RUSSELL, LORD WILLIAM (163 683), English poli tician, was the third son of the 1st duke of Bedford and was born on Sept. 29, 1639. About 1654 he was sent to Cambridge with his elder brother Francis (on whose death in 1678 he ob tained the courtesy title of Lord Russell). On leaving the uni versity, the two brothers travelled abroad, visiting Lyons, Geneva, Augsburg, and Paris, but returned to Woburn in December 1659. At the Restoration he was elected for the family borough of Tavistock. He appears to have indulged in the follies of court life and intrigue; for both in 1663 and 1664 he was engaged in duels, in the latter of which he was wounded. In 1669 he married Rachel (1636-1723), second daughter of the 4th earl of South ampton, and widow of Lord Vaughan, thus becoming connected with Shaftesbury, who had married Southampton's niece. With his wife Russell always lived on terms of the greatest affection and confidence. She corresponded with Tillotson and other dis tinguished men, and a collection of her admirable letters was published in On the formation of the "country party," in opposition to the policy of the Cabal and Charles's French-Catholic plots, Russell began to take an active part in affairs. He then joined Cavendish, Birch, Hampden, Powell, Lyttleton and others in vehement antag onism to the court. With a passionate hatred and distrust of the Catholics, and an intense love of political liberty, he united the desire for ease to Protestant Dissenters. He inveighed (Jan. 22, 1673) against the stop of the exchequer, the attack on the Smyrna fleet, the corruption of courtiers with French money, and "the ill ministers about the king"; he supported the proceedings against the duke of Buckingham, and against Danby (see LEEDS, DUKE OF) ; and in March 1678 he seconded the address praying the king to declare war against France. The country party hated Danby and James more than they hated Louis. The French king formed a temporary alliance with Russell, Hollis and the opposi tion leaders, on terms. Russell in particular entered into close communication with the marquis de Ruvigny (Lady Russell's maternal uncle), who came over with money for distribution among members of parliament. By the testimony of Barillon,
however, it is clear that Russell refused any part in the intended corruption.
By the wild alarms which culminated in the Popish Terror Russell was apparently deeply affected. He threw himself into the party which looked to Monmouth as the representative of Protestant interests, a grave political blunder, though he after wards was in confidential communication with Orange. On Nov. 4, 1678, he moved an address to the king to remove the duke of York from his person and councils. At the dissolution of the pensionary parliament, he was, in the new elections, returned for Bedfordshire. Danby was at once overthrown, and in April 1679 Russell was one of the new privy council formed by Charles on the advice of Temple. Only six days after this we find him mov ing for a committee to draw up a bill to secure religion and property in case of a popish successor. He does not, however, appear to have taken part in the exclusion debates at this time. In June, on the occasion of the Covenanters' rising in Scotland, he attacked Lauderdale personally in full council.
In January 168o Russell, along with Cavendish, Capell, Powell, Essex and Lyttleton, tendered his resignation to the king, which was received by Charles "with all my heart." On June 16, he accompanied Shaftesbury, when the latter indicted James at Westminster as a popish recusant ; and on Oct. 26 he took the extreme step of moving "how to suppress popery and prevent a popish successor"; on Nov. 2, now at the height of his influence, he seconded the motion for exclusion in its most emphatic shape, and on the 19th carried the bill to the House of Lords for their concurrence. The limitation scheme he opposed, on the ground that monarchy under the conditions expressed in it would be an absurdity. On December 18 he moved to refuse supplies until the king passed the Exclusion Bill. The prince of Orange having come over at this time, there was a tendency on the part of the opposition leaders to accept his endeavours to secure a compro mise on the exclusion question. Russell, however, refused to give way a hair's-breadth.