 1604–1611 Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Devon 16th-century English nobility Privy counsellors Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford High Sheriffs of Devon Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for Queen's County constituencies Irish MPs 1613–1615 Peers of Ireland created by James I Thomas Thomas Kingdom of England people in the Kingdom of Ireland