Earl James Compton
(1622-1681)

Died aged 59

James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton FRS (19 August 1622 – 15 December 1681), was an English peer, politician and author, who fought for the Royalists during the First English Civil War. He succeeded his father Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton when he was killed in March 1643 at the Battle of Hopton Heath. After the war ended in Royalist defeat in 1646, he spent the next 14 years living quietly on his estates, although he was arrested several times on suspicion of involvement in conspiracies to restore Charles II. Following The Restoration in 1660, he was rewarded with appointments as Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire and Constable of the Tower of London. While he attended the House of Lords on a regular basis, he played little role in active politics; his third son Spencer briefly became prime minister from 1742 to 1743. He died in December 1681. Although known to have written a number of plays and translated others, the full extent of his output was only revealed when a cache of papers was discovered at the family home of Castle Ashby House in 1977. Based on this, it is suggested "his name should be added to the list of 17th century, or more particularly of Cavalier, playwrights".

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