Earl of Coventry

Earldom of Coventry
Arms of Coventry, Earl of Coventry: Sable, a fesse ermine, between three crescents or
Creation date	1623 (first creation) 1697(second creation)
Monarch	James VI and I (first creation) William III(second creation)
Peerage	Peerage of England
First holder	George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, 1st Earl of Coventry (first creation)
Present holder	George Coventry, 13th Earl of Coventry
Heir presumptive	David Coventry
Subsidiary titles	Baron Coventry Viscount Deerhurst
Extinction date	1687 (first creation)
Former seat(s)	Croome Court
Armorial motto	Candide at constanter (Sincerely and constantly)

Earl of Coventry is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England.

The earldom of Coventry was created for the first time in 1623, in the Peerage of England, in favour of George Villiers, 1st Marquess of Buckingham. He was made Duke of Buckingham at the same time.

For more information on this creation of the earldom of Coventry, see Dukes of Buckingham, second creation (1623).

The earldom of Coventry was created a second time in 1697, again in the Peerage of England, in favour of Thomas Coventry, 5th Baron Coventry.

The Coventry family descends from John Coventry who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1426. His descendant Sir Thomas Coventry was a noted early 17th century lawyer and politician. He served as Solicitor General, as Attorney General and as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. In 1628 he was raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Coventry, of Aylesborough in the County of Worcester. He was succeeded by his son from his first marriage, the second Baron. He represented Droitwich and Worcester in the House of Commons.

His eldest son, the third Baron, served as Custos Rotulorum of Worcestershire. His son, the fourth Baron, died unmarried and was succeeded by his uncle, the aforementioned fifth Baron. He sat as Member of Parliament for Droitwich, Camelford and Warwick. In 1697 he was made Viscount Deerhurst, of the hundred of Deerhurst in the County of Gloucester, and Earl of Coventry, with remainder, failing heirs male of his own, to 1) the heirs male of his deceased uncle the Hon. Francis Coventry (1612–1680), failing which to 2) his three-second cousins William Coventry, Thomas Coventry and Henry Coventry, grandsons of his deceased great-uncle Walter Coventry (d. 1640), younger brother of the first Baron Coventry. The titles were in the Peerage of England.