George Villiers (died 1606)

Sir George Villiers (c. 1544 – 4 January 1606) was an English nobleman, politician, knight, and gentleman. He was the father of James I's favourite, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. He was High Sheriff of Leicestershire, and a Member of Parliament.

George Villiers, born about 1544, was the eldest son of William Villiers of Brooksby, Leicestershire, and Colett, widow of Richard Beaumont of Coleorton, Leicestershire, and daughter and heir of Richard Clarke of Willoughby, Warwickshire. The Villiers family had been settled at Brooksby since at least 1235.

Villiers is said to have been a "prosperous sheep farmer". He was High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1591, and was elected a Knight of the Shire for the county from 1604 until his death. He was knighted in 1593.

Villiers married firstly Audrey Saunders (d.1587), the daughter and heir of William Saunders (d. 14 July 1582) of Harrington, Northamptonshire and Frances Zouche, the daughter of William Zouche of Bulwick, Northamptonshire, son of John la Zouche, 7th Baron Zouche (c.1440-1527) of Harringworth, who fought for Richard III at Bosworth, by whom he had two sons and four daughters:

Villiers married secondly, about 1590, his "beautiful but penniless first cousin by the half-blood", Mary Beaumont (c. 1570 – 1632), daughter of Anthony Beaumont of Glenfield, Leicestershire, with whom he had three sons and a daughter:

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