▁Francis ▁Russell , ▁el dest ▁son ▁of ▁Francis ▁Russell , ▁Mar qu ess ▁of ▁T av ist ock ▁( d ied ▁ 1 7 6 7 ), ▁by ▁his ▁wife , ▁Elizabeth ▁( d ied ▁▁ 1 7 6 8 ), ▁daughter ▁of ▁William ▁Ke ppel , ▁ 2 nd ▁Earl ▁of ▁Alb em ar le , ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁W ob urn ▁Ab bey ▁and ▁bapt ized ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁August ▁ 1 7 6 5 ▁at ▁St ▁G iles ▁in ▁the ▁Field s . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 7 7 1 ▁he ▁succeeded ▁his ▁grand father ▁as ▁Duke ▁of ▁Bed ford , ▁and ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁West min ster ▁School ▁and ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁Cambridge , ▁afterwards ▁sp ending ▁nearly ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁foreign ▁travel . ▁Wh ilst ▁abroad ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 4 ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁men age ▁a ▁trois ▁with ▁Charles ▁May n ard , ▁second ▁Vis count ▁May n ard , ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Anne , ▁Lady ▁May n ard . ▁This ▁l ia ison ▁was ▁with ▁Russell ▁grand m other ' s ▁appro val ▁and ▁it ▁continued ▁until ▁ 1 7 8 7 . ▁ ▁Regarding ▁Charles ▁James ▁Fox ▁as ▁his ▁political ▁leader , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Wh igs ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁circle ▁of ▁the ▁Prince ▁of ▁Wales , ▁afterwards ▁George ▁IV . ▁ ▁Having ▁overcome ▁some ▁nerv ous ness ▁and ▁educational ▁defect s , ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁speak ▁in ▁the