JOHN RUSSELL

john russell, 4th duke of bedford (1710-1771), second son of wriothesley russell, 2nd duke of bedford, by his wife, elizabeth, daughter and heiress of john howland of streatham, surrey, was born on the 30th of september 1710. known as lord john russell, he married in october 1731 lady diana spencer, daughter of charles, 3rd earl of sunderland; became duke of bedford on his brother's death a year later; and having lost his first wife in 1735, married in april 1737 lady gertrude leveson-gower (d. 1794), daughter of john, earl gower. in the house of lords he joined the party hostile to sir robert walpole, took a fairly prominent part in public business, and earned the dislike of george ii. when carteret, now earl granville, resigned office in november 1744, bedford became first lord of the admiralty in the administration of henry pelham, and was made a privy councillor. he was very successful at the admiralty, but was not equally fortunate after he became secretary of state for the southern department in february 1748. pelham accused him of idleness; he was constantly at variance with the duke of newcastle, and resigned office in june 1751. instigated by his friends he was active in opposition to the government, and after newcastle's resignation in november 1756, became lord-lieutenant of ireland in the ministry of william pitt and the duke of devonshire, retaining this office after newcastle, in alliance with pitt, returned to power in june 1757. in ireland he favoured a relaxation of the penal laws against roman catholics, but did not keep his promises to observe neutrality between the rival parties, and to abstain from securing pensions for his friends. his own courtly manners and generosity, and his wife's good qualities, however, seem to have gained for him some popularity, although horace walpole says he disgusted everybody. in march 1761 he resigned this office. having allied himself with the earl of bute and the party anxious to bring the seven years' war to a close, bedford was noticed as the strongest opponent of pitt, and became lord privy seal under bute after pitt resigned in october 1761. the cabinet of bute was divided over the policy to be pursued with regard to the war, but pacific counsels prevailed, and in september 1762 bedford went to france to treat for peace. he was considerably annoyed because some of the peace negotiations were conducted through other channels, but he signed the peace of paris in february 1763. resigning his office as lord privy seal soon afterwards, various causes of estrangement arose between bute and bedford, and the subsequent relations of the two men were somewhat virulent. the duke refused to take office under george grenville on bute's resignation in april 1763, and sought to induce pitt to return to power. a report, however, that pitt would only take office on condition that bedford was excluded, incensed him and, smarting under this rebuff, he joined the cabinet of grenville as lord president of the council in september 1763. his haughty manner, his somewhat insulting language, and his attitude with regard to the regency bill in 1765 offended george