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4TH See also: Thomas, 3rd
See also: earl; and after the See also: death about 168o of his elder See also: brother Thomas, styled Viscount Colchester, he was designated by that title until he succeeded to the See also: peerage
.
Early in See also: life See also: Richard Savage acquired notoriety by his dare-devilry and dissipation, and he was, too, one of the most conspicuous rakes in the society of the See also: period
.
After becoming See also: Lord Colchester on his brother's death he entered parliament as member for See also: Wigan in 1681 and procured a commission in the Horseguards under See also: Sarsfield in 1686
.
He was " the first nobleman and one of the first persons " who joined the See also: prince of Orange on his landing in See also: England, and he accompanied See also: William to
See also: London
.
Obtaining promotion in the army, he served with distinction in See also: Ireland and in the See also: Netherlands, and was made major-general in 1693 and
II
See also: lieutenant-general in 1702
.
In 1694 he succeeded his See also: father as 4th Earl See also: Rivers
.
He served abroad in 1702 under Marl-See also: borough, who formed a high opinion of his military capacity and who recommended him for the command of a force for an invasion of See also: France in 1706
.
The expedition was eventually diverted to See also: Portugal, and Rivers, finding himself superseded before anything was accomplished, returned to England, where See also: Marlborough procured for him a command in the cavalry
.
The favour shown him by Marlborough did not deter Rivers from paying See also: court to the Tories when it became evident that the Whig ascendancy was waning, and his See also: appointment as See also: constable of the Tower in 1710 on the recommendation of Harley and without Marlborough's knowledge was the first unmistakable intimation to the Whigs of their impending fall
.
Rivers now met with marked favour at court, being entrusted with a delicate See also: mission to the elector of See also: Hanover in 1710, which was followed by his appointment in 1711 as master-general of the ordnance, a See also: post hitherto held by Marlborough himself
.
See also: Swift, who was intimate with him, speaks of him as " an arrant knave "; but the dean may have been disappointed at being unmentioned in Rivers's will, for he made a fierce comment on the earl's bequests to his mistresses and his neglect of his See also: friends
.
In See also: June 1712 Rivers was promoted to. the See also: rank of general, and became See also: commander-in-chief in England; he died. a few See also: weeks later, on the 18th of See also: August 1712
.
He married in 1679 See also: Penelope, daughter of See also: Roger Downes, by whom he had a daughter See also: Elizabeth, who married the 4th earl of Barrymore
.
He also,
See also: left several illegitimate See also: children, two of whom were by See also: Anne, countess of Macclesfield
.
Rivers's intrigue with Lady Macclesfield was the cause of that lady's See also: divorce from her See also: husband in 1701
.
Richard Savage, the poet, claimed identity with Lady Macclesfield's son by Lord Rivers, but though his See also: story was accepted by Dr See also: Johnson and was very generally believed, the evidence in its support is faulty in several respects
.
As Rivers left no legitimate son the earldom passed on his death to his
See also: cousin, See also: John Savage,
See also: grandson of the 2nd earl, and a See also: priest in the See also: Roman Catholic See also: Church, on whose death, about 1935, all the
See also: family titles became See also: extinct
.
See William Coxe, See also: Memoirs of Marlborough (3 vols., London, 1818); Letters and Despatches of Marlborough, 1702-1712, vol. v., edited by See also: Sir G
.
See also: Murray (5 vols., London, 1845);
See also: Gilbert Burnet,
See also: History of his own See also: Time (6 vols., See also: Oxford, 1833) ; F
.
W
.
See also: Wyon, History of See also: Great Britain during the Reign of See also: Queen Anne (2 vols., London, 1876) ; G
.
E
.
C., See also: Complete Peerage, vol. vi
.
(London, 1895)
.
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