suc. cos. 18 Aug. 1712 as 5th Earl RIVERS
Never sat.
b. 29 Apr 1665, o.s. of Richard Savage and Alice, da. of Thomas Trafford, wid. of John Barnston. unm. educ. Douai. RC priest bef. 1700. d. 27 Feb. 1737.
John Savage’s father was the youngest half-brother of Thomas Savage, 3rd Earl Rivers. Educated at Douai he was ordained as a priest, possibly as early as 1689, and served the English mission from early 1700.1 According to Swift, he went to live at the house of his cousin, Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers, who treated him with contempt and used him ‘like a footman.’2 Since Swift was at least partially incorrect in his account of the 4th earl’s will, the rest of the story may also be apocryphal, especially as John Savage is known to have been living in York in 1710-11.3
John Savage became heir to the earldom of Rivers at the death of the intervening heir, Francis Savage, at some point in or earlier than 1710. As he was the only direct male heir and was a celibate Catholic priest it was evident that the earldom would be extinguished at his death unless he could be persuaded to renounce his priesthood in order to marry and transmit the family honours to another generation. Accordingly the 4th earl designed the settlement of his estates in a manner calculated to encourage John Savage to do just this. They were left in a trust that could not be broken unless the new earl conformed to the Church of England or left a legitimate male heir. Added complications were that the Rivers’ estates were heavily encumbered with debt and that the settlement was disputed by the 4th earl’s disinherited legitimate daughter, Elizabeth, who had been estranged from her father since her marriage to James Barry‡, 7th earl of Barrymore [I], in 1706.4
Even before he succeeded to the earldom, John Savage had sought and failed to obtain a dispensation from the pope to enable him to marry.5 He was encouraged to convert by Robert Harley, earl of Oxford, who was one of the trustees of the Rivers’ estate as well as keenly interested in securing additional support in the House of Lords. Oxford was presumably disappointed to be informed by the diplomat, Matthew Prior‡, that ‘it never has been obtained that a priest should wholly quit his orders ... Savage therefore must cut the knot which his holiness will not untie, turn protestant, renounce the Pope, and all his works; and set himself seriously to the labour of propagation.’6 In an attempt to break the trust, Rivers took the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and subscribed to the declaration against transubstantiation specified under the Test Acts at the Middlesex sessions, possibly hoping that this would not attract the same publicity as taking the same oaths in a higher court.7 His actions did not pass entirely unnoticed for, referring to Oxford’s recently created ‘dozen’, Lady Nottingham remarked that ‘if the rest of the papist lords follow the example of the e[arl] of Rivers there will be almost as large an addition to the House of Lords this sessions as last, for I suppose if he takes the oaths he’s qualified to sit there’.8
Oxford had probably promised to assist Rivers in obtaining control of the family estates but, as Rivers soon discovered, Oxford’s promises frequently went unfulfilled. In a letter that can be dated either to November 1712 or November 1713, Rivers wrote to him complaining that ‘my affairs seeming not worth your lordship’s consideration I apply myself once more for your lordship’s answer or leave to take my own measures.’9 Rivers was convinced that he had done enough to fulfil the conditions of his inheritance, but his refusal to take the Anglican communion left his compliance with the terms of the trust doubtful, and he found himself in a sort of legal and financial limbo. Increasingly bewildered and unsure of his ability to command the interest and good offices of the trustees he began to negotiate with the Barrymores and told Oxford that ‘I am really at a loss of thought what to do betwixt duty to my queen, obligation to your lordship and my own private interest. To sit in the House without an estate is what I believe your Lordship would not require of me.’10 The promise of £1,000 was sufficient to persuade him to consider taking the sacrament and waiting on the queen before taking his seat in the House, but when only £300 was forthcoming he came to terms with the Barrymores instead.11
Two private acts of Parliament settled the various disputes over the estates in 1721 and 1725; the second of these acts provided Rivers with a capital sum of £7,000.12 Rivers’ actions caused considerable disquiet within the Catholic community, and he found himself having to reassure the church hierarchy that he had no intention of abjuring his religion.13 He returned to France and in or about 1726, having obtained a dispensation from his missionary oath, he went to live first in Liege and then in Bruges. At his death in 1737 the earldom of Rivers and associated titles became extinct.
R.P.- 1 Kirk, Biographies of English Catholics, 205.
- 2 Jnl. to Stella ed. Williams, pp. 562-3.
- 3 Kirk, 205.
- 4 TNA, C9/345/45; C9/342/24; 7 Geo. I, private acts, c11.
- 5 Kirk, 205.
- 6 Add. 70253, Prior to Oxford, 19 Aug. 1712.
- 7 C9/345/45; C9/342/24.
- 8 Add. 29596, f. 216.
- 9 Add. 70256, Rivers to Oxford, 13 Nov. [?1712].
- 10 Add. 70279, The heads, n.d. [13 May 1713]; Add. 70256, Rivers to Oxford, 11 Aug., 7, 31 Oct., 17 Nov., 8 Dec. 1713, 15 Jan., 31 Mar., 2, 5 Apr. 1714; Add. 70032, f. 69; Add. 70280, Rivers to J. Bradshaw [14 Mar.], 16, 22, 24 Mar. 1714; Add. 70213, Sir R. Bradshaigh to Oxford, 12 May 1714.
- 11 Add. 70213, J. Bradshaw to Oxford, 22 May, 23 Oct. 1714; Add. 70033, f. 52; Add. 70280, Barrymore to Oxford, 22 July 1714.
- 12 7 Geo. I Private Acts c. 11; 11 Geo. I Private Acts c. 16.
- 13 Biographical Dictionary of English Catholics; Kirk, 205.