Villiers family

The Villiers family, pronounced "Villers" (/ˈvɪləz/), is one of England's eminent aristocratic families. Over time, various members of the Villiers family were made knights, baronets and peers. Hereditary titles held by the Villiers family include the dukedoms of Buckingham (1623-1687) and Cleveland (1670-1709), as well as the earldoms of Anglesey (1623-1661), Jersey (since 1697) and Clarendon (since 1776). Perhaps the most prominent members of the family were those who received the two dukedoms: George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592–1628) rose to fame and influence as favourite of King James I of England, while Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland (1640–1709) became a mistress of King Charles II of England, by whom she had five children.

The Villiers family had been settled at Brooksby, Leicestershire, since at least 1235. The village, recorded in the Domesday Book as Brochesbi, was held by Hugh d'Avranches after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. In the early 13th century the tenant of Brooksby, Gilbert de Seis, married a member of the Villiers family, a line of minor gentry of Norman descent. The estate remained in Villiers hands for the next 500 years. At this time, Brooksby consisted of the hall, the nearby Church of St Michael and All Angels, a small number of peasants' houses and a field system with common land.

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